Leggi Looks At: Donny
By Aston
November 13 2008
STB message boarder Leggi is back after his short break and is once again giving us an insight into Town's opposition, on Saturday Town face Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Ipswich make the 170 mile, first time ever, trip to Doncaster Rovers' Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday, with Town aiming to clinch a play-off spot, and Rovers looking for their first win since the August bank holiday weekend.
Sean O'Driscall and his men side have found the step up to Championship football very difficult after their Play-off Final victory over dirty Leeds last season. Its not that they're playing rubbish football, it's just finding the net, that seems to be the problem. Just 3 goals in the last 9 games tells its own story and 2 wins all season (so far) currently sees the South Yorkshire club propping up the rest of the table.
Both of Donny's wins have been by a single goal to nil, (Derby on the opening day and Coventry also in August) their heaviest defeats to date have been by 4 goals to one (Bristol City & Barnsley) and their now winless streak has stretched to 12 games. Likely to be leading the Rovers attack on Saturday will be Lewis Guy, who is currently the clubs joint leading scorer with Richie Wellens on two goals. Whilst at the other end, 38 year-old Neil Sullivan is between the sticks for Rovers, he has managed just 3 clean sheets this campaign. It should make for an interesting, teatime telly treat at the weekend.
Referee for Saturdays encounter is 'card happy' Mr Kevin Friend, who over the years has officiated 7 Ipswich matches, most notable was his 2 red cards shown to Fabian Wilnis both away at Plymouth Argyle. His most recent Town game came in September when we beat Barnsley 3-0 at Portman Road.
Mr Friend's overall record in Town games:
Officiated: 7
Town wins: 4
Draws: 3
Defeats: 0
Town yellow: 13
Town red: 3
Opposition yellow: 10
Opposition red: 0
Doncaster will be wearing their hopped red and white shirts, black shorts and red socks, whilst Town will be in their blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks.
Form table
(2nd) Ipswich Town P6 W3 D3 L0 F10 A5
(24th) Doncaster Rovers P6 W0 D2 L4 F2 A6
Match facts:
This is the first League meeting between the 2 teams since April 1958. Town have never lost a League game Home or Away to Rovers.
Our League record away at Doncaster Rovers
Played 2
Won 0
Drawn 2
Lost: 0
Goals:
For: 2
Against: 2
The highest attendance came in our first ever visit to Donny, 8,137 watched the Division 2 game in 1955. 7,045 watched our last League visit there.
Home and Away we have played Rovers 5 times in total, most recently in the Carling Cup in 2004, Town losing by 2 goals to nil at the old Belle Vue ground. From those 5 games, Tom Garneys is our leading scorer with 5 goals. Billy Reed, Bobby Johnston, Derek Rees and Ken Malcolm each netted once.
15 Players have played for both clubs they include, Ian Atkins, Jermaine Wright, Neil Woods and Alun Armstrong.
Leggi predicts: This won't be as easy as it looks on paper, we seem to make really hard work of the struggling teams and from what I've seen of Rovers, they play some decent stuff, so I hope we don't treat this game as one where we just turn up and expect to win. I hope Jim does not decide to 'bottle' playing Norris, who is really settling in well to our new nearly settled first 11. We, as a club, have dealt with the 'Cuffgate' incident very well and that should be the end of the matter as far as Norris as a player, is concerned. I hope we go with 2 strikers on Saturday, our defence shouldn't be too rumbled, so I'll say (If we treat the game right) 3-0 to 'on the up' Town.
Ps: Cheers IFGN for covering me while I've been earning some extra pennies.
Got a prediction for the game? Leave it below.
Saturday 15th November, Kick-off: 17:20
Ipswich make the 170 mile, first time ever, trip to Doncaster Rovers' Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday, with Town aiming to clinch a play-off spot, and Rovers looking for their first win since the August bank holiday weekend.
Sean O' Driscall
and his men side have found the adaption to Championship football very difficult after their Play-off Final victory over dirty Leeds last season. Its not that they're playing rubbish football, its just finding the net, that seems to be the problem. Just 3 goals in the last 9 games tells its own story and 2 wins all season (so far) currently see's the South Yorkshire club propping up the rest of the table.
Both of Donny's wins have been by a single goal to nil, (Derby on the opening day and Coventry also in August) their heaviest defeats to date have been by 4 goals to one (Bristol City & Barnsley) and their now winless streak has stretched to 12 games.
Likely to be leading the Rovers attack on Saturday will be Lewis Guy
who is currently the clubs joint leading scorer with Richie Wellens on two goals. Whilst at the other end, 38 year-old Neil Sullivan is between the sticks for Rovers, he has managed just 3 clean sheets this campaign.
It should make for an interesting, teatime telly treat at the weekend!!
Referee for Saturdays encounter is 'card happy' Mr Kevin Friend
who, over the years has officiated 7 Ipswich matches, most notable was his 2 red cards shown to Fabian Wilnis both away at Plymouth Argyle. His most recent Town game came in September when we beat Barnsley 3-0 at Portman Road.
