Wilnis hails Town's team spirit

By Elvin King

STILL feeling fabulous at 37, recalled Ipswich Town defender Fabian Wilnis today revealed when he realised the Blues were going to take three points off Preston.

“When we were standing in the tunnel waiting to go on to the pitch,” said the Dutchman, who has made 313 appearances since signing for Town in 1999.

“Such is the belief in the side there was no doubt in anybody's mind that we were going to make it eight home victories on the trot.

“We could sense it before we stepped on to the grass. Now we must work on getting the same feeling away from Portman Road.”

Ipswich have collected 12 points from four home matches and just two points from five away games, and Wilnis - back in the side at the expense of Alex Bruce - could be the man to rectify the imbalance.

But while delighted to be back in the fold, he was today left frustrated.

“It feels like my season has finally started,” said the man who was sent off at Plymouth within four minutes of his only previous first team action this term.

“But now we have a mini break and I have two weeks to wait to play again.

“I felt a bit rusty at times and had to dig in a bit, but it was great to be back and great to enjoy a win.

“The only downside was that we did not keep a clean sheet, but it was not a penalty in my book.”

Wilnis headed against the post in the first half of Saturday's game where fine goals from Alan Lee and Tommy Miller earned Ipswich a 2-1 win.

“I was already celebrating,” recalled Wilnis. “The ball hit the inside of the post and I was expecting it to go into the goal.

“We have conceded a lot of goals recently and I was thinking I may get a call and was told before training on Friday that I would be playing alongside Jason De Vos at the back.

“Our home form is unbelievable and if we keep playing like this we have play-off potential.

“Both Jason and myself talk a lot, and we were able to guide each other through the match as I have hardly played a full 90 minutes all season.”