IPSWICH TOWN: Roy Keane and his men will be looking to avoid losing five league matches on the trot when they take on third-placed Swansea City in their Championship fixture at Portman Road today (kick-off 12.45pm).

If the Blues fail to pick up any points in a game being televised live on Sky Sports satellite TV it will be their worst run since their 1994/95 relegation season under George Burley’s management from the Premier League.

They only scored one goal in a dreadful run that consisted of eight games and included the infamous 9-0 thrashing at Old Trafford against a rampant Manchester United.

Home defeats by Derby County and then Barnsley have been followed by losses at Hull City and then Norwich City.

Town went into the Derby game on the back of a three-match winning run that had seen them whizz into the top five.

And when Barnsley outplayed the Blues also at Portman Road four days later it led to ironic cheers from home supporters during one passing sequence by the visitors.

This led to heavy criticism of fans by Keane and his players, and also a ‘back to basics’ policy at Hull.

But a gritty display produced no goal threat and the concession of a long range deflected goal.

The visit to Carrow Road was a complete disaster and a thumping 4-1 defeat although many referees would have sent off hat-trick hero Gareth Holt after three minutes for a two-footed challenge on Jack Colback and not also not dismissed Damien Delaney for a professional foul with both full backs in a position to cover.

This campaign is turning into a reverse of last term. Then it took Town until the end of October to win a game, and they then produced play-off achievable form.

After a splendid start to this season they have dropped away badly in November to start today’s game just four points off the relegation places.

Last time Ipswich Town lost five consecutive league games the run stretched to eight matches.

Feb 28 1995 Newcastle 0-2, March 4 Manchester United 0-9, March 8 Tottenham 0-3, March 20 Norwich City 0-3, April 1 Aston Villa 0-1, April 5 Leeds United 0-4, April 11 QPR 0-1, April 15 Arsenal 1-4.