Ipswich Town v Scunthorpe United
Portman Road
Coca-Cola Championship - Saturday, March 13, 2010

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FULL TIME

Ipswich Town 1-0 Scunthorpe United

What a disappointing afternoon for the Iron. They fall into the relegation zone after Connor Wickham's last-gasp goal sunk them at Portman Road. Ipswich edged it in terms of possession and chances but it would have been a useful point for the Iron with Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday only drawing. They can ask for no tougher game to bounce back in than Championship leaders Newcastle United away on Wednesday night. It will be a long journey home for the Nigel Adkins and his squad, plus the club's fans.

SECOND-HALF

90+2min: Goal! They haven't managed it though. Ipswich have just netted what will prove the winning goal as Wickham tricked his way into the box and appeared to have all the time in the world to put the ball past Murphy - he duly did. It is a real blow for the Iron.

Ipswich Town 1-0 Scunthorpe United

90+1min: McCann is replaced by Josh Wright as the Iron try to close the game out.

90min: The Iron just did some pressing around the Tractor Boys' box but nothing came of it. Four minutes of added time are indicated.

86min: It is the home side doing the late pressing. Can the Iron hold on? If they do, it would be their first 0-0 draw since the game away at Colchester last season.

84min: Carlos Edwards drags a powerful drive across goal, it beats Murphy but Togwell is there to clear away before a Town striker can reach it.

79min: The home fans are angry now, as former Hull man Damien Delaney receives his marching orders after bodychecking Forte, who raced through just past the halfway line. Seems another harsh decision from the referee as Delaney wasn't the last man but it's now ten versus ten. Can the Iron get a vital goal and snatch three points?

75min: Ipswich have just had their best chance of the second half as David Norris headed wide of goal, he missed by a matter of inches but it remains 0-0.

73min: Double change for the hosts, as David Healy and Carlos Edwards replace Pablo Counago and Owen Garvan.

71min: Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Iron are trying to take the game to Ipswich. Enjoying a fair bit of possession in their half at the moment

68min: Byrne has just been dismissed for bodychecking Jack Colback as he tried to run on to a throughball. It seems a harsh decision, he might have given it for an elbow possibly. It is his third red card of the season, and Togwell is filloing in at right-back. The Ipswich fans, hounding referee Pat Miller all afternoon, now cheer one of his decisions.

64min: An Iron change as Forte replaces Hayes to add fresh legs to the attack. Hayes wasn't limping so it doesn't seem an obvious injury.

63min: A half chance for the Iron as Togwell fires wide after McCann and Thompson combined to tee him through.

59min: Counago capitalised on defensive uncertainty and almost scored. He seemed to have an age to round Murphy and fire in a shot but he hesitated and when he eventually got around to it, Byrne was there to block his goal-bound effort.

58min: The attendance is confirmed as 19,378.

56min: The Iron just had a corner but McCann's delivery into the box was caught by Brian Murphy and Ipswich survived. Talk in the press room at half-time was that this looks a nailed on goal-less draw.

54min: Joe Murphy was just called into action for the Iron as he tipped over the crossbar from Walters' dipping header.

49min: Connow Wickham replaces Daryl Murphy as the Tractor Boys make their first change of the afternoon.

48min: There has just been a good passage of Iron play around the Town area and McCann curled a tame left-footed strike around the post from 25 yards as the Iron look for an opener.

46min: And we're underway again!

HALF-TIME

Ipswich Town 0-0 Scunthorpe United

While the hosts have had the better of the play in the first half, Scunthorpe will be happy to go in for the break goal-less. They have looked dangerous on the counter-attack, with Hayes and Thompson linking up well. The key will be how they start the second half, but if the Iron, and the referee, continue to frustrate the home support, they could pick up at least a point here.

FIRST HALF

45min: One minute of stoppage time is indicated by the fourth official.

42min: The chances are coming thick and fast now, as Hayes sees his volley tipped over the crossbar by Brian Murphy. Nothing comes of the subsequent corner, however.

41min: Ipswich have just hit the crossbar, as a corner was only half-cleared and the ball was played back in to Counago, whose header clipped the top of the upright and went over.

38min: Spanish striker Pablo Counago manages to fire a shot on target, seeing his curled effort head into the arms of Joe Murphy. Shortly after, Garvan tries a curled shot from range but Murphy easily catches.

36min: The hosts are still having most of the play but United look effective on the break. Town still aren't really creating any clearcut chances and if the Iron can get to half-time in the same shape as they are now Nigel Adkins will be pleased.

30min: Referee Pat Miller is frustrating the home support, with the Tractor Boys feeling aggrieved at firstly not being given a penalty following a scramble and, secondly, United been given a free-kick to ease the pressure.

