Ipswich Town opened their home First Division campaign against Bury at Portman Road today on what was a doubly special afternoon for striker David Johnson.

Against him in the Bury defence was Chris Swailes, the £300,000 valued centre-half who went the other direction as a make weight in the Johnson deal.

Last season Town had doubled a Bury side that just missed relegation. In October with Johnson in the team, the Lancastrians came to Portman Road to lose 2-0. Town went to Gigg Lane with Johnson up front to win 1-0 in April.

Ipswich opened the First Division season with a 0-0 draw at Grimsby live on Sky last Sunday. The day before Bury beat Huddersfield at home to open their 1998/99 term.

Team wise, Ipswich kept the starting line-up that began the game in Tuesday night's 1-1 Worthington Cup draw at Exeter. Richard Naylor was up front with Alex Mathie again on the substitutes bench, still not completely right fitness wise after a stomach virus which came on top of a knee problem.

Back in the Town 14 and on the bench after a achilles tendon injury was Adam Tanner.

Also on the bench and hoping to make his first home league appearance was new Dutch midfield player or full back Marco Holster.

Bury came to Suffolk with a new manager at the helm. Stan Ternent moved to Burnley in the summer to be replaced by Neil Warnock.

It was a warm and steamy mid August afternoon with Ipswich looking to get the new home league season off to a flying start.

Blow by blow

Town began attacking the Churchman's end playing in their first choice blue and white against visitors in maroon shirts and black shorts. Ipswich had a 4-4-2 formation and Bury were operating with a 5-3-2 system.

Soon after the kick-off Petta and Stockwell combined on a free-kick situation just outside the box. This gave Venus the chance to let fly with an effort that flew some way wide of the goal.

Town left-back Clapham then broke forward at speed only to be stopped in his tracks by Redmond.

Kiely, the Bury keeper, got to the pitch of the ball well and caught hold of a cross struck with great pace by Petta from the right of the field. Then, in the seventh minute Clapham was in attacking mode again. This time the former Tottenham man released Naylor who in turn fed Petta. The Dutchman, still considering the offer of a new four year contract, went dashing into the penalty area only to be tackled well by Woodward.

Petta's exciting action pleased the Town supporters as the North Stand began to stoke up their "super Bob" chant.

In the 11th minute Holland, scorer of the goal with a cracking header with the 1-1 Worthington Cup draw at Exeter on Tuesday, was having a go again. Petta sent over a swirling centre from the left and Holland headed not that far over the bar.

D'Jaffo tried to send his strike partner Preece away but put too much pace on the ball and then D'Jaffo let fly with a long range effort that flew into the North Stand crowd filled with Town fans in both the blue and white strip and in the orange away strip.

Venus pumped forward a long ball for Town and, although Naylor got his head to it, it was too hard for the home number 10 to get any accuracy into it.

Town skipper and centre-half Mowbray then fell foul of referee Robinson. The big number five came charging across to the touchline and duly swept the legs from underneath Johnrose. Mowbray duly got the yellow card.

From the free-kick awarded following that incident Patterson centred from the left and Johnrose was wide with a header. The home fans were becoming a bit impatient and the North Stand began chanting the name of substitute Alex Mathie.

Bury then had a booking. Their midfield player Dawes was shown the yellow for a challenge on Holland.

Something appeared to upset Bury boss Warnock, possibly the booking of Dawes. Referee Robinson had to go across and issue a long lecture to him.

Dyer, who passed the morning fitness test on his groin, cut in from the left to fire over the bar and then, in the 23rd minute Venus got ahead of Preece superbly to turn and clear the ball up field for the Town.

Dyer earned the corner but it came to nothing and play continued with the home side battling hard to break down a stubborn Bury defence.

There was a third booking of the match when Patterson went into the book for a hefty challenge on Petta. Bury were looking a tough and strong opposition. They had given some rugged displays last season including the 2-0 defeat at Portman Road when two players were sent off.

Dyer, Town 19-year-old England Under 21 and B International midfield man, was looking a class act at times. He played a one-two with Petta but after taking the return was squeezed out by a posse of maroon shirted defenders. On the half hour mark Kiely took a long shot from Petta well and then Swailes waded in with a hefty challenge on Johnson. Swailes looked another possibility for the book but referee Robinson was lenient. From the free-kick Petta teamed up with Venus to go wide.

Bury had certainly set their stall out for a point. They were tracking back and at times all their players were behind the ball as Ipswich pressed forward. In the 37th minute though the Lancastrians almost cracked. Taricco pumped forward a lovely ball for Johnson. He ran in between two defenders and lobbed over Kiely. But the ball dropped onto the roof of the net.

At the other end there was a rare Bury effort on goal. Patterson cornered from the left and Swailes craned his neck to get in a cracking header that was only just a foot over the bar. Naylor was then fortunate not to be cautioned when he clattered into visiting keeper Kiely.

