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CHAMPIONSHIP - IPSWICH TOWN 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 1
MATCH REPORT
ComeOnBoro.com, 6 Feb 2010
Ipswich Town: Lee-Barrett; Rosenior, McAuley, Delaney, Wright, Leadbitter, Walters (Capt.), Norris, Colback, Murphy, Healy (Counago 61). Unused subs: Murphy (gk); Garvan, Edwards, Peters, Balkestein, Stead.
Middlesbrough: Coyne; Naughton, Wheater, McManus, Grounds, Hoyte, Flood, O'Neil (Capt), Taylor (Franks 51), Killen, Miller. Unused subs: Steele (gk); McMahon, Bennett, Walker, L Williams, Lita.
Boro handed debuts to three of their new signings, Stephen McManus, Lee Miller and Kyle Naughton, however new striker Scott McDonald did not make the trip.
Julio Arca was also missing from the Boro squad, with Andrew Taylor coming back in.
Barry Robson missed the game through suspension and Tony McMahon and Leroy Lita dropped to the bench.
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For Ipswich, skipper Jon Walters returned and new signings David Healy and Daryl Murphy went straight into the side. Pim Balkestein, Jaime Peters and Jon Stead dropped to the bench.
Jon Walters was expected to miss the game, but returned to captain the side, David Wright was also in from the start.
The First Half
Ipswich Town 1 Middlesbrough 0 ( Murphy, 1)
GOAL! - Almost as soon as the whistle blew to get the game underway, Ipswich took the lead through Daryl Murphy. The assist came from David Healy, as Danny Coyne came out to clear and missed the ball and David Wheater failed to get back. The worst possible start for Boro.
Ipswich were pushing forward, trying to capitalise on their goal advantage, although Lee Miller had a shot blocked by Gareth McAuley after three minutes.
Danny Coyne saved from Jonathan Walters, after the entire Boro defence failed to close him down.
Boro looked shell shocked from the goal and took their sweet time getting into the game, The loss of Robson and McDonald not travelling look to be telling on Boro's newly bolstered squad.
We need to beg, borrow or steal a midfielder while Rhys Williams is out. Or we could just actually use Josh Walker who was once again sitting on the bench!!!
Miller headed more or less on target but it lacked any power and did not trouble Arran Lee-Barrett.
Excellent play by Kyle Naughton and energy from Willo Flood set Chris Killen on his way but the New Zealand international's shot was tame. Desperate defending then had Wheater stooping to head the ball past the post.
The game has been physical and Boro seemed to have got into the rhythm of it far too late to have made a real impact.
A strong, to say the least, challenge from Stephen McManus had the Boro supporters cheering and stopped an Ipswich attack dead after 40 minutes. McManus has slotted straight into the heart of Boro's defence alongside David Wheater and Jonathan Grounds was holding his own at left back.
Boro looked solid at the back, despite the early early goal. But we are lacking creativity and real goal threat, again. The odd line up - Hoyte in central midfield???! has not worked, we cannot afford to continue Strachan's latest experiment into the second half because Ipswich were the better side in the first 45 minutes.
The Second Half
Neither side made any chances at half time. God only knows why Strachan didn't.
Miller was not aware of Andrew Taylor coming forward and wasted an early second half opportunity for Boro to get back into the game.
Boro looked better in the early stages of the second half.
Miller hit the roof of the net but the build up play and actually the shot itself were encouraging from Boro's perspective.
Taylor made way for Jonathan Franks on 50 minutes.
Ipswich goalkeeper Arran Lee-Barrett needed treatment and play was restarted with a dropped ball after 59 minutes.
Killen forced a decent save from Lee-Barrett. Killen grew as the game went on and started to assert his authority as a forward more.
Ipswich Town 1 Middlesbrough 1 (Wheater, 76)
GOAL! - David Wheater rose above everybody to head home and bring Boro level. The assist came from Gary O'Neil.
David Healy made way for Pablo Counago immediately after the goal.
Hoyte's shot soon after lacked any kind of power, in the words of Gary Gill 'he should have smashed it!'
Killen's header was then cleared off the line to deny Boro the lead.
At the other end, Wheater blocked Leadbitter's shot brilliantly and Boro went on the counter-attack.
The yellow cards started to come out as both teams started to really battle, with both Gary O'Neil and David Norris rapidly going into the book.
McManus possibly scared Counago enough to put him off his stride just by standing near him that the Ipswich sub wasted his chance completely.
David Wright then made way for Owen Garvan as Roy Keane tried to change the outcome of the match on 80 minutes.
Leroy Lita replaced Chris Killen, indicating both that Strachan was still going for a win and keeping faith with young forward Franks.
Miller could not quite get the right connection on a excellent cross for Franks and the ball squirmed almost past Lee-Barrett who collected it at the second time of asking.
Leadbitter surged forward ignoring Flood and Hoyte as he went but Coyne came out to deny him the opportunity he was carving for himself.
Jonathan Stead replaced goalscorer Daryl Murphy on 84 minutes.
Liam Rosenior kept advancing, leading Franks to call for concentration amongst his team mates.
An Ipswich corner got the home fans excited but came to nothing and four minutes of stoppage time was indicated.
Delaney almost gave Miller the ball and had to work very hard to retrieve possession before Wheater cleared.
Wheater looked determined not to concede another goal and was strong and confident in keeping the Ipswich attacks at bay.
A hard fought point for Boro who missed Barry Robson, the newly departed Adam Johnson and the yet-to-play Scott McDonald. However, we probably should have won it given our dominance in the second half.
If we can produce an attack half as strong as our defence we should be in good shape. Having said that we still need a cohensive midfield and I cannot understand why, when we are lacking in midfielders, Josh Walker still does not get a look in.
Man of the match - David Wheater, Despite getting caught out for Ipswich's early goal, Wheater settled into the game quickly, looked comfortable alongside new partner Stephen McManus and put Boro back in the game with his second half goal.
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