


Saturday 10th September 2022 – 15:00
Portman Road

Pre-Match Thoughts - Mike
Another thoroughly professional performance saw Town to another away day victory and in doing so they made history, for the first time in the clubs illustrious history Town recorded Four successive Away wins, quite a statistic when we think of Town teams of days gone by so it's a big hats off to Kieran McKenna and the boys. Trips to Accrington have proved to be anything but easy for Town in the past so this is another positive that things are so much different at Portman Road these days, I think there are a lot of Town fans who know that this time last year the games at Burton, Forest Green, Shrewsbury & Accrington would not have gleaned Twelve points, that much is certain.
Due to my own personal celebrations I only got to catch the first half and I have to say I thought it was the worst I had seen from Town this season, Accrington definitely started the better and looked the more dangerous of the Two sides as Town struggled to get into any kind of stride, as the half wore on we did come more into it but there was no doubt the decision to play Kayden Jackson as the lone striker just didn't work and by the half time whistle I think it was obvious things needed a shake up.
Such is the strength of the Town bench these days we had the personnel able and ready to come on and boy did it turn things in our favour as the excellent Conor Chaplin came up trumps with Two well taken goals to get Town over the line once more and in doing so return us to the summit of the League One table. Of course it wasn't just Chaplin that made the difference as from what I have read Ladapo coming on also turned things in Town's favour.

It may only be Seven games in but the position we find ourselves in is a very strong One, unbeaten in Seven Five Wins, Four Clean Sheets, Top of the League and Two very winnable home games to come, it is of little surprise that Town are now the clear favourites with the bookies to win the title, yes it's ridiculously early to start talking about titles but we are quoted as such for a reason, we have the likes of Ball, Leigh, Keogh, Ahadme, Camara, Ladapo and Edmundson can't even make the starting Eleven at the moment which is quite something. After the next game we will have played a Third of the teams in the Division so to remain unbeaten in the next couple will be another achievement.
The next game sees Cambridge Utd visit Portman Road and if we cast our minds back to last seasons visit of the men from the Abbey Stadium we will need no reminding of how defensive and stubborn they can be. They have had a decent start to the season themselves and are sitting in Fifth plays having already chalked up Four wins, that said their away form has not been too good and so far they have only picked up One point on the road so Town will definitely go into this game as clear Favourites. An early goal for Town would be so vital as it opens up the game and brings them out to play, conversely the longer it goes without a Town goal the deeper they will sit and try to catch us on the break so Town need to come out of the blocks with all guns blazing and take it to them, I feel the firepower we have and with Harness and Chaplin in superb form we will have too much for them this time around so with that in mind I can go for no other result but another Town win and a consolidation of top spot. Three points please. COYB'S.
The Opposition – Cambridge United Honours
League
Football League Second Division / Championship
Best: 5th 1991-92
Football League Third Division / League One
Champions (1): 1990–91
Runners-up (1): 1977–78[137]
Football League Fourth Division / League Two
Champions (1): 1976–77
Runners-up (2): 1998–99, 2020–21
Promotion (1): 1972–73
Play-off winners (1): 1989–90
National League
Runners-up (3): 2007–08, 2008–09, 2013–14
Play-off winners (1): 2013–14
Play-off finalists (2): 2007–08, 2008–09
Southern League Premier Division
Winners (2): 1968–69, 1969–70
Cups
FA Cup
Quarter-finalists (2): 1989-90, 1990-91
FA Trophy
Winners (1): 2013–14
Football League Cup
Quarter-finalists (1): 1992-93
Football League Trophy
Runners-up (1): 2001–02
Southern League Cup
Winners (1): 1968–69
The Manager – Mark Bonner

League Table

Form Guide
Ipswich Town
13 Aug Ipswich Town 3 - 0 Milton Keynes
16 Aug Burton Albion 0 - 1 Ipswich Town
20 Aug Shrewsbury 0 - 3 Ipswich Town
27 Aug Ipswich Town 2 - 2 Barnsley
3 Sep Accrington 0 - 2 Ipswich Town
Cambridge United
13 Aug Cambridge Utd 2 - 1 Exeter City
16 Aug Portsmouth 4 - 1 Cambridge Utd
20 Aug Charlton 1 - 1 Cambridge Utd
27 Aug Cambridge Utd 4 - 3 Burton Albion
3 Sep Cambridge Utd 2 - 0 Lincoln City
Match Referee – Robert Lewis
Forgot he got knocked out a few years back, must have been an awful decision.


IPSWICH TOWN 2 CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0