Rain stops play at Maine Road

Match abandoned after 23 minutes due to waterlogged pitch. The condition of the playing area was, in my opinion, better than when the game kicked off, so why did referee Poll let it start in the first place ?.

The kick-off was delayed for 5 minutes while ground staff removed covers from one touchline and toiled away at clearing surface water following a torrential down pour fifteen minutes before kick-off.

Once the game did kick-off it was obvious that it was going to be a complete farce, but Ipswich to their credit did attempt to maintain there normal passing game.

This paid off after just three minutes. A curling Mark Venus free-kick, from just outside the left-hand edge of the penalty area, found Marcus Stewart unmarked in the box and he headed home with power. A goal not that unsimilar to the opener against Manchester City in last months league encounter.

As the players of both sides struggled to control and move with the ball it was the home side that seemed to be having the greater problems.

Two ill-hit back passes to Weaver caused anxiety in the home penalty area, and from the second the City 'keeper had to rush back to clear the ball as it headed for the inside of his left-hand post.

On the quarter hour mark Town could have been two-up. Marcus Stewart and Jermaine Wright swapped passes on the right wing, and Wright's cross into the penalty area was hit just wide of the post by Matt Holland.

The home side drew level on 20 minutes.

Hermann Hreidarsson's attempt to clear the ball failed in a deep puddle and he was dispossessed by Wanchope. Wanchope found Wright-Phillips unmarked on the left-wing and his cross to Dickov was side footed home from just outside the six-yard box.

At this point Referee Pool conferred with both team managers and decided to take the players off the field for fifteen minutes to allow the ground staff additional time to remove surface water. As he splashed his way across the field quarter of an hour later it was obvious that the game would not continue and so it was.

So back to Moss Side for the third time in 24 days next Tuesday. Excellent !.

ChevBlue