Ipswich 3 Southampton 1: Nine points away from safety...Posted by Ally on December 16, 2000 at 20:40:50: Today was interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, we played utter rubbish for the vast majority of the match and yet won by a comfortable margin against a team who outplayed us and secondly, we scored not one, but two goals from set-pieces - a feat we last achieved when dinosaurs were roaming where Portman Road now stands (It was also interesting in that although Ipswich was packed - it being the penultimate Saturday before Christmas - it was remarkably easy to find a table at 1:15 at possibly the Town's busiest restaurant). Given that our last home outing was the defeat to Derby a fortnight ago, this also had 0-1 written all over it and it didn't take long as Marian Pahars (who is a bit good) strolled through our defence before chipping the ball back for James Beattie (who is a bit gooder still) to head home after three minutes. Southampton were looking good, passing the ball better and closing down well. The first half was a demonstration as to why we play better away from home as Southampton gave us absolutely no time on the ball. With a goal advantage they were able to close down all the space in midfield and we looked a bit pathetic. Saints should have been three up after 15 minutes, Wright making a couple of blinding saves. The only consolation was that the referee was Barry Knight, the best in the country (also known as the bloke who sent-off two Bolton players and gave us two penalties in the play-off semi-final second leg last season). Fortunately, half time arrived. Jermaine Wright was replaced with new signing Alun Armstrong from Middlesboro to give is three strikers. It took three minutes to pay off. SET PIECE NUMBER 1: Jim Magilton free-kick near the corner flag finds James Scowcroft who taps it in from six yards. 1-1. SET PIECE NUMBER 2: Another three minutes elapse and we get a corner. Jim Magilton takes and I'm not going to try to describe this as I don't know how it ended up in the net, suffice to say that it did, Armstrong was credited as the scorer. Not a bad turnaround to be 2-1 up after 51 minutes considering we were playing absolute Norwich in the first half. Southampton then seemed to remember that the second half had actually begun and started to play again, they looked more likely to score and Richard Wright made a another couple of good saves. We were a bit embarrassed to get a third in the last minute but we shan't complain. Jim Magilton took it past a couple of defenders in the penalty area, took it out of play over the byline, but good oln Barry Knight (of the Round Table) decided to let us play on anyway, Magilton knocked it back for Armstrong to shoot from ten yards, it hit the keeper and a defender before going in, but it will do. One questions the wisdom of Middlesboro's decision to sell a striker of Armstrong's calibre given their current predicament and for only £500,000 aswell. Still, I guess they needed a quick sale to fund Tel's signing-on fee. George Burley looks to have once again done well in the transfer market. Position: 3rd with 33 points, I reckon we're going to need 45 to absolutely guarantee safety although 42 will most likely do it, halfway stage after next Saturday. Game ended to a chorus of "Bring on United" Guess who we play next week...! (and it ain't Torquay).
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