By Sadie
August 12 2007

A new season is upon and Sadie is still with us giving her own unique look at Town's games, yesterdays 4-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday is her focus today. Ipswich Town: Alexander, Wright, Bruce, De Vos, Harding, Walters, Miller, Garvan, Roberts, Counago, Lee. Subs: Supple, Wilnis, Legwinski, Haynes, Clarke.

Sheffield Wednesday: Grant, Simek, Bullen, Wood, Gilbert, Johnson, Whelan, Watson, Brunt, Tudgay, Jeffers. Subs: Lunt, Hinds, O'Brien, Small, Burch

Whelan and Tudgay kick off the new season at Portman road and within in seconds the boo boys start, but this time it's not at someone in Blue, nope he looks like a tangerine with a head only just visible through the cloud that he seems to stuck in.

30 seconds in and Counago is up to his old tricks, at the south stand end in the visiting box he rolls over a tackle almost doing a quadruple somersault, score for gymnastic ability- 10, referee Richard Beeby is unhappy with the incident and awards Town a penalty, a mix of roars of laughter and cheers fill the stands as Counago seems to be up to his old tricks already. Named Penalty taker Lee steps up and sends Grant the wrong way scoring a very tidy penalty Town are a goal up less that a minute into the match and scoring the quickest goal of the 07/08 league campaign.

Whelan and Jeffers restart the match but it isn't long before the Tractor boys are attacking again with Walters and Counago, the ball is played to Lee but this time it's not so neat and goes out for a goal kick.

Boo's turn to cheers in the 5th minute when Jeffers with the ball is interrupted by Bruce, Bruce concedes a free kick but were all too happy to care especially when Bruce then defends the free kick, taken by Brunt, to safety.

Garvan shows little to be admired with a corner kick in the 6th minute, well it seems some things have stayed the same, well that and Haynes' ego as he struts his stuff along the sidelines. Wednesday break from the poor ball and try to hassle the Town box, they manage to win a corner but it is well defended before Counago is back down again winning Town a free kick mid way in their own half.

Grant takes a Free kick for the visitors with the ball pretty much going from keeper to keeper, Alexander in goal for Ipswich sends the ball back up field, play heads into the opposition box, crossed in from Pablo to Roberts who slams the ball home, 9 minutes played, 2-0 to Town.

The Town fans are singing a different tune in the 12th minute when Jeffers is caught offside, 'Your not very good' flooded the stands, that's funny it's not what I remember hearing at the end of last season.

Down in the visiting box on 14 minutes the Town players are lining up like kids in a sweet shop, for shot at goal, all of them miss-time their aim for the ball before Counago sends the ball into the hands of Grant.

Town are beaten to the box in the 17th minute but the blue defence recovers before a blue free kick is given, Miller tries to be clever but is unsuccessful in his efforts.

Soon after Gilbert takes the ball from Walters and starts his team heading goal ward, Jeffers ends that when he is caught in an offside position, I can't say I'm surprised, he doesn't seem to have all that good of judgement when it comes down to where he should be.

Brunt is connecting the midfield well for the visitors in the 21st minute as the Owls appear to be gaining strength.

24 minutes gone Counago manages to stay on his feet when a tackle comes in and sends the ball perfectly to Lee, in return Lee finds the back of the net perfectly it's 3-0.

De Vos doesn't quite have it handled when Watson attacks, Alexander is just where he needs to be though to put an end to the pressure, soon after at the other end a Garvan free kick is headed over and out for a Grant goal kick.

Half an hour into this match Jeffers manages to bounce the ball through the defence onto Tudgay who beats Alexander, although the ball is past the Town keeper it also continues to roll past the Town goal.

Town come close to goal again in the 34th minute with Walters, just as he kicks a defender deflects the ball out for a corner, taken by Garvan Town then go on to win another, this one however ends safely with Grant.

In the 35th minute after an attempt on attack for the visitors, just outside the Town box play is stop and a free kick is awarded to Town thanks to a Simek dive for which he is booked, maybe he should take some lessons from Counago.

Bruce is showing off his top defending once again in the 37th minute after the Owls creep on attack, Bruce seems to be the only Town defender awake, thankfully there isn't much going on to test the home box as the offside trap has been working well this first half.

