Jim Magilton's Blue & White Army

Yes - 100% record and yet to concede a goal in 2007.

A superb display and thoroughly deserved to beat Birmingham - this is the second time we've outplayed them this season and they are top and a very good side.

Gavin Williams with a super volley from a perfect cross by Gary Roberts. Even though it was at the death, it was only what we deserved - we should have had the game won much earlier. I was sure Billy Clarke would score when he went clear.

So let's keep this up for the rest of the year and we'll be up where it matters - ahead of those budgies.

Are we definitely playing Chester in the cup on Saturday - I'm confused?

Some very nice links

Luton Town

Sunderland

Budgies

.....Some very nice links ??..PAH! I say ....

We Mackems are still recovering from Kelvin "no hands" Davis!

.."Who needs Mourhino we've got Roy Keanio"

We'll be thereabouts come May!

Coventry

S'ton

quote:

Originally posted by Jet Johnson:
.....Some very nice links ??..PAH! I say ....

We Mackems are still recovering from Kelvin "no hands" Davis!

.."Who needs Mourhino we've got Roy Keanio"

We'll be thereabouts come May!

Is Ian Miller still there? I was sorry to see him leave Portman Road. FWIW I think Roy K is doing a great job.

Any team that can put a few results could be there in May - I thought WBA were the best team I'd seen this season and they were thrashed by Southend. You just can't tell what's going to happen next in the championship.

...I guess you meant Tommy Miller ....The strange thing is Miller is a lifelong SAFC fan born only a few miles from Sunderland ....he came to us with a good reputation but never performed ...mackem websites all reckoned he was the "Invisible Man" (yet I thought he always looked useful for your Tractor boys)

.....As mentioned earlier ANYONE could go up from the CCC this season (apart from Leeds I'd be happy enough if it was Ipswich & our lot!

quote:

Originally posted by Jet Johnson:
...I guess you meant Tommy Miller ....The strange thing is Miller is a lifelong SAFC fan born only a few miles from Sunderland ....he came to us with a good reputation but never performed ...mackem websites all reckoned he was the "Invisible Man" (yet I thought he always looked useful for your Tractor boys)

.....As mentioned earlier ANYONE could go up from the CCC this season (apart from Leeds I'd be happy enough if it was Ipswich & our lot!

I did mean Tommy, of course - Ian Miller is on loan to Boston. I think Sunderland has a great chance of promotion, but I don't think we will make those dizzy heights.

Do we want to be in the FA Cup .... we played like a time who is already concentrating on the league. If Bury are better than Chester then I'm glad we didn't have play them.

Alan Lee was unlucky with the shot that hit the bar, but if we had of won then it would have been robbery.

Interestingly, teams in League One spend 600,000+ on players these days - we are hard pushed to afford a player on a free transfer. Put in this context, I think JM is doing a great job. I don't feel the same about Sheepshanks.

rotf,
you need mark noble back ! he had a very good game yesterday and scored a good goal, maybe now curbs will give him a run in the side. if not then we should let him go. maybe ipswich should make an offer ? who knows!!
regards, scotty

Oh no - even if we did manage to beat Chester in the replay, it's Swansea next up and I saw what they did to Sheffield United - why couldn't we have a nice easy draw like the one Blackpool got?

FA Cup 4th round

you think im looking forward to watford ! would rather get the mancs away - then theres nothing to lose! in fact wed probably raise our game.

swansea will bring plenty of support, its a wales v england game for them!!

David Wright has completed his transfer from Wigan and immediately targeted a return to the Premiership with Town (isn't that what they all say, still it's better than thinking we'll go down). The 26-year-old defender has joined for an undisclosed fee (free transfer?), signing a contract that will keep him at Portman Road until the summer of 2010.

We need a good defender so let's hope he fits the bill.

So .....a measure of revenge for earlier in the season as Sunderland take home the points in a 1-0 win against the Tractor boys .... TBH a draw may have been a fairer result overall but both teams did well given the absolutely atrocious conditions (a swirling gale force wind caused havoc throughout)
Ipswich sub Danny Haynes (who seems to have lightning pace)saw his goalbound shot unbelievably cleared off the line by Jonny Evans - a young lad on loan from Man U (a product of Keano's relationship with Sir Alex apparently!) ...so now we are just 1 point off an automatic promotion place.......plenty of games left yet!

Jet - thanks for the report. It was a journey too far for me today given the weather conditions. I've always thought you were strong candidates for promotion. It was the first goal we've conceded this year. Danny Haynes does have great pace, I'd like to see him and Billy Clarke playing just behind Alan Lee in a Christmas tree formation, but Jim likes to pack the midfield on occasions. Still congratulations on the win.

All the best, Rotf

Think we've decided to concentrate on the cup

I couldn't be there to see our cup win, but followed it on BBC web site: minute by minute, whilst listening to the mighty Colosseum II. We're through with a late Matthew Richards goal from 25 yards. We seemed to have lots of shots and Chester never really threatened - interestingly Chester gave away 20 free kicks, had three players booked and had more possession than us (isn't the beeb wonderful).

