Town’s win can’t hide the work in progress signs that hang round IP1 – Alf thinks Marcus’s ‘project’ is on par with UK economy.

Alf’s finest kept to the script that has serviced them for much of the season. A mix of decent attacking play coupled with the old Achilles’ heel of comical defending, saw Town win an entertaining final fare in South Yorkshire.

With the hardy souls from Suffolk rolling into the Keepmoat Stadium suitably suited and booted in an array of costumes, events on the pitch were always going to play second fiddle to a good old-fashioned day out.

Paul Jewel added Ibrahima Sonko for one final spot of air-kicking and Lee Martin to get the visitor’s bottoms off their seats with a series of mazy dribbling runs, which the likes of Alf could only dream of mastering.

With Cresswell injured, Tommy Smith was drafted into the left back berth, making room for Sonko and Delaney to renew their acquaintances at the heart of the Blue’s rear-guard.

To add to the spectacle on the pitch a large section of the travelling faithful were scouting for one James Coppinger – long-time target who didn’t disappoint and could be a decent addition to next seasons Tour of Duty squad.

With Alf’s boys racking up the corner count at an alarming rate and so it was no surprise when Tommy Smith rose majestically and unchallenged to fire the visitors into an early lead.

With the Doncaster defence looking like they were already lining up their beach towels before the Germans, there were early signs that the boys from IP1 could be in for a spot of boot filling.

Already relegated and with most of the home side available for shipment the locals had little at stake.

Unfortunately at the other end, Sonko was lashing balls into Delaney and creating chances for Rovers.

But it wasn’t long before Alf’s mob settled into a more comfortable position in the driving seat courtesy of a stunning effort by Ryan Stevenson. The ball cannoned in off the crossbar, but with the linesman flagging ‘goal’ Alf and the travellers were not ones to argue.

It was a classic strike from the Scot who saw far more of the ball and dominated his midfield partner Andy Drury, who had a quiet game by his standards.

Town being Town there was always a fly somewhere heading for the ointment and duly Roberts pulled one back having found himself, unmarked and alone in the danger zone.

Lee Martin was the danger man but also showed why Alf views his tackling skills as Paul Scholes-type old-school. Having been booked the tricky winger was always in danger of being sent off with a series of near-misses.

Come the second half and the locals returned with a giant flea in their ears and the game slowly began to turn.

With that in mind Paul Jewel moved Jason Scotland on for Murphy and Town soon wrestled their way back into the game.

Within minutes Beye upended Scotland which in fairness was a pretty mean feat, but sadly for him resulted in a penalty which the big Trinidadian duly pummelled into the net.

There was still time for schoolboy Byron Lawrence to make his debut. With maths on Monday and GCSEs looming, Alf’s guesses that Doncaster away was a nice distraction.

And there was still time for the locals to pull one back, but in fairness Town deserved the win and should have been over the Yorkshire Dales with the game put to bed long before Doncaster woke up.

And so another season of under-achievement ended. Have Town moved on? Since the New Year – yes. But in reality the season was over by then. A work in progress thinks Alf.

Alf’s Photo of the Week

Suffolk Constabulary well prepared for arrival of Millwall supporters

Town show little appetite for one final push to leave the punters wanting more. Back in August then?

Ipswich Town 0  Millwall 3

Alf’s finest forgot the first rule of entertainment – leave the punters wanting more. As timing goes it was not great. And so the last home game of another season of under-achievement saw some of the locals booing their charges off the park.

It was all so different from a second half showing against an upwardly-mobile Birmingham side which had left Alf and the faithful puffing out their cheeks with a fresh wind in their sails with hopes for next season.

Second to the ball all over the park and not that bothered, Town left the field and presumably returned for their lap of shame with their tails between their legs. Alf had left the building by then.

To add to the misery, Player of the Season, Aaron Cresswell limped off near the end with a hamstring injury.

Paul Jewel once again confounded the locals by keeping the young pups out of the firing line. Town missed Lee Martin’s quick feet and openings as once again Ryan Stevenson failed to find his Championship sea legs.

Fortunately, Emmanuel-Thomas was restored to the starting line-up after his midweek late cameo show.

