Third Time Unlucky

Ipswich Town 2 Reading 3

There we were 2-1 up with five minutes to go, no I`m not doing the Blues v Nottingham Forest report again, but our sloppy defence went and blew it – again – and we end up losing 3-2 – again.
This time we had Richard Wright in goal after he got the nod ahead of Arran Lee-Barrett, to replace the injured David Stockdale – as Vital Ipswich revealed last night, thanks to our insider.
But even though we went ahead through Daryl Murphy and then again when Josh Carson finished after Kaspar Gorkss had equalised, we made a right royal mess-up of it and Alex Pearce levelled for them again.
Then in the 91st minute Noel Hunt smashed in a winner and Ipswich fell to their third 3-2 loss in a row.
That makes it 14 goals conceded in four games – that is not good by any standards.
Returning warrior Murphy thought he had ended the Tractor Boys` losing streak with a goal and assist
The on-loan Celtic striker has been out since mid-September but proved his fitness with a goal for the reserves in midweek and followed it up his first senior goal of the campaign.
It was the Irish striker`s seventh loan goal for Ipswich after banging in six when Roy Keane borrowed him from Sunderland.
It was not all bad.
Michael Chopra hit a post with a low shot from probably Ipswich`s only decent pass of the first half, which came from Keith Andrews.
Jay Emmanuel Thomas followed up but his shot was blocked by Gorkss.
Reading kept up their record of only scoring one goal in the first half of a game and have the bizarre distinction of being the only team in the Football League to have taken a lead into the break all season.
It was not for the lack of trying, and a sloppy Ipswich defence gave them plenty of half chances.
Wright, signed for a third time got behind a Simon Church shot and clutched an Ian Harte in-swinging corner. He also made a stunning save to tip away a Hunt effort.
Hunt was inches away from connecting with a low Jimmy Kebe cross and Ipswich struggled at corners from Harte and Jobi McAnuff.
The second half was pretty thrilling as Ipswich upped their game.
Murphy swooped in to head a Grant Leadbitter free kick into the net after Josh Carson had been fouled.
Rubbish defending at set plays proved costly once more as Gorkss headed in an Ian Harte free kick.
But Jewell threw on Lee Martin for JET and he crossed for Murphy to lay the ball into Carson`s path and his shot deflected off Gorkss and looped over the keeper`s head.
That should have been game over but oh no, we concede from another Harte corner as Pearce nods in.
OK, we`ll take a draw. But up pops Hunt deep in time added on to score from a Mikele leigertwood ball after Ipswich give possession away from our own throw in and we have now lost five in a row.


Ipswich Town 4-4-2
Wright 6; Edwards 5, Ingimarsson 5, Collins 5, Cresswell 7; Emmanuel-Thomas 6 (Martin, 72) 7, Andrews 7, Leadbitter 7 (Wabara, 80) 5, Carson 7: Murphy 8, Chopra 6 (Bullard, 80) 5. Subs not used: Scotland, Lee-Barrett,
Reading 4-4-2:
Federici 6: Cummings 6, Gorkss 7, Pearce 6, Harte 8; McAnuff 7, Leigertwood 6, Karacan 6 (Robson-Kanu, 70) 6, Kebe 7; Church 6 (Le Fondre 70) 7, Hunt 7. Subs not used: Tabb, Manset, Andersen.
Referee: Eddie Ilderton (Tyne & Wear) 6