28min: Shane O'Connor's superb cross from the left has just caused trouble for United but, fortunately, nobody in a blue shirt could get on the end of it.

26min: Brian Murphy has just made a superb save from Sparrow. Hayes was played in after a quick throughball and he raced on and played the ball in to the club's longest-serving player, whose effort from point blank range was tipped away by the Republic of Ireland squad member.

22min: We're in a quiet spell of the game, with chances at a premium right now. The Iron are working hard to close down Town though and it's proving successful, with the Tractor Boys not having a clearcut chance since the first minute.

13min: Grant McCann has just whipped a left-footed corner into the penalty area but Brian Murphy was quick to claim the ball.

10min: Ipswich are a threat going forward. Pablo Counago  just sped down the left and sent in a low cross which Daryl Murphy struck just wide.

9min: The Iron are yet to create any real chances, although - following good work by Thompson out side - Sparrow just sent a low cross in for Hayes but his effort to strike a shot towards goal was blocked.

6min: Jack Colback, who has shone for the Tractor Boys since signing on loan from Sunderland, tries to send in a powerful low cross from the left but it is kicked to safety by Raynes.

3min: The hosts have started the match brighter but there's plenty of time for United to make their mark on the game.

2min: Ipswich have their first chance of the match as former Iron loan star Jon Walters crashes a strike over the crossbar, beating Joe Murphy in the Iron goal but the ball kept rising and cleared the upright as a result.

1min: And we have kicked off! The first attacking move of the game sees Owen Garvan send a ball in for the hosts but it goes out for a goal kick.

PRE-MATCH

2.57: The two teams are out! Kick-off is just moments away.

2.51: Around 250 Iron fans have made the trip, with there expected to be a crowd of 19,000 present today. Jon Bon Jovi is belting out as the crowd prepare to welcome the two sides on to the pitch. It's the defunct boyband Five now, it gets worse! \\\\

2.47: The players have left their warm-up now, with just the substitutes left on the pitch warming up.

2.30: The Iron are currently warming up. It's a mild afternoon in Suffolk and having seen some of the players already in the tunnel area they seem well up for it today. Will they get three vital points? We'll just have to see.

2.00: Team news is in. See the section below for full details. Gary Hooper misses out with a groin strain but should be available for Newcastle on Wednesday according to boss Nigel Adkins.

1.55: Some good food in the press lounge today! Plenty of pies, chilli and jacket potatoes. We were greeted at Portman Road by the sight of George Kerr, of BBC Radio Humberside fame, tucking in to some grub.

1:45: The Iron players are out on the pitch having a gander at the surroundings. Paul Hayes is speaking on his phone; whereas David Mirfin is flicking through the programme. My seat is at the back row of Portman Road's main stand, and although the players don't appear to look like ants as they would if I were sat in the back row of the Nou Camp, they still look terribly small. To tell you a little about Portman Road, it's a decently sized ground comprising of four two-tiered stands which ooze character. This season, I've visited a heck of a lot of 'new' and characterless stadia which have had about as much atmosphere as a car park. This is something entirely different though - a real traditional ground; which is great for a traditionalist like me.

TEAM NEWS

Four players are unavailable for todays game: Ian Morris, Ben May and Gary Hooper (groin strain) miss out on making the squad through injury; Michael O'Connor, meanwhile, is suspended. Scunthorpe's last outing reaped a pretty dissapointing outcome - the 1-0 defeat at Coventry some two weeks ago still tastes raw, but Scunthorpe make just two changes from the team that lost their way there nonetheless, with Grant McCann filling the boots of Josh Wright in midfield; and Garry Thompson taking the place that Gary Hooper has vacated in attack, as Scunny start with five in midfield.

IPSW: B. Murphy, Wright, Delaney, McAuley, Counago, Norris, Colback, Walters (c), D. Murphy, O'Connor. SUBS: Lee-Barrett, Martin, Peters, Balkestein, Healy, Edwards, Wickham.

SCUN: J. Murphy, Williams, Togwell, Byrne (c), Sparrow, McCann, Hayes, Thompson, Mirfin, Woolford, Raynes. SUBS: Lillis, A, Wright, Milne, Jones, Forte, J. Wright, McDermott.

PREAMBLE

For what seems like the first time this season (maybe it's because of the mini-break United have had?), it doesn't feel all that cold in the ground ahead of a Scunthorpe United match - a fact which I'm highly happy about. We're in Ipswich by the way, an agricultural town positioned in Suffolk, for what I reckon is another relegation six-pointer. That's just my opinion, however, and it contrasts significantly with Nigel Adkins'. He seems to think that Ipswich are still in with a shot of making the Play Offs; Roy Keane disagrees however, as was shown when he retorted "he's not playing Real Madrid, he's facing a team near the bottom".