Derby County v Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

[Magicmark]

Looks like we're going to be bitting our nails for the last 10 minutes.

[arana peligrosa]

Still got a lead with time closing out, by all accounts Bialkowski has put forward another fine performance and again deserves plaudits, but still have to see the game out. Could be a bit of a steal as they've apparently had more opportunity and possession, but it won't be the first time we got away with it, it won't be the last.

Actually looking forward to beating this opposition, either try for a second while time permits it as they try for goal, or keep focus all on defense and keep them out. Just the closing minutes to worry about, time can not be far off.

[Quasar]

Phew...a good win lads

[patthegimp]

Yeaaaaah!!

[Magicmark]

Wow what a great result against a team that usually batter us

[arana peligrosa]

f*ck me that was tense towards the end but we did it. Bialkowski had a good game by all reports but await match report to gain better analysis. Some fine record at Derby now, some of their fans don't have us a favorite team or there's some tangible animosity, but we got the win, beat you again, so stuff that.

Maybe didn't deserve the win this day but it's a victory to keep us in contention around the top six positions, hope for a East Midlands double when we play Nottingham Forest in a short time.

[barmy billy]

Wow, what an unexpected but thoroughly welcome surprise.

Well done ITFC.

[herforder]

We fully deserved to win tonight - no argument. Probably the best TEAM performance this season, against a Derby team filled with high-priced, quality, players. Just look at the two benches. Of course there were times when we had to weather the storm - but away to a very good team, and a clean sheet to boot, is an outstanding achievement. A fantastic performance on which to build, with confidence and self-belief boosted. Yellow cards rule Chambo and Downes out for Saturday. We’ve recently been involved in games of fine margins - good, tonight, to be on the right side.

[marko69]

Well done ITFC, very unexpected indeed.

[Bluemike]

Get in there Town !!! Proud of the boys tonite, came under pressure 2nd half but stood firm and showed we can defend. Waggy should have had a cert penalty. Good performances from Connolly, Skuse, Ward and Waghorn, and 2 cracking saves from Bart, the kids Downes and Nydam came on did well. Get in there boys, silenced the critics.

[goldandblack]

Get in there Town !!! Proud of the boys tonite, came under pressure 2nd half but stood firm and showed we can defend. Waggy should have had a cert penalty. Good performances from Connolly, Skuse, Ward and Waghorn, and 2 cracking saves from Bart, the kids Downes and Nydam came on did well. Get in there boys, silenced the critics.

a great win there Mike, well done IPSWICH.

[Bluemike]

Get in there Town !!! Proud of the boys tonite, came under pressure 2nd half but stood firm and showed we can defend. Waggy should have had a cert penalty. Good performances from Connolly, Skuse, Ward and Waghorn, and 2 cracking saves from Bart, the kids Downes and Nydam came on did well. Get in there boys, silenced the critics.

a great win there Mike, well done IPSWICH.

Cheers John, a happy journey home

[goldandblack]

Get in there Town !!! Proud of the boys tonite, came under pressure 2nd half but stood firm and showed we can defend. Waggy should have had a cert penalty. Good performances from Connolly, Skuse, Ward and Waghorn, and 2 cracking saves from Bart, the kids Downes and Nydam came on did well. Get in there boys, silenced the critics.

a great win there Mike, well done IPSWICH.

Cheers John, a happy journey home

and have a very safe trip home mate,

[Charnwood]

Wow what a great result against a team that usually batter us

Over the last six seasons playing at Pride Park including tonight’s game, we’ve won four all 0-1 and drawn the other two 4-4 and 1-1, that’s hardly battering us.

[Magicmark]

Wow what a great result against a team that usually batter us

Over the last six seasons playing at Pride Park including tonight’s game, we’ve won four all 0-1 and drawn the other two 4-4 and 1-1, that’s hardly battering us.

I'm going by when i last saw us play against them..lost 3 nothing at home..Great result tonight against a team most of us thought were going to easily beat us.

[Charnwood]

In fact you have to go back 11 visits to Pride Park to find the last time Derby beat us at their place and that was a 2-1 win in November 2006.

Since then we’ve won 7 times and drawn 3.

Must be a lucky ground for us.

[marko69]

Get in there Town !!! Proud of the boys tonite, came under pressure 2nd half but stood firm and showed we can defend. Waggy should have had a cert penalty. Good performances from Connolly, Skuse, Ward and Waghorn, and 2 cracking saves from Bart, the kids Downes and Nydam came on did well. Get in there boys, silenced the critics.

Great to read, superb stuff.

[Bluemike]

A few people conspicuous by their absence, we must have won

[TODD66]

A few people conspicuous by their absence, we must have won

Surely only because they will still be partying hard!

[arana peligrosa]

Records indicate McCarthy has not seen defeat as a manager against Derby since back in '95 when at Millwall. I think we got something of a unique habit over them particularly at Pride Park in recent seasons and pleasing to read some stated it was a deserved victory, reassuring for those who can't be in attendance.

