Ipswich Town fans are snapping up tickets for the two legs of their Championship play-off semi-final against West Ham United.Town look set to be cheered by 5,000 of their own fans in the first leg on Saturday in East London.

Ipswich Town fans are snapping up tickets for the two legs of their Championship play-off semi-final against West Ham United.

Town look set to be cheered by 5,000 of their own fans in the first leg on Saturday in East London.

After the long queues at the ticket office on Monday it had settled into a steady stream of customers with the club's usual priority scheme being introduced.

Ticket office manager John Ford said: "It is all going fairly well.

"The queues are steady. Our usual priority scheme is being used though it is a bit shorter than it would be at other times in the season.

"It gives us time to work with certain customers. Things are progressing well."

Ipswich have almost 7,000 Gold Card away passport holders who have first priority for Saturday's away leg at Upton Park.

By this morning, with the ticket office opening at 9am, just over 1,000 of the 5,000 tickets for Town fans at West Ham remained.

Today those remaining tickets will go on sale to season ticket holders.

Any left tomorrow will be available for Silver Club members. General sale would start on Friday if there were any tickets unsold.

For the home leg next Wednesday about 4,500 Town season ticket holders have already pre-paid for cup tickets so their tickets will be posted out automatically.

And with West Ham having sold out their 4,500 allocation other seats are currently being sold first to Ipswich season ticket holders.

Ford added: "Any seats not sold to season ticket holders will go on general sale on Monday."

The new ticket office number is 0870 111 0 555.

Tomorrow, Friday and Saturday they are also on sale to Silver Club and Blues Crew Silver Club members.

n Train operator "one" is laying on extra stops at Stratford on Saturday, May 14 for Ipswich Town supporters travelling to London for the Coca-Cola Championship Play-Off semi-final first leg.

Some services will call additionally at Stratford for those supporters travelling to Upton Park who prefer to change at Stratford for London Underground services:

The 08.00 Norwich – Liverpool Street (depart Ipswich 08.42) will call Stratford arrive 09.44.

The 09.00 Norwich – Liverpool Street (depart Ipswich 09.42) will call Stratford arrive 10.44.

And for supporters returning afterwards:

15.00 Liverpool Street – Norwich will call Stratford depart 15.09, arriving Ipswich 16.08

16.00 Liverpool Street – Norwich will call Stratford depart 16.09, arriving Ipswich 17.08

Other suitable services from Ipswich calling at Stratford on Saturday depart Ipswich station at: 08.08, 09.08 and 10.08.

In the opposite direction other suitable services – in addition to those listed above – departing Stratford for Ipswich on Saturday after the match, depart Stratford station at: 14.38, 15.38 and 16.38.

n Ipswich Reserves finished the season on a high with a 3-1 win away to Portsmouth last night that lifted them off the bottom of the table. Steve McCall's team finished above both Portsmouth and Leicester in the final table.

A very young Ipswich side took a 2-0 lead at the interval thanks to goals from Dean Bowditch, on his return to the club, and Chris Casement, who headed home from a free-kick for his first goal for the reserves.

Pompey pulled a goal back in the second half but Town defended well to keep the home team out as they applied a spell of heavy pressure.

Ipswich sealed the win with a third goal from Dean McDonald.