Alf’s boys looked flat from the opening salvos, in-front of a fairly sparse crowd, bolstered by a large travelling support from South London along with de-rigueur mounted police and helicopter.

The Bermondsey Lions were first on the front foot, with the home side still finding first gear.

So it was little surprise when the more motivated side took the lead. Northgate High School’s and ex-Blue Liam Trotter broke away unchallenged, fired in a cross and Keogh rammed the ball home.

With Alf’s finest firmly on their backsides, Millwall had little trouble in dominating what was largely a poor match – but sadly one that reflects another inconsistent campaign, which had seem Town fire at will against the likes of West Ham and Cardiff and yet ship 75 goals at almost 2 a game.

But we all know the boys from IP1 built their own mini-mountain to climb before Alf did his Christmas shopping.

Since the turn of the year Town’s form would have made the play-offs in what has not been a vintage Championship.

With veteran ‘keeper Maik Taylor in fine form in the twilight of his career to deny the likes of Chopra, Town were always wanting in the ‘who really wants it’ department.

After the break, Jewel went back to basics, throwing on Jason Scotland as a replacement for Stevenson and Town for a brief spell looked the more dangerous.

On the hour Chopra saw his shot deflect onto a post, before Scotland’s effort was blocked with Town claiming handball.

Moments later Cresswell, one of the positives of the season limped off and Sonko entered the fray for a final home appearance.

With Town forced into a shuffle, it wasn’t long before Liam Trotter made the most of his return to his birthplace with a goal to rub into the noses of the locals.

Alf’s mob had a chance to close the gap when Andy Drury ‘won’ a slightly dubious penalty. With most of the more honest punters in North Stand looked a touch embarrassed, Grant Leadbitter duly missed.

There had been much chat on the terraces as to whether or not the ex-captain currently stalling on a contract should indeed be playing. Jewel’s right to get tough with players and agents who for too long have wagged the game’s tail.

After Keogh added a third it was all too much for the patient natives who voted with their feet heading for the exits.

Clegg must be praying they forgive and forget come August.

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Town fight back after first half mugging

Ipswich Town 1  Birmingham City 1

Town were mugged on the stroke of half time in a thoroughly entertaining draw against play-off contenders Birmingham but Alf’s finest deserved so much more.

Even the most blinkered of Town supporters would have expected a fired up Birmingham City to make easy work of a ‘nothing to play for’ Ipswich side destined once again for mid table obscurity. City had it all to play for as a winning habit is key to a successful play off campaign, yet the midlanders were content to sit back and allow Town 75% of the first half possession, their plan presumably to hit Suffolk side with a quick counter attack exploiting Town’s known defensive frailty against pace and height.

As a spectacle the first half had little to offer. Town played pretty football in City’s half but failed time and again to make the best of the chances they created. Town were comfortable and patient but Birmingham always possessed a threat in the form of Marlon King’s pace and Nikola Zigic’s height.

In fairness Delaney and Smith dealt with Birmingham’s strikers pretty well. Zigic was surprisingly good on the deck but had limited aerial success as the Town defenders had done their homework well. Marlon King seemed more interested in slagging off his own team mates than getting to grips with Town defenders throughout the first half making it an easier job for the back four to deal with him than they may have expected.

When the fourth official signalled that there would be two minutes added time Ipswich momentarily switched off. Andross Townsend did well to find Chris Burke in acres of space and the ex Cardiff winger made easy work of striking home from 20 yards, his 15^th goal this season from midfield. Ipswich would dearly love a striker who could tally that many in a season let alone a midfielder.

There was no time to recover and hit back. All the good work of the first half had come to nothing. Birmingham’s experience of premiership survival, feeding off scraps, taking the one chance that is offered had paid off.

Alf felt like his side had been mugged.

Town were under the cosh for ten minutes after the break and were indebted to the much maligned Aaron Lee-Barrett for keeping them in the came with two saves from one on one situations with Marlon King.

Town’s salvation came in the form of torrential rain. Ipswich have become the inclement weather kings of late. If it’s six inches of snow, a frozen pitch, gale force winds or stair rod rain then Town really seem to up their game.

As the heavens opened Ipswich shifted up two gears and ran Birmingham City ragged. The game became frantic and exciting and the introduction of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was the right move at the right time.

