Ipswich Vs Preston - Blast From the Past

Last updated : 30 October 2004 By Site Editor
The last time the two sides met at Portman Road was on Saturday 28th February 2004 where the blues kept a rare clean sheet in a 2-0 win.

Kelvin Davis was inbetween the sticks for the match with a back four consisting of Georges Santos, John McGreal, Fabian Wilnis and Matt Richards. Town's midfield was made of Jim Magilton, Jermaine Wright, Ian Westlake and Tommy Miller with Darren Bent partnering Spaniard Pablo Counago upfront.

Ipswich 2-0 Preston NE - Full Match Report
Ipswich Town recorded a rare clean sheet to boost their own play-off push and put a spoke in Preston North End's own top-six ambitions.

Second-half goals from midfielders Tommy Miller and Ian Westlake sealed the win against a disappointing visiting side who rarely threatened the home goal.

Town might have gone ahead after just a minute when Jim Magilton collected a Jermaine Wright pass, held off a defender, but fired his shot narrowly over from 14 yards.

Jonathan Gould tipped over a Matthew Richards curling free-kick from 30 yards, but it was a rare effort on target in a poor first half.

The only other moments of note were an easy catch for Ipswich keeper Kelvin Davis from a tame Tyrone Mears header and then a fine diving save from Gould to keep out a low John McGreal strike.

Thankfully the second half was more lively aided by the introduction of subs Richard Naylor for Ipswich and Preston's David Healy.

Naylor immediately earned a free kick from which Magilton tested Gould, before Davis made a magnificent one-handed save to palm aside Richard Cresswell close-range header from a curling Healy corner.

Ipswich went ahead on 72 minutes when Preston cleared a Magilton corner only as far as Westlake whose low drive was turned in from five yards by Miller.

Darren Bent almost fed Naylor only for his strike colleague to fail to connect six yards out, then Claude Davis robbed Bent after Fabian Wilnis had put him clear.

Ricardo Fuller flashed a drive wide and Davis shot over as they chased an equaliser from a game they had been dormant in for so long.

They always looked vulnerable on the break and so it proved in stoppage time when Bent fed Wilnis who picked out Westlake to calmly find the far corner.

Nationwide
League Division One
2003/2004
Historical league standings at 28th Feb 2004
PldHomeAwayOverallPtsGD
WDLFAWDLFAWDLFA
1Norwich City 32122227126732315189550276323
2West Bromwich Albion 3395324138442217179746306016
3Wigan Athletic 33962211066425221512646325714
4Ipswich Town 331025392656523261581062525310
5Millwall 3396221105561921141184031539
6West Ham United 32754251768220141313645315214
7Sheffield United 3384428187372022157114840528
8Reading 339442521637162215711414352-2
9Crystal Palace 3466525228272826148125348505
10Sunderland 30851187547202313983830488
11Cardiff City 337543116557222612101153424611
12Coventry City 3358418176552519111394336467
13Preston North End 3293432194481522137124741466
14Stoke City 327632518529192712812444544-1
15Rotherham United 3366422184581727101112394541-6
16Crewe Alexandra 329252416259162811714404440-4
17Watford 3367424214391523101013394440-5
18Burnley 337452620278193491113455438-9
19Walsall 3366422203410132491014354437-9
20Gillingham 327181721367162410715334537-12
21Nottingham Forest 335662420358162381114404335-3
22Derby County 336462427269112781015355434-19
23Bradford City 3442111627331111247522275126-24
24Wimbledon 3223111429301314365324286518-37