Ipswich Town take on Bristol City at Ashton Gate this evening in a televised Championship clash (7.45pm, Sky Sports Football). STUART WATSON previews the action.
‘Same again’ – That will be the message from Ipswich Town’s coaching staff to the players heading into tonight’s game at Bristol City.
The Blues belied their rock-bottom status with a confident performance in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at fourth-place West Brom.
Three days later they are on the road again to face another team in the promotion hunt, with the Robins currently just a point outside the play-off places.
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“We know it’s a tough game for us but we don’t fear anybody,” insisted Blues assistant boss Stuart Taylor.
“I think that was proven on Saturday with our game plan and how we went about it.
“We don’t fear anybody at all. The lads are playing with great confidence. We’re creating chances and we’re dominating games. We just need to do exactly the same again.
“We’ll go there with confidence and belief that we can win the game.”
Bristol City’s 3-2 double comeback win at Portman Road at the end of November sparked a 15-game unbeaten run in all competitions, including a nine-game winning streak, which catapulted them into the top six.
However, they go into tonight’s game winless in five having lost three successive games at Ashton Gate (Wolves, Birmingham, Leeds).
Town have now drawn four of their last five games 1-1 (Stoke, Derby, Wigan and West Brom), while losing the other 2-1 at home to Reading courtesy of a last minute goal.
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It leaves them 12 points adrift of safety with 10 games to play and staring down the barrel of relegation into League One.
“We have got guys on form,” said bouyant boss Paul Lambert. “The level of performance has been high. We go there to win. We won’t sit back. We’ll go and play the way we can.
“If we win this one... It’s not over until someone says it’s mathematically over. You have to keep going.
“We don’t look a team at the bottom of the table.”
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On Bristol City, he said: “You can’t say their turning point of the season was because they beat us. That’s just silly. Good luck to them, I’ve got nothing against Bristol City, they’re having a good season and maybe they’ll make the play-offs. Maybe they won’t.
“My main concern is us going there to try and win.”
Opposition lowdown
Last five finishes: 11th, 17th, 18th (Championship), 1st, 12th (League One)
Manager: Lee Johnson (Feb ‘16): P162 W65 D38 L59
Last 10 games: LDLLL WWWWW
Last game: L 1-0 Leeds (h)
Last attendance: 24,832
Margins of victory: 1 (x13), 2 (x2), 3+ (x2)
Margins of defeat: 1 (x10), 2 (x3)
Top-scorers: 11: Diedhiou; 6: Weimann; 4: Paterson, O’Dowda
Lost league starts: 35: Pack; 34: Brownhill; 32: Webster; 30: Weimann; 27: Kalas
Ipswich Town team news
• Kayden Jackson will make his first start of 2019 after Collin Quaner limped off at half-time during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at West Brom.
• Paul Lambert says he will ‘freshen up’ his team for a second away game in four days. In-from Teddy Bishop could be rested after receiving a kick to the calf.
• Matthew Pennington, Flynn Downes (both ill) and Trevoh Chalobah (thigh) could all be available again.
• This game looks to have come too soon for James Collins (calf) and Ellis Harrison (hamstring).
• Callum Elder, Tom Adeyemi, Emyr Huws, Jack Lankester, Will Keane and Freddie Sears all remain sidelined.
Bristol City team news
• Youth graduate Max O’Leary could continue in goal with first-choice duo Niki Maenpaa (calf) and Frank Fielding (hand) injured.
• Andreas Weimann could replace teenager Antoine Semenyo on the left wing following the latter’s full debut in Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Leeds.
• Lloyd Kelly, Jack Hunt, Kasey Palmer and Niclas Eliasson and Matty Taylor are all options to freshen things up.
• Korey Smith (knee) is a long-term absentee.
Key opposition man
Adam Webster
Has been among Bristol City’s best players since a £3.5m switch from Town last summer. Has stayed fit and shown his ball-playing abilities at the back.
Stat attack
5 – Defeats in six against Bristol City (F6 A12)
26 – Starts Adam Webster made in his one season for Town
307 – Games Cole Skuse played for boyhood club Bristol City. He’s played 235 for Town.
Odds
Bristol City 4/7
Draw 3/1
Ipswich Town 27/4
Referee
Darren Bond (Lancashire)
Championship (21), Lg One/Two (3)
Yellows: 82, Reds: 5
Last meeting
Ipswich Town 2 Bristol City 3
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Town played well and twice led through clinical Freddie Sears strikes (32 and 58) either side of Bartosz Bialkowski clawing an off target effort into his own net (55).
Jamie Paterson equalised within seconds though before Famara Diedhiou soon headed in the winner (64).
Stu’s prediction
Bristol City 1 Ipswich Town 1
Robins’ good run was based on a tight defence. Town have an increased goal threat. Could be another 1-1.
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