JET continued his love affair with the cross bar by striking a thunderous free kick fully on to it. He got the crowd on the edge of their seats on every occasion that Town could get the ball to him and it was no surprise that he was to get the equalising goal with a solo run cutting in from the right wing and deftly rolling the ball under the keeper. Quality stuff.

Jay has premiership potential and his extended run in the side has really developed him as a player. Paul Jewell take note – It’s a shame that other youngsters have not been given that opportunity too.

On a cold wet night this had been one of Town’s the best performances of the season.

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Alf’s Photo of the Week

Alf refuses invitation to enter the Tardis for fear of travelling back in time and reliving the season all over again!

Jason Scotland lights up the South London skies as the Eagles are brought down to earth

There’s something geographically challenging about Crystal Palace away. Getting to Selhurst requires a decent understanding of maps and transport networks. Having arrived you then find yourself descending from street level, down the side of a valley, as opposed to ascending which you do at most grounds.

This is all quite disconcerting and must have been worse for the large away following from IP1, some of whom had clearly been filling up on Dutch courage to see out the fag-end of Town’s season.

The sunshine did little to hide the decrepit state of South London’s finest home and in many ways Alf’s finest gave a good account of themselves, passing the ball around the park and looking to take control of the game.

In terms of possession alone, Town edged a match which had little at stake, with both sides parked for the rest of the season in middle of the table.

So it was against the run of play when the Croydon Eagles went ahead through Beccle’s boy Chris Martin, on-loan from Norfolk’s finest who prior to the game at last found themselves on the wrong end of a mauling from Manchester City.

Following a neat move from the tricky Scannell, Martin fired the ball wide of Lee-Barrett, who could do little and had a decent game, showing what a decent shot-stopper he is.

But with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas keeping the travelling thousands out of their seats every time he got the ball, Town were never out of the game.

There’s much speculation surrounding the future of Grant Leadbitter, with various suitors from Middlesbrough and Brighton keen on the services of Town’s midfielder whose career at Town has generally fizzed rather than exploded into life.

Obviously he’s more worker than Queen Bee and it seems PJ is keen to hang onto Grant. Sensibly he’s taking the tough love approach – sign up or ship out.

Once bitten by the Norris/McAuley debacle at the end of last season, Jewel and or Evans is clearly not keen on being messed around two seasons running.

Come the half-time break and Alf and the visitors were only thinking of whether Town had a second half in them.

On recent form the answer was a resounding no.

Fortunately, Jason Scotland took a more positive approach and scored a goal that was worthy of winning the game.

On the hour mark the Trinidadian, with the XLL shorts cut past Clyne and blasted the ball past Argentinian keeper Speroni in the Palace goal.

It was wonderful strike from a player which Alf has always admired, ever since he saw one Jason Scotland dispatch Alf’s boys in a clinical display of chance-taking at a freezing Liberty Stadium in a Swansea shirt.

Appropriately, it was a couple of ex-Blues, Ambrose and Garvan who took the eye in the second half. Garvan lacked pace, but showed again that he rarely wasted a ball. Ambrose always had that sniff of danger about him and was sold on the cheap, too early, but hey money was tight back then

Cresswell once again had a good game, shackling the likes of Zaha who’s probably destined for higher things in time. He did nearly give away a penalty, when the dizzy Wilfred went down.

With the game entering fag-end time, the fan’s favourite Carlos Edwards nearly won it for Town with a fierce effort. On a more meaningful afternoon, Town should have won on points, but Alf and travellers settled for a draw.

PJ continues to tease the punters with keeping the likes of Hyam and Lawrence on the leash. Surely Birmingham on Doncaster away is there day?

Alf’s Photo of the Week

The usual from nemesis Nugent is enough to sink jaded Town

Paul Jewel did his best to rally Alf and the locals before the game by declaring that there were ‘no meaningless games’. Fair point thought Alf but with Town sitting deep in the heart of mid-table obscurity this one came close.

After the game he again put on a brave face by rightly pointing out that after Town’s dreadful Autumn of despair, Alf would have bitten off the hand of anyone offering his boys security come the end of the season.

