Aidy expects Portman Road to be buzzing

Elvin King

WATFORD manager Aidy Boothroyd expects Portman Road to be buzzing when his Hornets visit Ipswich in the Coca-Cola Championship tomorrow (kick-off 3pm).

Winners 2-0 at Vicarage Road in September, second-in-the-table Watford will be seeking to become the first side to double the Blues this term - and the first team to win in the league at Portman Road since Southend United last March.

Boothroyd said: “Portman Road is an intimidating place and with 14,000 season tickets holders they will get that place jumping.

“Ipswich will want to play their brand of football, and their manager Jim Magilton will get his team to pass it. We've got to be a match for that.

“We will have to defend resolutely and give Ipswich problems on the counter attack, and from our set plays.

“It will be a mixture of styles and it should be a really interesting game. Ipswich are a competitor in the promotion race and are one of the teams we have to take points off.

“We are the best away team and they are the best home team so it will probably be a dull 0-0 draw.”

Boothroyd has a few selection problems with Lee Williamson and Jobi McAnuff suspended and Collins John (hamstring), Damien Francis (knee) and Gareth Williams (knee) all injured.

On the plus side for the Hornets, giant defender Dan Shittu is back from the Africa Cup of Nations after Nigeria were beaten at the quarter-final stage.

Watford have not lost to Ipswich in their last six home and away games.

Tomorrow's likely squads

Ipswich Town: Bywater: Wright, Bruce, De Vos, Harding, Norris, Miller, Garvan, Quinn; Counago, Walters, Colgan, Naylor, Haynes, Sumulikoski, Lee, Roberts, Williams, Wilnis, Trotter.

Watford: Lee; Mariappa, Bromby, Shittu, Sadler; Smith, Eustace, O'Toole, Ainsworth; Kabba, Ellington; Stewart, Ainsworth, Henderson, Bangura, Doyley, Kabba.

Referee: Mr A D'Urso (Essex)

Ipswich record against Watford at Portman Road: P 29, W 14, D 7, L 5, goals for 53, against 31.