AND then there were two!

AND then there were two!

The cupboard is almost bare, in terms of strikers at Ipswich Town, going into the final few weeks of the season.

Only 17-year-old Connor Wickham and veteran Jason Scotland remain at the Suffolk club, following Tamas Priskin’s 11th hour emergency loan move to Championship rivals Swansea City yesterday tea-time.

Out-of-sorts front-man Priskin, who was an unused substitute for Town’s 2-0 home win over Scunthorpe in their last outing, has signed for the promotion-chasing Swans until the end of the season, although he will not be allowed to play against Town in the Easter Monday fixture (April 25) between the two clubs at the Liberty Stadium.

With fellow striker Ronan Murray already farmed out on loan to League Two promotion hopefuls Torquay United, that leaves manager Paul Jewell with just a couple of strikers on his books for the last eight fixtures.

Wickham was with the England Under-21s in Denmark last night, although he only appeared as an 87th-minute substitute in the 4-0 win over the Danes in a friendly in Viborg.

He should get a longer run-out on Monday night, when England entertain Iceland in another friendly, but now it looks as though he will have his work cut out with Town for the rest of the campaign, with only 32-year-old Scotland for company in the striker department.

Town are heading for a comfortable mid-table finish, having already accumulated 49 points in 15th spot, but it is still rather alarming to have just two recognised front-men, even though Jewell has favoured a 4-5-1 formation since his arrival on the Portman Road hot seat in early January.

By contrast, Swansea are gunning for Premier League football next season, and Swans boss Brendan Rodgers was last night delighted to sign a player of Priskin’s calibre – Town splashed out �1.7m to sign the 24-year-old from Watford two years ago.

The Hungarian, who is currently away on international duty for a double header against Holland, was a regular goalscorer under Rodgers when the two were together at Watford.

Rodgers said last night: “I looked to bring Tamas in at the start of the season. He is a player who can add goals to our squad, and ensure we have enough cover for the final eight games.”

Town did not sign anyone before yesterday’s deadline for loan transfers.