Preview: Town – Bristol City
By Aston
November 9 2007
Town will be looking to stretch their unbeaten home run to 11 games when they take on 3rd placed Bristol City at Portman Road tomorrow.
Town striker Danny Haynes will face a late fitness test ahead of the game tomorrow as he bids to return to action following an ankle injury. Richard Naylor has been ruled out of action for at least another month and Gavin Williams is still a week or so away from match fitness.
Town squad: Alexander, Bruce, Clarke, Counago, De Vos, Garvan, Harding, Haynes, Lee, Legwinski, Miller, Peters, Roberts, Supple, Trotter, Walters, Wilnis, Wright.
Town manager Jim Magilton: "This is a massive game for me in fact it is our biggest game of the season. We have come to the end of an unbeaten run by losing in midweek and now have a two-week break.
"We are playing against a side that have been outstanding this season. They have relished the opportunity to play at this level and grasped it with both hands.
"It is very much like the Colchester scenario last year where the players have not been fazed. They have come out and looked at this division and have been very good.
"They keep good possession of the ball and are a real threat. Gary Johnson' sides always play good football and are not up there under false pretences but very much on merit.
"Colchester last year had a real team ethos and Gary has kept the nucleus of his team as well and built on it.
"We are at home and we have got to take the game to them and stamp our authority.
"Our crowd will be big for us again. They do make a difference. Mick McCarthy noticed it.
"So we want our crowd to intimidate Bristol, in the nicest possible way.
"While I want to us to get off to a flying start and put them on the back foot we will have to be patient. Bristol don't panic they will wait and carry on playing the same way because they are resilient and they don't get the results they have without being a good team.
"They play in a similar way to us away from home with David Noble just behind Darren Byfield. The two wide men are quick, Ivan Sproule is someone I have watched a lot and he can catch pigeons."
Bristol City manager Gary Johnson has no injury or suspension worries ahead of the game and is expected to use the same squad that lost to Charlton at home in midweek.
Johnson: "We haven't been fazed by any games yet and that's how we should approach this one.
"We should have nothing to fear, nothing to lose as far as the opposition is concerned. We know we have a game that we can take to the opposition.
"We've shown both home and away that we're capable of causing teams at this level a problem and that's what we've got to try and keep doing.
"Ipswich are on a good run and play good football so we're all looking forward to this game."
Match Odds:
Town: 11/10
Draw: 23/10
Bristol: 13/5
Officials:
Referee: N S MILLER
Assistants: P W Barnes and S A Child
Fourth Official: D Buck