West Ham Preview
By Aston
May 13 2005
Team news and match stats and more ahead Town’s play-off semi final first leg against West Ham.
In
a rematch of last years semi final Town have to play west ham again but this
year the positions have been reversed with Town finishing 3rd and the
hammers 6th.
West
Ham have the home leg first, that’s tomorrow kicking off at
Alan
Pardew: "We've got some players who are really hitting form at just the right
time. Nigel Reo-Coker and Hayden Mullins have done terrific in centre midfield
recently and that is a really strong area for us at the moment.
"Marlon
Harewood up front has played a lot of games for us this season, and his pace and
power have been key, while Jimmy Walker in goal is playing as well as I've seen
him do at the moment.
"All
that bodes very well for us and when you consider the players we have coming
back to fitness as well the squad is in really good shape. There's a lot for us
to be positive about going into the play-offs."
Town
manager Joe Royle no longer has James Scowcroft or David Unsworth after both
went back to their parent clubs after their loan spells expired. Second choice
goalkeeper Lewis Price is suffering with a virus but should be ok to take his
place on the bench where Jimmy Juan and Dean McDonald could both be.
Royle:
“We
are going to have the second leg at our place this year and that's the way I
would want it.
“We
have proved ourselves to be better than West Ham by finishing 12 points ahead
the league, but now we need to do it again over two cup-ties.
“I can sense the lads are
determined to do the job and move on to the final. There has been a very
positive mood in training since the weekend.”
Ipswich Town Squad: Kelvin Davis, Drissa Diallo, Jason De Vos, Richard Naylor, Fabian Wilnis, Tommy Miller, Jim Magilton, Kevin Horlock, Ian Westlake, Shefki Kuqi, Darren Bent, Matt Richards, Darren Currie, Jimmy Juan, Dean McDonald, Pablo Couñago, Dean Bowditch, Lewis Price.
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