Next up in the cup are the Swans.

now that will be a good cup game: tractors v swans - good luck in next round.
p.s. curbs dropped noble AGAIN!!
scotty

quote:

Originally posted by scottyhammer:
now that will be a good cup game: tractors v swans - good luck in next round.
p.s. curbs dropped noble AGAIN!!
scotty

Thanks - Scotty: good point for you yesterday and should have been all 3; no disrespect to Newcastle but their first goal was yards offside with the offside player (Parker) dummying to deceive the Carroll.

Well that's the way it should be nearly 29.000 in the ground for the biggest derby match of the season. Loads of controversy and a great performance and a bit of stupidity near the end, but all's well the ends well.

Tractor Boys 3 Us 2 (official score)

Should have been Tractor Boys 4 Us 1 (official score) - but you've got to hit the back of the net; just knocking the ball a yard over the line doesn't count in the eyes of Mr G Laws and, to add insult to injury, whilst we engage in premature celebrations, Us go up the other end and score. Ironically, we had a perfectly good goal chalked off at Layer Road too (not my usual bias, even Colchester players and management agreed).

Still - Us open the scoring with one of the most controversial goals of the season, but undeterred and encouraged by the big crowd, the Tractor Boys fought back.

Nice to see Jamie Peters back in the side. His early shot dictated the pattern of the game. Richard Naylor should have scored, but headed Gary Robert's corner wide. Then that incident, Billy Clarke and Alan Lee: superb link up up in the box; Billy C's shot was deflected by a U's defender over the line: 1-0, but no. Worse to come U's boot the ball up field one forward bundles past Richard Nalyor. knocks the ball on and another scores. 0-1 then. The referee booked Alan Lee for his own (Mr Laws's) inability to keep up with play - strange.

Great save save by U's keeper denied Gary Roberts when he hit a great free kick. Alex Bruce header cleared off the line. Gavin Williams just wide with another free kick. And then, Alan Lee pulled down by a U's defender - blatant penalty: Alan Lee converted from the spot, 1-1.

Another Gary Roberts free kick just wide. In to the second half with Town dominating the play, and U's still level, but not for long. Over came the corner and there was Sylvain Legwinski to head home: 2-1.

Not content, Town still surged forward. Richard Naylor setting up Jamie Peters, but his shot went wide. Danny (super-sub) Haynes came on and Jamie Peters slipped him through with a precision pass. On went Danny and slipped it past the U's keeper: 3-1 and no more than we deserved on the balance of play.

Then the stupidity - 94 minute of the game. U's attack and David Wright handles in the area: penalty and a sending-off; harsh, but what we did we expect with that ref. U's scored a consolation goal from the spot. David Wright is now suspended against The Swans next week.

Still - excellent game from the two top East Anglian teams - no offence meant to Luton, Southend and Chelmsford City.

As Big Ron, once said: it is not my way to comment on referees and I'm not going to change that for the abysmal one we had for that match. Perhaps they need help - it doesn't help either side if so many decisions are wrong.

Saw it again on the Championship - it was well over the line. Even Andy Townshend thought so. The player who cleared it was leaning against the back of the net. Still we got the points in the end

Thanks as always for the match summary, ROTF, much appreciated in these distant parts!

This is a match I would have loved to be there for - the very first few years of my growing up being spent just outside Colchester, and the bulk of my formative years in Ipswich.

I am delighted that Colchester have done so well to climb so high, and wish them well, but would above all like to see Town back where they belong (hopefully sooner rather than later ). But wouldn't it be great to see Town, the Canaries, Colchester and Southend all in the Premier?!

James

quote:

Originally posted by JWM:
But wouldn't it be great to see Town, the Canaries, Colchester and Southend all in the Premier?!

James

I 75% agree James - .

Seriously, I don't mind if the budgies finishing second in any competition as long as we're ahead of them. I think Southend are going to struggle to keep championship status (not what I like to see, but it just seems the way things are going - only side Southend really outplayed and beat comfortably were Man Utd and they didn't even get any points for that), but Colchester are doing well - besides the Colchester manager is Geraint Williams (our old captain and a really fair and honest guy who deserves to do well)- he's comments on the match were: On balance of play Ipswich deserved to edge it. We have no excuses. To be fair I think Ipswich were more of a threat in the first half and we were fortunate to be level at the interval. It was disappointing to concede a goal from a corner. In fact we could have done better with all three goals we conceded.

I totally accept that what I said was a fantasy! And a sense of East Anglian pride. Comment about the Budgies - goes without saying - any league
James

Although I live some distance away these days - my biweekly visit to Portman Road is something I always look forward too. East Anglia, where I grew up, is a magic place for me and I would love to see its teams battling at the highest level. Some of the greatest players I have ever seen have played for the Town - Kevin Beatie, Billy Baxter, George Burley, Terry Butcher, Ray Crawford, Jimmy Leadbetter, Jim Magilton, Paul Mariner, Arnold Muhren, Marcus Stewart, Franz Thijsenn, Colin Viljoen, John Wark, Trevor Whymark, Clive Woods and my favourite player beginning with 'Z': Romeo Zondervan. I feel lucky to have seen them.