Yes football is all about perspectives, as the events surrounding Fabrice Nuamba highlighted.

That said PJ was hardly throwing caution to the wind when he dropped Drury, Martin, Chopra and Emmanuel-Thomas from his starting line up.

So where’s the flair and entertainment going to come from mused Alf?

Well it certainly didn’t come from Lee Bowyer, who looked a pale shadow of the player he once was. Grant Leadbitter will give you honesty and decent shot, but creativity is hardly his brief.

Ryan Stevenson made the starting XI and had a quiet debut, but no doubt will have better games in the future.

Up-front at least Jason Scotland put in a decent shift, even if he was fighting a losing battle, with the restored Josh Carson looking way off the pace and Murphy playing his usual in and out of the game of late.

At the back, Lee-Barrett showed his credentials that he is sadly just a number two. He’s an honest shot-stopper, but always seems to have a clanger in his locker.

Cresswell and Edwards skipped forward at times, but with the defensive middle pairing usually choosing the more agricultural option of playing a long hopeful ball down the middle, it was never going to be a classic encounter.

In fact it was all quite dull for the patient punters who had to make do once again with end-of-term scraps and a bit of light-hearted banter with the nemesis that is David Nugent.

His record on IP1 soil, is quite remarkable and there is more than one wag on the terraces who secretly would have had the lad signed up and kitted out in a blue shirt.

Ever since his introduction to the Sir Bobby, when in his Preston days he won a game single-handedly and lauded it for all he was worth.

As banter goes, it was fairly low-key.

Town’s bête-noire even had a hand in Leicester’s equaliser and Lee-Barretts clanger when he did a cheeky impression of Bruce Grobbelaar’s wobbly kness before Ben Marshall fired the visitors level from a free-kick on the stroke of half time.

That was a bit harsh on the Town, who had deservedly taken the lead through Jason Scotland’s hard shot from the edge of the Foxes area.

By the second half, Alf and punters were left to chat wistfully on the sidelines as Town once again failed to prove that they have two halves in them.

Oh Alf, how often have we written about this annoying phenomenon?

Town lurched from bad to worse as passes went astray and Leicester finally woke up to the fact that there were three easy points if they could be bothered.

On the hour mark, Nugent did what all expected and scored from Gallagher’s cross. There followed a collective nod of ‘told you so’.

PJ finally threw on a bit of flair in Martin, Jet and Chopra, but the fox was long gone down with the points.

For most Town fans the end of season can’t come soon enough and with the likes of Leadbitter sounding out a Summer move once again the winds of change will blow across IP1.

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Town and Rams play out pointless game that does neither any favours

A point at Pride Park from a rare goalless draw surely knocks on the head any lingering dream that Alf’s boys could somehow gate-crash the play-offs. The purists out there would argue that having such an abysmal Autumn would be enough to deny Town an unlikely prize. The mathematicians would disagree and with that in mind, Paul Jewel has resisted the idea of re-building early.

With Ram’s keeper Frank Fielding keeping the Blues as bay with a series of fine saves and Town falling by the wayside in the second period, a draw was probably the right result – if denting both sides slight play-off hopes.

With 26 shots and 22 corners at the last count, at least both sides went for it, after an initial neutral opening spell when Alf wondered if a visit to Thomas Cook was on the player’s minds.

Jewel named an unchanged starting XI, which again saw no place for Carson or Hyam, which the more experimental Town fan has been clamouring for. The latter to return to partner box-to-box Andy Drury, which in Alf’s book has been one of the notable brief successes of the season.

The amiable Scouser also returned to one of his least successful haunts, not that the locals seemed too bothered. A crowd of 24,156 is not to be sneezed at in these austere times and two mid-table teams, but Derby like Town have always had a loyal fan-base.

Alf’s finest had the better of a first half which grew on the eye. Fielding did well to deny Chopra and Martin.

That said, Theo Robinson was wasteful for the Rams and ex-Town target Jamie Ward was thwarted at the back by Emmanuel-Thomas of all people.

Come the second half and it was a post that stood between both sides breaking the deadlock.

First Davies hit a post for the home side before Jay Emmanuel-Thomas’s left-foot effort hit the woodwork.

