Preview: Town - Doncaster
By Aston
April 10 2009
Town go in search of another 3 points, as they continue to try and salvage "operation premiership".
Town look likely to welcome Giovani Dos Santos back to action after injury. Connor Wickham is in the squad and would become Town's youngest ever player should he take part against Doncaster tomorrow. Jon Walters and David Wright could also take part, Moritz Volz and Jon Stead are likely to miss out.
Town manager Jim Magilton: "There is no way I will let the season drift away, every fan of this Football Club deserves 100 per cent from every player that pulls on a blue and white shirt and they will get that right up until the last ball has been kicked this year.
"It's my job to make sure that happens and if I see someone dropping below the standards I expect, I will change the personnel. That said, the players here are more disappointed than anyone that we are not higher up the table than we are.
"We have five tough games remaining, starting with Doncaster and we know what they are capable of after they beat us at their place earlier this season.
"They had an outstanding run a while back which took them away from the relegation places and did so playing an attractive brand of football. Recently results have gone against them so I'm sure they will want to end that while we are looking to finish the season as strongly as possible and put down a marker for next year.
"We've got Gio back and we've missed him. He provided a spark when he came in and has the ability to unlock the door and maybe we have missed a player like that this season.
"Having Jon Walters back is a big bonus for us as well. We expected him to be out for the season when he had the ankle injury at Wolves but the specialist said he didn't need an operation and Jon has that wonderful attribute in that he is a quick healer.
"We will take a final look at Jon Stead, Gareth and Moritz before confirming things but Connor will be involved. He's been scoring goals lately and won't be phased by the step up but he have to remember that he's still just a boy, even though he doesn't look it."
Doncaster are unlikely to be changed from their defeat against Watford last weekend.
Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll: "Ipswich Town are like every team in The Championship, you look at their team and say they have spent an awful lot of money on this player and that player and they are probably a team that are disappointed that they are not a little bit higher up in the league, not just have enough points to fight for a Play-Off place but to also fight for an automatic promotion place.
"Portman Road is a lovely place to play, with a great pitch and, a bit like Norwich, have very passionate supporters. It's one of those games where, when we look at the season, it will be one of those nice trips. Obviously, we would have liked to have gone there with a little less on the game for us but every game for us in The Championship has been like a cup final so far and that isn't going to change from now until the end of the season."
"I think that Jim Magilton has already been quoted that he won't just let the season patter out. I'm sure that will go for every manager in The Championship and I think that Ipswich Town will feel they owe that to their supporters. We'll come up and they will want to see their team perform. Every game in this division, we have tried to treat on its merit. We've had some big occasions and this is just as big as all of the rest and we have treated it as such. For us, we can't go into any game taking anything lightly."
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