A second away defeat for Town in the Premiership this season, but we again witnessed an encouraging performance with a lot of positive signs, in a close encounter at Filbert Street. The first bit of good news for the travelling fans was that Matty Holland passed a late fitness test, to keep that amazing ever-present run going! George Burley once again adopted the same formation which has served Ipswich so well in the opening encounters of this campaign. Jermaine Wright, again, got the nod over Scowie in the hole' behind the front two, with Wilnis and Clapham given license to bomb down the flanks. Town started the game brightly, putting together some intricate moves, which almost resulted in an early breakthrough. Stewart intercepted an Elliott clearance and after lifting the ball deftly over Flowers, watched in agony as Taggart somehow headed the ball off the line. The early stages of the game saw Stewart and Johnson put continual pressure on the Leicester back three, thus forcing the odd error. The first half was a very tight affair; both sides' identical systems cancelling each other out for much of the time. The Town back three looked solid again and reduced the Foxes to a couple of efforts from Taggart and a certain Mr Darren Eadie (who received a few tributes' from the Ipswich fans!!) Wrighty saved both efforts tidily and then pulled off an agile save from an Hreidarsson headed deflection - an own goal would have been very harsh on the big man who was having another commanding game. The first half saw little between the sides, but it was in the early stages after the break that Town lost this game. Stan Collymore made his bow and immediately had a big influence on proceedings. (Whatever people's views on his private life, this man is a great talent and he certainly lifted the Leicester crowd after coming on) He and Eadie began to drop a little deeper and run at the defence which made the marking a little more difficult. A mazy run and cross from (yes, it had to be Eadie!) set up Akinbiyi who scored from close range. There followed two incidents which summed up the night, and provided a similar insight into the Premiership, as was experienced at White Hart Lane just over two weeks ago. Scowie replaced Wright and formed a three pronged attack with Johnno & Stewart. Within minutes, a left wing cross from Clapham was flicked on, and fell invitingly to the big substitute at the far post. Unfortunately, he just missed the target, with Tim Flowers,(to use a Big Ron phrase!), looking down the barrel. Not many minutes later, a Leicester corner was headed on by Elliott, and somehow Wrighty found himself in total no-mans land, resulting in the ball sailing over everyone and into the net. Instead of 1-1, the score now read 2-0, the game virtually out of reach. The boys refused to lie down, though, and after the lively Johnno was sent crashing to the ground by Elliott, Magilton coolly, from the spot, scored the first goal to be put past Leicester City this season. It was a little too late to salvage a point but it certainly produced a few last minute jitters for the home side. In summary, Town again played some good stuff and for most of the encounter, not a lot seperated the sides. The result was decided by the boys not taking the couple of clearcut chances that fell their way, while another Richard Wright lapse in concentration cost them the all-important deciding goal. But from a tough opening four games, we have taken 4 points and on the evidence of the first two away ventures, it shouldn't be long before results start to come away from Portman Road, if the lessons of White Hart Lane and Filbert Street are learnt from.

From The Terrace