Come the second half and the tide turned on Town as Theo Robinson became the main threat on the pitch.

With the Rams in the ascendancy and Town with little to lose, Jewel sacrificed Martin for Scotland as the boss plumbed for a more regular 442 formation.

It did little to change the course of the game and it was the home side who had the best chance when ex-Norwich boy Shackell had a header cleared off the line by Cresswell.

A goal so late in the game would have been harsh on Town in a game neither side did enough to claim the points.

There was still time for Derby to block a Murphy header, as Town pressed for the points, but a point will do little more than cement Town to mid-table obscurity.

That said after an Autumn of discontent when things at IP1 were abysmal, Alf and the faithful could hardly expect more.

With the Maths not on Towns side and crashing the party a somewhat hopeful dream, now would be the time to re-engage with youth.

Games come like buses at this time of year and a few leg weary Town players could do with a break.

With Jason Scotland’s contract changes, it could be time to let the big lad with the massive shorts lead the line.

Experimenting with the defence has been a season’s pastime this year and must be a priority for the close-season.

When was the last time Town had a settled keeper to rely on? Kelvin Davis and Richard Wright in his younger days never let us down. Since then Alf’s lost count of the keepers of the Town gloves.

Golden Boys laud it over the class of 2012 as Town cook up Curate’s egg.

With the country going into collective panic over petrol and pasties, Alf took stock and avoided queues and heated-up pies. Meanwhile Town improved on a poor night at the office with a win over a neat and tidy Barnsley, but in truth Alf’s boys should have been out of sight before half time.

Still with little to play for both sides at least tried to entertain and with the boy’s from ’62 watching from a packed Director’s Box for once it wasn’t a bad afternoon’s work.

Before the game the patient punters were treated to the sight of the heroes of 1961/62. How times and the game has changed.

It was a nice touch by the current crop to warmly applaud their illustrious predecessors.

Alf might be biased, but it was good to see the re-naming of the South Stand as the Sir Alf Ramsey. There is a certain symbiotic relationship between the two ‘Sir’ stands at either end and a constant reminder of the rich history that our proud club has enjoyed in years gone by.

Back in the present, Town were the Curate’s egg – good in parts. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas did his party pieces to get bums off seats by firing in shots from all angles. The boy who doesn’t do tap-ins rattled the bar with one beauty.

At the back, the defence was rarely threatened, but Lee-Barrett in goal for the departed McCarthy had one or two comical moments and looked no more than a useful number two. So that’s one shirt that needs filling.

In the middle, Andy Drury added much needed momentum to a Town engine that lacked any sense of urgency against a dour Middlesbrough outfit in mid-week.

Out wide, Murphy and Martin put in decent shifts with the latter putting in another shift that would have done no harm for a nomination for player of the season.

For a lad whose very survival at IP1 looked bleak after his red card at Peterborough, it really is a remarkable turn-around for the ex-Wimbledon trainee.

Town had their usual wake-up call in the 12^th minute when a deflected shot from Craig Davies could easily have crept in, but apart from tidy approach play the Tykes rarely threatened.

Alf’s finest had by far the better chances. Martin and Murphy went close but the game failed to lift off to the dizzy heights of the goal-fest the Sky cameras had witness in the reverse fixture at Oakwell.

Come the second half and Town finally got their noses in front. Having gone 442 earlier in the game Chopra played in Murphy in tight penalty area, but the Irishman had the deft touch to put the ball wide of Button in the visitor’s goal.

Town were in the driving seat, but still had that look of conceding a soft goal, especially with Lee-Barrett, hardly inspiring confidence in the Town goal.

After Emmanuel-Thomas rattled the bar, Murphy should have made the game safe for Town but shot wide and with Town ‘doing an Arsenal’ and wanting to walk the ball into the net, the finish to the game was a lot more tense that it should have been.

Lee-Barrett made amends with two smart saves but the home side looked creaky when in truth they should have been home and showered long before.

Substitute Scotland played in the lively Martin with a great chance to ease Alf’s nerves, but shot across the face of the Tykes goal.

The game ended more in relief than anything else. With Town safely tucked in mid-table Alf wonders if it’s safe to bring back the likes of Hyam and Carson?

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