Home form will cost us

Saturday 22 March 2025, Ipswich Town 1 Tottenham Hotspur 4 - Premier League, Portman Road

Maybe the championship is where we need to go, to build for the future- but will not miss the time wasting, poor refs and cheating 

Great comeback

Saturday 15 February 2025, ADC United 3 Springfield 3 - Essex Olympian League, Premier Division, Seymour Field

Cracking first half, with the second half competitive but lacking the first half goal fest!

ACD Utd, started the day just above their local rivals from Chelmsford in the league, however it was the visitors who started the game on top. After 4 minutes the home keeper had a howler and gifted Springfield a goal, after 23 minutes they were three up and those present were probably expecting a big away win.

The game was quite feisty with some crunching challenges but the Ref managed to keep a lid on it and did well to hardly use his yellow card and keep all 22 players on the pitch.

ACD manged to pull two goals back and so that was it for the first half. 4 Minutes into the second half and the home team were back on level terms, the only surprise over that last 41 minutes, was that no further goals were scored.

Basic set up on the edge of the village, just off the A12, pitch fully roped off and a small changing room block, no other facilities. Very small car park.

No win this time

Tuesday 11 February 2025, Ipswich Town Under 21s 3 Bristol City Under 21s 4 - Professional Development League, Bent Lane Training Ground

One thing you are guaranteed watching Ipswich Under 21s is goals, and another 7 today. Unlike last week , no win for the Town this time but yet another competitive game that gave the few in attendance an afternoon of good entertainment. Ipswich took the lead early on through an own goal and dominated for the first 30 minutes, then Bristol took control and got level after 42 minutes. City started the second half on top and quickly took a lead by two clear goal. Ipswich then made  a few changes and pulled one back, only for Bristol to get a 4th goal on the break, Ipswich pulled another goal back on the 87th minute but could not get an equaliser. 

Under 21 League serves up another cracker

Saturday 8 February 2025, Sutton United (Birmingham) U21s 3 Stafford Rangers Under 21s 3 - MFL U21, North Division, Coleshill Road Stadium

My third time this season watching games in the Midland U21 League, all have been good with this one probably the best of the lot. Sutton went ahead within a few minutes of the start and were 2 up within 10 minutes and looked far sharper than Stafford Rangers but suddenly the visitors seemed to get their game together and were back on level terms within 24 minutes, only for Sutton to take the lead again before half an hour had been played.

The second half was quite even and the only surprise was taht there was just one more goal scored, the visitors getting an equaliser after 75 minutes.

Many of us here are not keen on new grounds and some are made even worse with a G4 pitch, but if you are going to have to build a new stadium, you can't get much better than Sutton, well looked after pitch, hard standing on all 4 sides, even some astro turf terracing steps behind one goal. Plus a cafe/ bar doing good business with plenty of parents watching two younger teams playing on the smaller pitches. Obviously a well run club, who are very proud of their new home.

Then it was just a short drive to Coventry to see Ipswich play in the FA Cup

Coventry City 1 Ipswich Town 4

FA Cup Round 4

CBS Stadium

Town’s second string never looked in any danger of being defeated by a Coventry side which until Wednesday’s loss to Leeds had won five in a row, perhaps illustrating the difference between the divisions.

Jack Clarke was perhaps the biggest of plenty of positives for Town, the summer signing netting twice and assisting one and giving the Coventry defence a tough time all afternoon.

Good omen for Saturday?

Tuesday 4 February 2025, Ipswich Town Under 21s 4 Watford Under 21s 2 - Premier League Cup, Bent Lane Training Ground

Great win for Ipswich, great game of football, two superb Ipswich goals, a good set of match officials and a trialist defender (from a local non- league team) impressed for Ipswich in the second half.

What more could you want from an afternoon?

Good omen for a cup win on Saturday?

Going down with the Saints?

Saturday 1 February 2025, Ipswich Town 1 Southampton 2 - Premier League, Portman Road

Just not good enough - maybe the dream is over?