Ipswich Town vs Cheltenham Town FC 
Tuesday 22nd February 2022 – 19:45
Portman Road
Pre Match Thoughts - Mike
The Jackson Five Star Display........
Town’s impressive form under Rookie Manager Kieran McKenna doesn't look like ending anytime soon after another victory over Burton Albion secured Three more precious points and kept the chase to the top Six very much on course as the gap was reduced down to a mere Four points and with plenty of games still to go the task is suddenly looking very achievable.
Our home form under KM now reads Four wins from Four and the clean sheet count continues to rise too which gives us a fantastic base from which to work from, if you don't concede you don't lose. The game itself was a decent spectacle for League One as Both teams started very well and took the game to each other but after the opening Fifteen minutes it was Burton who belied their league status as they took the game to Town with some decent football, that said Town also strung together some decent moves and always looked dangerous, the pairing of Burns and Donacien in particular caused Burton problems.
Thankfully Town had grabbed a lightening quick goal to get the afternoon off to the perfect start, it was a fine strike from the renaissance man that is Kayden Jackson that got us in front within Fifty seconds, it was just the start of things to come though as Jackson had a field day with probably his finest performance in a Town shirt, not only supplying Two assists for Burns and Celina but also setting up One or Two more which should really have been converted. Despite a few hairy moments along the way the defence stood firm once more and by the full time whistle Town were comfortable and worthy winners.
I can't emphasis enough how delighted I was for Kayden Jackson who to be honest I have always quite liked as a player, to say he has had a tough time at Portman Road is an understatement to say the least, I feel he has never really been played to his strengths in the right formations but thankfully now we have a manager who plays to the strengths of his squad as opposed shoe Horning them into a formation because he is one dimensional and knows nothing else, I think Lambert and Cook were woeful in their handling and treatment of Jackson who for all the world looked to be surplus to requirements until McKenna arrived here, everything looks so very different now and don't be surprised to see the offer of a new contract on the table come the Summer.
The Two games against Burton and Cheltenham were both must win given the gap we have to make up so its half the job done, failure to beat Cheltenham will render Saturday’s win pretty pointless, with teams above us continuing to drop points it means we are not just chasing one spot, I would say 4th to 6th are still very much up for grabs and with the likes of Sunderland and Wycombe starting to falter it is very much in our own hands, we could very well be that team that comes out of the pack at the Eleventh hour which gives you all the momentum going into the play-offs, while we are still taking it One game at a time you can't help but think this is very much on.
Cheltenham visit Town on the back of an incredible 5-5 draw at the aforementioned Wycombe Wanderers, hopefully its taken a lot out of them and we can take advantage. While Cheltenham are doing ok we really should have enough about us to keep the winning run at home going, a win here and results going our way would possibly have us a point or Two from the top Six and that is all the incentive we need to win this game.
I think Town will be victorious in this one to heap more pressure on those above us, I would be very surprised if One or Two are not looking over their shoulders already, an early got would be great if we could do it again, it settles our nerves and brings our opponents on to us which suits us perfectly. Again its never easy but it's a Town win for me, possibly by a couple of clear goals. The dream is on. COYB'S
The Opposition – Cheltenham Town FC
Founded in 1887, the club spent much of its early history competing in local football circles, before moving to the Birmingham Combination in 1932 and then the Southern League in 1935. They spent the next 50 years in the Southern League, winning the Midland Division in 1982–83 and then claiming the Premier Division title in 1984–85. They were subsequently promoted into the Alliance Premier League in 1985, where they remained for seven seasons until they were relegated in 1992. They finished as runners-up of the Southern League Premier Division for four of the next five seasons, and were promoted into the Conference in 1997.
The appointment of Steve Cotterill as manager during the 1996–97 was the start of a period of success at the club which resulted in Cotterill being their most successful manager. Four months after taking charge he guided the club to runners-up spot in the Southern Football League Premier Division, but they won promotion to the Football Conference as champions Gresley Rovers were unable to meet the required ground capacity for Conference membership. In 1997–98, Cheltenham finished runners-up in the Conference and were close to champions Halifax Town until the end of April 1998. They secured a place at Wembley in the 1998 FA Trophy Final, beating Southport 1–0 in front of a crowd of 26,837 at Wembley Stadium. In 1998–99, Cheltenham secured the Conference title and entry to the Football League.
After two mid-table finishes in Division Three, Cheltenham finally won promotion to Division Two (via the Division Three playoffs) at the end of the 2001–02 season. Shortly after winning promotion, Cotterill left Cheltenham to join Stoke City as their manager.