Mr Friends overall record in Town games:
Officiated 7
Town wins 4
Draws 3
Defeats 0
Town
13
Town
3
Opposition
10
Opposition
0
Doncaster will be wearing their hooped red and white shirts, black shorts and red socks. Whilst Town will be in their blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks.
Form table
( 2nd) Ipswich Town P6 W3 D3 L0 F10 A5
(24th) Doncaster Rovers P6 W0 D2 L4 F2 A6
Match fact
This is the first League meeting between the 2 teams since April 1958.
Match fact
We have never lost a League game Home or Away to Rovers.
Our League record away at Doncaster Rovers
Played 2
Won 0
Drawn 2
Lost 0
Goals:
For 2
Against 2
The highest attendance came in our first ever visit to Donny, 8,137 watched the Division 2 game in 1955. 7,045 watched our last League visit there.
Home and Away we have played Rovers 5 times in total, most recently in the Carling Cup in 2004, Town losing by 2 goals to nil at the old Belle Vue ground. From those 5 games, Tom Garneys
is our leading scorer with 5 goals. Billy Reed, Bobby Johnston, Derek Rees and Ken Malcolm each netted once.
15 Players have played for both clubs they include, Ian Atkins, Jermaine Wright, Neil Woods and Alun Armstrong
Leggi predicts: This won't be as easy as it looks on paper, we seem to make really hard work of the struggling teams and from what I've seen of Rovers, they play some decent stuff, so I hope we don't treat this game as one where we just turn up and expect to win. I hope Jim does'nt decide to 'bottle' playing Norris, who is really settling in well to our new nearly settled first 11. We, as a club, have dealt with the 'Cuffgate' incident very well and that should be the end of the matter as far as Norris as a player, is concerned.
I hope we go with 2 strikers on Saturday, our defence should'nt be too rumbled, so I'll say (If we treat the game right) 3-0 to 'on the up' Town!!!
Ps: Cheers IFGN for covering me while I've been earning some extra pennies!!!
Magilton looks likely to start Town’s first ever game at the Keepmoat Stadium with Norris on the right of midfield with Owen Garvan and Veliche Shumulikoski continuing their excellent partnership in the centre. The Town boss will have to choose between Alan Quinn and Darren Ambrose for the left-sided role.
Even if Magilton decides to continue with Quinn, named in the Championship Team of the Week for his display at Blackpool, new loan signing Ambrose is likely to be play a role from the bench at some stage.
At the back, the Blues will almost certainly be unchanged, despite Ben Thatcher closing in on full fitness after his torn thigh muscle. David Wright and Moritz Volz will continue at full-back with Richard Naylor and Gareth McAuley in the middle.
Alex Bruce, who now looks certain to leave the Blues in January, is again likely to be on the bench, while Tommy Smith is Town’s only long-term injury, his broken ankle keeping him out of action until early in 2009.
Up front, Jon Walters is likely to continue, his versatility allowing the Blues to switch into a 4-5-1 formation if required. Kevin Lisbie will probably start alongside Walters with Pablo Couñago and Jon Stead coming off the bench at some stage. Danny Haynes could be included in the squad after overcoming his abductor injury.
Bottom of the table Doncaster, whose home record reads won one, drawn three, lost four, have an injury concern regarding left-back Gareth Roberts, who has a tight hamstring.
Midfielder Richie Wellens is OK after a groin injury, while defender Shelton Martis, on loan from West Brom, may be fit enough to return after his hamstring problem.
Attacking midfielder James Coppinger is back in training after a calf injury, but defender Jos Van Nieuwstadt is definitely out due to yet another hamstring injury, as is full-back Sean McDaid, who is likely to require surgery on a dislocated knee.
Rovers haven’t won for 12 games and have only nine points after 16 matches. Scoring goals has been their main problem, only two having come in their eight home games and five in the eight matches away from the Keepmoat.
Manager Sean O’Driscoll says he and his staff have sought to make little of the match being live on Sky during training: "We have tried to get away from the fact that the game is on the television. I don't think that we've ever focused on that before.
"The 5.20pm kick-off will give us some logistical problems as we've never kicked off at that time before.
"Whether we bring the players in for training in the morning is something we've not yet decided.
"But apart from that we've tried to carry on as normal. Ninety-nine per cent of the things that we do we think we do well. We've just got to work that bit harder to finish of our chances.
"But we've got to create chances first and foremost; nobody is going to give you any chances in this league.
"We have tweaked training a little bit and we've made it more focused on certain aspects of our game.
"But the players are under pressure anyway so I'm very wary of putting more pressure on them because that defeats the object of what we are trying to do.
"Everybody has tried to be supportive of each other, which is what you need."
O'Driscoll says the Blues will be difficult opposition: "They are capable; they have spent money and they've got a good fan base.
"They are organised and have got players who can score goals. Being an established Championship side gives them more of a hard edge because it is such a competitive division.
"Like any other team in this division, they are really difficult to beat if you go a goal down."
Likely squad: R Wright, Supple, Volz, D Wright, Thatcher, Naylor, McAuley, Bruce, Shumulikoski, Garvan, Campo, Miller, Norris, Quinn, Ambrose, Walters, Lisbie, Couñago, Stead, Haynes