With two minutes to go to half-time Bury had another near escape. Clapham, who was showing much enterprise down the left for Town hurtled forward into the penalty area and let fly with an effort that flew just wide of the far post.

Taricco tried to pick out Dyer with a neat ball chipped into the penalty area. But Swailes came over to concede a corner. Petta took the flag kick and from it Johnrose headed away. But it went only as far as Venus who in turn played out to Petta. The Dutchman centred again but Bury cleared the danger.

Half-time: Ipswich 0, Bury 0

The second half began with Town introducing substitute Mathie for the withdrawn Naylor. Bury broke forward down the right through Preece and from his cross Mowbray cleared the lines for the Blues with a spectacular diving header.

Dyer then made one of his jinxing runs to find Taricco down the right. The Argentinian's cross was too deep.

Clapham made ground and supplied Dyer who went wide and then from a cross by Stockwell, Petta rounded Kiely to put the ball in the net. But the Dutchman was well off-side.

Play then quickly switched to the other end and Johnrose fed D'Jaffo. The Frenchman tried to whip in a ball from the right but Wright came out quickly to block.

The second half had started with the sun in. Now it was out again and with seven minutes gone in the half Clapham found Johnson with a good diagonal ball. The former Bury man tried to find space but Redmond was on him quickly.

In the 55th minute Town earned a corner on the right after a dangerous attack. Petta went over to take it. He centred to the near post where Preece won the aerial battle with Venus. Bury were defending as doggedly and stubbornly as ever. It was a stout effort indeed by the visitors. Town were finding it so difficult to get behind them and on occasions Bury were looking moderately dangerous going forward.

Clapham tried to send Petta away down on the left but Lucketti, the big defender in the number five shirt was across to challenge. It left Petta off the field being treated for a thigh injury by physiotherapist Williams.

Clapham weighed in with a dodgy pass and Patterson broke forward dangerously for Bury. But Town's number six, the reliable Venus, swept things up well for the home team. Swailes then did well to head a Petta cross for a corner. Petta went over to take the flag kick on the right and from his centre Johnrose cleared the lines for Bury.

In the 64th minute Taricco picked out substitute Mathie and the Scottish frontman turned to get in a left foot shot that flew into an appreciative North Stand crowd.

Holland was not far off with a header following a Stockwell cross and then, at the other end Clapham did well to rob Johnrose.

The frustration was building and building amongst home supporters but they applauded when in the 71st minute Venus pumped forward a raking pass with his powerful left foot for Holland to get into a good position and guide his header just wide.

At the other end Barrick curled in a dangerous low centre for Bury, but Wright was onto it in a flash.

In a bid to get their side going the North Stand began chorusing the Singing the Blue refrain which had been so much part and parcel of the surge to the play-off's last season. There was not much of that polish in Town's play today, but they kept plugging away against stubborn opposition who were standing on station in a bid for a point.

Dyer tried his luck with a centre from the right but Swailes cleared. The clearance went only as far as Clapham on the left and from his centre Stockwell craned his neck to send an effort just over the bar.

Mowbray headed a strong effort forward and Johnson tried to get on to it. But Johnson's former Bury team mate Lucketti got in a head of a player whose 30 goals last season included eight for Bury.

Venus surged forward in the 74th minute in a bid to get something going. The centre half took a return pass from Johnson but the maroon wall of defenders would not crack.

Town manager Burley and coach Houston were out of the dug out urging their side up field in a bid for victory. Bury boss Warnock responded by introducing Ellis as a 78th minute substitute for Preece.

Stockwell burst into the danger zone and Dyer had a shot well saved by Kiely. Kiely needn't have bothered as the whistle had gone for off-side.

With eight minutes remaining Johnson turned to try his luck with a cracking left foot shot that was not far off the mark and seconds later Clapham saw his effort fumbled by Kiely. Fortunately for the Bury keeper the ball was cleared away.

Johnson was fouled by Redmond near the edge of the penalty area. The free-kick was given and Johnson became embroiled in a tangle with the former Manchester City and Oldham man. After a long lecture Redmond was duly booked.

With three minutes to go Town stepped up to take the free-kick following the Redmond foul on Johnson. Petta was the man to do something and he squared a ball sideways to Mathie who let fly with a cracking left foot effort that flew just wide of the upright.

These were desperate moments for Bury now as Ipswich came so close. The home crowd kept urging the Blues on in the hope of a last gasp victory to mark the opening home league game with a three point haul.

Clapham centred from the left for Town and Holland had tried to get in a shot of some power, but the back of Redmond took the sting out of it and the ball went wide.

At the other end Taricco did well to outsmart Ellis as the Bury substitute worked his way down the left.

Result: Ipswich 0, Bury 0

Green 'Un