Cheltenham replaced Cotterill with first-team coach Graham Allner who had won the Conference championship with Kidderminster Harriers in 1994. Allner and assistant manager Mike Davis, who was originally assistant to Cotterill, were sacked in January 2003, after six months in the job, with Cheltenham near the foot of Division Two. Cheltenham turned to Bobby Gould, one of the most experienced managers in English football whose exploits include an FA Cup victory with Wimbledon in 1988. Cheltenham continued to struggle, and defeat in their final game of the season condemned the club to relegation back to Division Three after just one season. Gould resigned as Cheltenham Town manager in November 2003 and was replaced by John Ward.
During the 2005–06 season, a new stand for visiting fans was added (The Carlsberg Stand). They finished the season in 5th, earning a place in the play-offs. In the semi-final Cheltenham beat Wycombe Wanderers 2–1 away and drew 0–0 in the second leg at Whaddon Road. In the play-off final, Cheltenham beat Grimsby Town 1–0, securing a place in League One for 2006–07. The match at the Millennium Stadium on 28 May 2006 was attended by 29,196 people.
Cheltenham started life in League One with a 1–0 win against Gillingham. Following Cheltenham's 3–0 defeat to Port Vale, manager John Ward announced he had agreed a four-year contract with League One side Carlisle United. A highlight of the season was winning twice against Leeds United. Cheltenham's survival was secured on the final day of the season as they beat Doncaster Rovers 2–1 at Whaddon Road, denying their opposition automatic promotion.
Early in the 2008–09 season, Keith Downing left Cheltenham Town and was replaced by Martin Allen. Allen's team started poorly with a club-record seven defeats in a row, part of a 15-game run without a victory. The club narrowly avoided administration, and the 10-point penalty that would go with it, before Allen revealed that all the players at the club were up for sale. The season finished with Cheltenham's relegation back to League Two on the penultimate day of the season after three seasons in League One as they had conceded over 100 goals in all competitions.
Cheltenham won their first match of the 2009–10 season against Grimsby Town 2–1, but fell dramatically down the table soon after. On 20 October, Martin Allen was put on gardening leave amid allegations he racially abused a nightclub bouncer, and assistant manager John Schofield took temporary charge. Allen was formally cleared of misconduct but still left the club by mutual consent in early December. Former Cheltenham captain and Kidderminster boss Mark Yates was appointed manager on 22 December 2009. Cheltenham continued to struggle through the rest of the season, only managing to avoid relegation on the final day of the season, although they finished four points ahead of the relegated sides.
Yates, ahead of his first full season with Cheltenham, revamped the squad, releasing eight players, including defender Shane Duff, who had just completed his tenth year with the club. The season proved to be successful to begin with, with the Robins remaining close to the play-off positions, but they collapsed in the second half of the season and finished 17th, with only five wins in 26 games in 2011.
Despite losing in the first round of the League Cup, they reached the Football League Trophy south quarter-finals and were handed a lucrative tie at Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup third round. Yates won the Manager of the Month award for November after three wins from threeThe Robins ended the season in 6th and defeated Torquay United 2–0 at home and then 1–2 away in the League 2 Play-off Semi-finals. The Play-off Final was contested at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 27 May 2012. Crewe Alexandra defeated Cheltenham Town 2–0 with goals from Nick Powell and Byron Moore in front of a crowd of 24,029.
The Robins also enjoyed a good run in the FA Cup, eventually losing out 5–1 to Premier League side Everton. On 6 November 2012, manager Mark Yates oversaw his 150th game in charge of the team in a 1–0 win against league leaders Gillingham. Cheltenham finished 5th, once again qualifying for the end of season play-offs after being pipped to the third promotion spot on the last day of the season by Rotherham United. The season included a run of 21 home league games without defeat. The play-offs saw Cheltenham face Northampton Town with Cheltenham losing both home and away games by 1–0.
After finishing in the play-offs for two consecutive seasons, Cheltenham Town's 2013–14 season proved to be difficult. Any hopes of a third consecutive play-off place were ended by March. The highlight of the season was a trip to Premier League side West Ham United, with the club eventually losing 2–1 at Upton Park. Cheltenham finished the season in 17th place.
