Finish the season in style

 Saturday 30 April 2022, Ipswich Town 4 Charlton Athletic 0 - League One, Portman Road

Great win, great goals - roll on 22/23

Lose one, win one

Wednesday 27 April 2022, Ipswich Town Community Trust U19 'A' 0 Macclesfield Development Squad U19 'C' 1 at 2pm, Ipswich Town Training Ground, EFL CEFA League Semi-final

Double youth day!

First game this season taht the public have been let into the training ground. I was also interested to see what the standard was like. Within 5 minutes the visitors had taken the lead from a corner, after that Ipswich had most of the play but never looked like scoring whilst the visitors always looked threatening when they had set piece .

Second half was scrappier but more even, disappointingly the last 20 minutes saw constant time wasting from Macclesfield, but they held out and will play a team linked to Chelsea in the final. 

Standard was OK, and a few players stood out but obvious the skill level and fitness level was below that of Academy players.

Then at 7pm

Ipswich Town Under 18s 7 Coventry City Under 18s 0 - Professional Development League, League Cup Final, Portman Road

Early sending off and Ipswich also scoring from the spot after just 13 minutes meant the result was never in doubt, however City kept working and Ipswich also kept the pressure on. there were some fantastic goals and Ipswich put on a display that sent the home fans home smiling.

Do not stand near the drum!

Saturday 23 April 2022, Chalfont St Peter 0 Basingstoke Town 2 - Isthmian League  South Central Division, Mill Meadow

Away team dominated but had to wait till the second half to take the lead, a young winger came on as sub for Basingstoke and he created plenty but the visitors could not add to to their score. However the home team struggled to get out of their own half so the result was never in doubt and then the visitors added a second in injury time. 

Plenty of Basingstoke fans in attendance, made a mistake of standing near their drummer in the first half!!

Out pass the top team, but fail in front of goal

Tuesday 19 April 2022, Ipswich Town 2 Wigan Athletic 2 - League One, Portman Road 

Totally out passed the team who will probably end up as Champions, but failed to get the goals when on to- new Number 9 needed in the Summer.

 Tuesday 12 April 2022, Felixstowe and Walton united 2 Stowmarket Town 1 - Isthmian League, North, Dellwood Avenue

Visitors started as favourites and scored early on, dominated most of the first half and had another attempt cleared off the line, seemed to be coasting through the game at about 80% effort.

Second half, Felixstowe improved but Stow continued at same pace, and in a short spell Felixstowe got back on terms, missed a penalty then got a winner.

Poor display by Stowmarket, who then to compound the misery had their manager sent off towards the end! 

Mad last 10

Monday 18 April 2022, Broadfields United 3 Leighton Town 4 - SSM Premier, Tithe Farm Sports and Social Club

Home side started well and almost went in front from a free kick that was well saved, then after 17 minutes the visitors went ahead and then for the rest of the half it was one way traffic. Leighton added a further two goals before the break.

Second half was quite scrappy then Leighton got a 4th goal in the 78th minute and you would have thought that would be it but suddenly the home side put a few passes together and got 3 goals back- however Leighton steadied the ship and saw injury time out without letting the home side get back on terms. 

Goals a plenty

Saturday 16 April 2022, Wellingborough Whitworth 8 Burton Park Wanderers 0 - SSM League, Division One, Victoria Mill Ground

Very one sided game, home side one up within first two minutes and 5 up at half time. Burton only had one real chance in first half and that was in 45th minute and should have scored.

Second half started with the visitors having another chance to score and they seemed to have sorted themselves out but in the end the home side got back in their stride and added 3 further goals with the 8th goal being the pick of the bunch.

Did not notice in the first half but in the second half, the visitors just had one sub and no manager, coach or trainer in their dug out! Strange at this level. The lino told me he had been on line for a game between the same two sides in January and it had ended up 1-0 to Wellingborough with two players sent off from each side, much calmer today! 

No killer instinct?

 Saturday 9 April 2022, Shrewsbury Town 1 Ipswich Town 1 - League One, New Meadow

Another game, we should have won easy but in the end found ourselves pegged back after going down to 10 men - highlights for me was the cheap beer at the Crown Green Bowls Club and completing this Division with just 7 grounds to go to reach the magic 92.

Mid Wales Double

 Tuesday 5 April 2022 - Machynlleth 0 Caersws 1 - Ardal, North East Division, Cae Glas

Wednesday 6 April 2022 - Tywyn/Bryncrug 3 Barmouth & Dyffryn United 2 - ER Jenkins Cup, Cae Chwarae

Machynlleth 0 Caersws 1

Home side near the bottom of the table whilst visitors still near the top and in with a chance of promotion, however the game was very close- quality of football was poor, not helped by a poor pitch. Hard to tell which side was near the top and which one at the bottom.

The visitors spent much of the game arguing with the ref but did wake up enough to hit the bar just before the break.

Second half it was the home side who had the best chances but they seemed to have little confidence in their chances, so when they had a corner they hardly put any players in the box.

As the game reached 90 minutes, the visitors got a free kick and scored with a cracking header - a win they did not deserve.

The ground is fully railed, a small tea bar in the changing room block and a small seated stand. Rugby pitch next door, very good lights but very poor pitch

Tywyn/Bryncrug 3 Barmouth & Dyffryn United 2

Lower level than the game the night before but a game that was not only far more exciting than the previous nights game at Machynlleth but also far more skill on display.

Small recreation ground in the village by the main crossroads, small seated stand, railed on two sides and a small tea hatch in changing room block.

Barmouth started on top and the home keeper had to make an acrobatic save to stop the visitors taking the lead. However in the 14th minute Barmouth went in front, they added to that score in the 63rd minute and that looked like it as a contest but it seemed to wake the home side up, who then scored 3 times in the last 20 minutes to secure the win.

Season over - rebuild continues

 Saturday 2 April 2022, Ipswich Town 0 Cambridge United 1- League One, Portman Road

They cheated, they fouled, they time wasted- but in the end, we were not good enough and season is now over. We need to build and be ready for August.