Home fans must have witnessed a different event however, as a good many were in agreement on their main fan forum that they were once again victims of a blatant robbery and we created next to nothing. "Team (ourselves) set out to defend after the opening goal and reverted to dirty tactics and time wasting" (To maintain a lead)

Case for the defense of who's right and who's wrong, bottom line it's a win for the team and something to build on for subsequent fixtures.

[Dubai Blue]

Midweek games don't fit with Dubai working hours Mike

Went to sleep after 15 mins confident that we would hold on

Really great result. Looking forward to reading Mach's review (I'm not being sarcastic either) as stats show that we had 2 shots on target and zero off target. Also they only had 3 on target so it must have been a pretty dour game.

Nice Winter season backs to the wall away win. Well done lads now let's hammer Forest. Will Wolfenden get a game?

[derick_ipsw]

First time we have beaten a team in the top half, great defensive performance. Lets use this to start being more consistent and sneak in to the top 6 in May. Brilliant win Town.

[marko69]

First time we have beaten a team in the top half, great defensive performance. Lets use this to start being more consistent and sneak in to the top 6 in May. Brilliant win Town.

This is where I have my doubts over the discontent towards Mick McCarthy. That defence is so hot & cold, it's unreal. Can't figure out how that can be solely down to him. Been saying for months that those overpaid assholes on the pitch need to pull their fingers out, stand up and be counted. Wasn't expecting it at Derby, but it's a start.

[charlton837]

Great result. Sounded a typical case of an old Ipswich town performance, what we lack in quality we make up for with heart, desire and fight. That has been missing at times but getting an early goal gave us something to work with. And in actual fact in first half we played with some quality too.

A welcome 3 points, a rare clean sheet too.

[herforder]

Was fortunate(?) to watch last night’s match from the warmth of a ‘posh DC box’, surrounded by rabid and well-heeled Derby supporters. The pre-match banter and atmosphere was verging on celebratory, before a ball had been kicked. The common view being that we were in for a real kicking!

Imagine the contrast post-match.....nothing comes close to being quietly magnanimous in victory. Commiserating with them that their supposedly hugely talented, very expensively assembled, bunch of players were put to the sword by an unfancied team, managed by a footballing dinosaur, and including a couple of recently promoted academy players. Nothing is ever certain in football - thank goodness!

[Bluemike]

What a fab night at Pride Park where we picked up our obligatory Three points to take full advantage of our game in hand which was so pleasing as the general consensus of opinion among Town fans was that we had no game in hand as this was one we just wouldn't win. It was a crucial game really as defeat would see us potentially Eight points off the play off places and Mid table beckoning while a win would have us still very much on the cusp of the play off race. The big surprise was the now show in the squad of Joe Garner but it sounds like he could be fit for Forest so no great worry on that one, Jordan Spence was thankfully back in at RB and Emyr Huws was making his first start of the season.

The game was barely Five minutes old when incredibly Town got themselves ahead with virtually their first real attack of the game, Derby had already had one half chance that didn't trouble our goal, Martyn Waghorn delivered one of his pinpoint corners from which Callum Connolly rose to meet it with a deft little header that crashed back off the undersdie of the bar, Town fans and players alike all rising to celebrate a goal but play continued for a second or Two before the ref signalled a goal courtesy of the goal line technology, let the wild celebrations begin, it was just the start we needed but there was still virtually the whole game to go. The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the home side and the fans had been quietened down which was a feat in itself. The game was being played at quite a fast pace with Town more than holding their own and looking to get forward whenever they could, Vydra was looking a threat for the rams and the Town defence had to be alert once or twice to thwart his runs. It was actually twon who werent far away from grabbing a second which would have been a fluke as ward sent over a long teasing cross which seemed to evade Scott Carson before drifting just over the bar. As you would expect derby were getting into the game and having plenty of the ball but Town were up to the task and plenty of timely tackles and blokes were seeing us stand firm, Connolly and the much maligned Skuse were having really good games and mopping up loads of loose balls, Skuse made two really good tackles when it looked like they were going to get through, Ward was also much more lively and was looking a real threat and our best outlet, Celina on the other hand was finding it tough and on more than one occasion treid to beat hios man only to be dispossessed or he was giving the ball away with a sloppy pass. Waghorn was running here there and everywhere and was keeping the Derby defence on it's toes. Tom Lawrence was starting to become more and more involved and with the clock ticking over the half hour he created their first real clear chance, sending over a nice cross from which the onrushing derby striker blazed it high over Bart's goal when he should probably have done better. Our hearts were in our mouths a few minutes later as Lawrence went crashing to the ground inside the box following a challlenge from Chambers, the ref blowing his whistle and pointing to what looked like the spot, thankfully it was for a Town freekick as the cheating little b*stard Lawrence was booked for diving, a huge sigh of relief all round. The final ten minutes of the half saw Derby in the ascendancy possession wise and looking to come forward but Town were so solid at the back and were always looking to hit them on the counter attack with Ward & Waghorn very lively. Thankfully we saw it out to HT without any major scares and we went in to the break with the precious lead intact. Town had played really well and were disciplined in defence and there was no sight of any of the howlers that have blighted us in recent games, Knudsen and Spence had had their work cut out at times and once or twice were caught out but Chambers, Skuse, Connolly and Webster had been there to avert any threat that was looming. All in all a very good half with much promise but the feelng was there was a far greater test to come.