On 25 November 2014, Mark Yates was sacked by Cheltenham Town after almost five years in charge. Cheltenham subsequently appointed Paul Buckle as team manager, but he was dismissed after just 79 days. In March 2015 Gary Johnson was appointed manager. In April 2015, after Bryan Jacob, a lifelong supporter, gave the club's supporters trust £222,000 in his will, members voted to use the money to accept a long-standing offer from the club for a permanent seat on its board of directors. Football fan Clive Gowing was subsequently elected. The club said it would also name a stand and supporters' player-of-the-season award in Jacob's memory. On 25 April 2015, Cheltenham Town lost at Whaddon Road to Shrewsbury Town, which meant that Cheltenham were relegated from the Football League after sixteen seasons.
After only one season outside of the Football League, Cheltenham secured an immediate return on 16 April 2016 with a 2–0 home win against FC Halifax Town. The team amassed 101 points, scoring the most and conceding the fewest goals, on their way to becoming Champions, finishing 12 points clear of second-placed local rivals Forest Green. January signing Dan Holman was joint winner of the National League's Golden Boot award, with 30 goals, having netted 16 times in just 18 games for the Robins. Danny Wright, a summer signing, finished the season with 22 league goals and 11 assists, winning the Supporters Player of the Year award.
For the club's return to the Football League, manager Gary Johnson largely kept faith with the players that had won the previous year's National League. The 2016–17 season proved to be a struggle with a number of players finding the step up to League Two more difficult than had been hoped. The Whaddon Road pitch also came in for criticism, from both supporters and visiting managers, as it struggled to cope with its high levels of use (Gloucester City were in the final season of a ground-share at Cheltenham during 2016–17). Results improved somewhat during the spring, although Johnson was absent on sick leave from March onwards while recovering from heart bypass surgery, leaving his assistant Russell Milton in charge. The Robins secured their league status with a 1–0 win over Hartlepool United in the penultimate game of the season. They finished the season in 21st place.
During the close season a recovered Gary Johnson returned to work and signed a new two-year contract. He oversaw a major clear out of the squad with eleven players released. In the 2017–18 season the club ultimately only gained one point more than in the previous year (51 compared to 50), and finished in 17th place in League Two. By far the biggest success of an otherwise low-key year was Sudanese striker Mohamed Eisa. Signed as a free transfer from non-league football, Eisa scored 23 league goals for Cheltenham during the season and ultimately moved to Bristol City, for a transfer fee reportedly in excess of £1m (a club record sale), in July 2018. At the end of the season, long-serving club chairman Paul Baker stood down from the role after 20 years, handing over the chairmanship to Andy Wilcox.
On 10 September 2018, ex-Cheltenham player Michael Duff was appointed after the departure of Gary Johnson. Duff guided the Robins to 16th. The following 2019–20 season was very successful, narrowly missing out on automatic promotion in 4th place. Final league standings were decided on a points-per-game basis following disruption caused by the COVID–19 pandemic. Cheltenham missed out in the play-offs to Northampton Town, losing 3–2 on aggregate.
In 2020–21, Cheltenham returned to League One as champions after five seasons in League Two. Due to the ongoing disruption caused by COVID-19, the vast majority of fixtures in 2020–21 took place behind closed doors. The Robins reached the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2006 before narrowly losing out to eventual 2020–21 Premier League champions Manchester City. Cheltenham were leading the match until ten minutes to go before eventually losing 3–1. Cheltenham guaranteed their return to League One with a 1–1 draw at home to Carlisle United. On 8 May 2021, Cheltenham won their first ever EFL title, beating Harrogate Town 4–1 on the final day to secure the League Two championship.
The Manager – Michael Duff
Form Guide
Ipswich Last 5 Matches – Currently in 9th place with 51 points
29 Jan Sheffield Wed 1 - 0 Ipswich Town
5 Feb Ipswich Town 1 - 0 Gillingham
8 Feb Doncaster 0 - 1 Ipswich Town
12 Feb Milton Keynes 0 - 0 Ipswich Town
19 Feb Ipswich Town 3 - 0 Burton Albion
Cheltenham Town Last 5 Matches – Currently in 15th place with 40 points
29 Jan Cheltenham 0 - 0 Wigan Athletic
1 Feb AFC Wimbledon 2 - 2 Cheltenham
8 Feb Cheltenham 2 - 1 Sunderland
12 Feb Cheltenham 2 - 0 Fleetwood
19 Feb Wycombe 5 - 5 Cheltenham
Match Referee – Andy Davies
IPSWICH TOWN 2 CHELTENHAM TOWN 1
’s so no falling asleep before half time. 