Bruce is still enjoying himself with 42 minutes on the clock when a foul on Brunt leaves him facing a wagging finger and defending a free kick, never mind, it was a poop kick anyway.

To the other end Counago is denied a shot from the visiting defence and the ball makes its way up to Jeffers, who is offside.

3 minutes are added onto the end of the first half during which Wright actually defends after leaving Brunt wide open for the 45 minutes previous, Tudgay tries to play games with Lee and Garvan but gains nothing when he heads the ball straight to Alexander.

As the teams return for the second half Sheffield Wednesday make their first substitution of the match with Lunt replacing Bullen.

2 minutes into the second half Watson tries a shot on goal, but gets it totally wrong bending the ball in the opposite direction, but Town can't say much when a few minutes later Alexander has a goal kick from the south stand end, the ball from his kick is caught by my dad, in the North stand end of the Britannia Stand!

Lunt having been on for 5 minutes earns himself a booking when Counago is face down after crossing paths, the free kick that Town are awarded is easy for Whelan to defend and any chance of a 4th goal from that moment is over.

The Owls have a free kick in the 52nd minute to the left of the Town goal the opportunity is blown however when Whelan skies the ball into the South Stand.

Town finally get play into the Owls half and a dodgy Grant gives the Town fans something to get excited about only managing to secure the ball after Roberts, Counago and Lee all have a go.

59 minutes gone Roberts on the right finds Counago in the middle, as clean as an obsessive's kitchen the strike finds the net and Counago finally gets on the score sheet it's 4-0 but what the score sheet doesn't tell you is that Counago, who Town only got after failing to lure Jeffers, has come back to Town making promises, has set up 3 and scored 1 in this return match, hopefully the excitement that is fuelling him wont fade and this isn't a one off show.

In the 62nd minute Jeffers manages to get the ball in an onside position, in the middle of the box he only needs to beat Alexander, but stretching, Alexander makes the save.

A sequence of Roberts to Garvan to Lee sees the ball fall just wide of the visiting goal in the 65th minute before Town make their first substitution as Haynes replaces Lee.

Town are attacking again in the 72nd minute with Counago sending the ball into Grant's box to Miller but Grant makes it clear that it is his box and makes the save before both Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich make their second substitutions Jeffers waves goodbye to Town and is replaced by Leon Clarke and Counago gets his standing ovation with Billy Clarke filling his space on pitch.

The Owls then make their last sub as Johnson makes way for Small and it has become clear that Town are fast losing their grip on the game and a consolation goal seems to be inevitable for the visitors.

Town's last substitution comes in the 83rd minute with Legwinski coming on for Miller before Walters squashes Wood adding a couple of minutes to injury time.

Billy Clarke manages to make a complete pass in the 87th minute much to the fans delight and then that goal comes.

88 minutes and substitute Leon Clarke is spotted open in the middle of the Town box, Bruce defends off the goal line but the ball comes back in and hits the back of the net, its 4-1 and De Vos punches the turf, oi oi.

Garvan and Harding waste a free kick between them and 3 minutes injury time is added.

Whelan is feeling the pressure and sends the ball to the skies again, Legwinski has a moment of madness thinking he is Houdini, and Tudgay nearly kicks Billy Clarke in the head, I understand, it's an urge I often feel too.

The whistle is blown and the Tractor boys plough home happy.

Alexander: 6/10: not much to do, defiantly needs to work on his kicks.
Wright: 4/10: can't say much when he doesn't do much.
Bruce: 8/10: pure class, never afraid, one to be afraid of.
De Vos: 6/10: didn't show much presence but the offside trap worked.
Harding: 6/10: he did little more than our skipper.
Walters: 7/10: Stayed strong and helped keep the ball up field.
Miller: 5/10: I hope he's not getting too quiet in his old age.
Garvan: 5/10: SOMEONE TEACH HIM HOW TO TAKE A CORNER... PLEASE.
Roberts: 7/10: a beautiful goal and didn't give up.
Counago: 10/10: what a comeback, please don't lose it.
Lee: 8/10: Thanks for signing, don't make us regret it.
Haynes: 5/10: little impact when on
Clarke: 3/10: surely he can do better
Legwinski: 4/10: a mark higher than Clarke purely down to amusement of the mad moment
Subs not used: Supple Wilnis. MOTM: Counago

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