It was a measure how well Town had defended that the restart saw David Nugent subbed off for Chris Martin, it was to be the first time the thorn in our side had failed to score against us and it has to be said I didn't really know he had been on the pitch, credit to the defence. It was Town who threatened first with Connolly again the man to have an effort blocked by Carson. Ten minutes into the half and we had Bart to thank for a brilliant reaction save, Huddlestone hitting a rasping drive that deflected off a defender before the big man clawed it away with a fantastic instinctive dive to his Right, the Town fans rose to a man to applaud a cracking save. It was a sign that derby were going for broke and chances were starting to come as the Town defence were being called upon more and more, Vydra was looking the main threat and it was he that blasted one just past the post. Downes & Sears were brought on to replace the tiring Huws and the disappointing Celina as derby continued to look for a way through but the Town defence were standing firm. The excellent Callum Connolly was replaced by young Nydam for the final quarter of the game, the on loan Midfielder receiving a standing ovation as he left the field, the big question was could we see it out. Town finally had another sight of goal as Ward tried his luck with an effort which went over the bar. Shortly after derby looked to be through but Skuse made a superb tackle right at the death to see off another attack. With the clock starting to run down Town were robbed of what looked to me like a cert penalty as waghorn was bundled over, the officials refusing to budge. Derby missed a golden chance minutes later as their best player and biggest threat Vydra surged forward being hitting a shot that just cleared the post with bart beaten, it was probably their best chance of the night and oh so close. It was nearly a case of de' Ja Vu in the dying seconds as Bloody Sears gave the ball away again to set them on the attack one final time, could this be Sheff Wed all over again, at that point I wanted to kill him but thankfully the chance that came was high and wide and away to safety, that was it, yet again we had done it at Derby and the celebrations between players and fans were long and hard.

I've read one or two comments this morning that we "rode our luck" and were under the cosh at times but make no mistake we did a hell of a lot of thing right last night, we defended superbly for the most part and cut out any serious individual errors, we played with a far greater tempo when going forward and played it on the break so well, some of our passing was very good although for me we gave it away a bit too much for a time in the second half when they were asking questions of us. You are never going to go to Derby and not come under pressure at some point, they have been on fire and ripped Middlesbrough apart on their own patch saturday so this was some result given those stats. For much of the First half we more than matched them to be honest, credit has to go to MM for getting the game plan spot on, despite a fair bit of pressure in the second half they only had Three shots on target to our Two and for me we were robbed of a penalty. there were some great performances last night, Callum Connolly was my MOTM closely followed by Skuse, Ward and Waghorn with Chambo also having his best game for some time against a very good attacking unit, Bart saved us with a couple of cracking saves when they di get an effort on target. The win was massive, if you can win here you can win anywhere, we are still very much on course for the Seventy plus points total. Keep the faith.

Bart (8) Spence (6) Chambers (7) Webster (6) Knudsen (6) Connolly (8) Skuse (8) Celina (5) Huws (7) Ward (7) Waghorn (7)

SUBS :- Sears (5) Downes (7) Nydam (6)

[marko69]

Thanks for the indepth report, very much appreciated,....... reading a positive report after arguably one of the toughest fixtures of the season is always welcome. And good to see Downes receiving the (7) for his 30 minutes on the park.

Really is a great result this. It shows that Ipswich Town really can compete with anyone at this level. Don't want to jinx anything but I really do feel they should be dealing with Nott'm Forest comfortably this coming Saturday.

Keep that belief in those players, Mick....... and make sure they themselves continue to believe that no opposition is too big in the division ------> it was proved last night. Unless of course Derby had an "off" night, which I highly doubt.

Any "No to Mick" fans from around the forum have any views on last nights game? And that is asked amicably. That's not a sarcastic dig at your opinions. Just interested to hear views from the more discontented after a win.

[hallamblue]

Thanks a Mike for your report - a good read and gwhat a fabulous result for the lads!

It's games/ results like this that make hard to say McCarthy needs to go. What a conundrum the Club are in, although I suspect McCarthy has made his mind up to leave in the summer anyway.

We now desperately need to follow thus result up with a win on Saturday vs Forest, but with no Chambers in defence we will be scraping the barrel for CB cover .

Fab result , why oh why didn't we get 6 points from Hull and Wednesday games. All very frustrating.

[rossi]

Well the result was certainly a surprise for me, but I'm really pleased to have been proved wrong and want to say a massive 'Well done' to MM and the team.

Just need to get a bit of consistency now - will be interesting to see how we do defensively on Saturday without Chambers.
And despite BM's report and praise of our erstwhile holding midfielder, my opinions on him have not changed

[phily bon bon]

Bloody well done lads and Mick, I expected to be cained as we have not kept a clean sheet in ages. Derby are a good side and will be there or thereablouts come may,as for us we seem to blow hot and Cold so whom knows?

Brilliant result and with some tough games coming up lets just see where this takes us.