Late Michael Chopra winner breaks Sky Blues’ hearts
By Dave Gooderham
Saturday, February 4, 2012
5:48 PM
Michael Chopra scored a dramatic 93rd minute winner to give Ipswich Town a 3-2 win over bottom club Coventry City.
The striker became Town’s top marksman with two second half goals, including the late winner, as Ipswich came from behind in the snow at Coventry.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas gave the visitors the lead midway through the first half but a penalty from Sammy Clingan and Gary Deegan gave the Sky Blues a half-time lead.
But Ipswich fought back and Chopra was on hand to hit home the rebound after Lee Martin’s penalty was saved before he headed home Andy Drury’s cross at the death.
Fresh from their 5-1 win over West Ham, Town started well and City defender Richard Keogh denied Martin a close range shot before Ibrahima Sonko’s header missed the near post.
With still only seven minutes played, Daryl Murphy headed a good chance over but Town took the lead midway through the first half.
It came from some nervy Coventry defending who had chances to clear the danger but Sammy Clingan’s header only found Jay Emmanuel-Thomas who chested the ball and volleyed it into the far corner. The ball seemed to take a slight deflection – possibly off Martin – but it made no difference to the delight of the impressive away following.
Town were in the driving seat, with Coventry looking distinctly nervy. But then out of nothing, the home side were gifted a way back into the game.
A cross into the Town box saw big Clive Platt go up for the header and a flaying arm, seemingly belonging to Ibrahima Sonko, saw the referee rightly point to the spot.
Clingan sent Arran Lee-Barrett the wrong way and we were all square. But just as the match was entering first half stoppage time, Coventry took the lead when a deep throw in saw Platt head the ball on and Gary Deegan followed home from the edge of the area.
It was a body-blow time to concede and neither side deserved to go in at the interval ahead after a scrappy first 45 minutes not helped by the wintry conditions,
Town started the second half brighter as Coventry started to defend deeper. And the visitors almost got straight back onto level terms but for Richard Wood’s intervention, denying Chopra a certain goal, after great work from Aaron Cresswell.
Andy Drury was then denied a second goal in three games when his curling effort was tipped round the post by Joe Murphy.
Town should have equalised in the 52nd minute when Sonko turned an unlikely provided but Chopra could only poke a shot wide.
But in the 63rd minute, Ipswich levelled in slightly controversial circumstances after Martin was brought down by Richard Keogh in the area.
The winger’s penalty was saved by the feet of Joe Murphy with the ball coming off the underside of the bar. But Chopra reacted quickest to head the rebound home despite Murphy’s best efforts.
With Coventry desperate for the three points, the match descended into an end-to-end affair with the home fans screaming for a penalty on more than one occasion.
But it was Ipswich who had the best chances and after Chopra missed a great chance when clear, the striker scored his tenth of the season from Drury’s cross.
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18 comments
Tom - You really shouldn't rise to Rob's bait because in doing so you lower yourself to his level. Do you really believe that people are wishing the team fails in order to be proved right ? I don't not for one second. Many, many people will feel vindicated by the fact that Paul Jewell has finally woken up to what they have been saying before this season even kicked off and that he seems only now (after a pretty dismal year) to have grasped what they were calling for - namely to build a team of younger players, stick with them, give them time and not jettison journeyman footballers and loanees, such as Richard Wright, straight into the starting 11 at the expense of home grown talent or other more loyal players. I feel quite strongly that it is not the job of supporters or even the local media to tell Paul Jewell how to do his job and rest assured this sudden "epiphany" of Mr Jewell's is less likely to be as a result of his nouse, experience or his actual beliefs but more likely as a result of injuries, suspensions and being put under pressure by the likes of the EADT and it's readers. Lets not forget that Jewell was not appointed as somebody new to management needing time to learn on the job, he was somebody, we were lead to believe, with the right credentials to make a success of his tenure rather than serve up the "dross" (his own words not mine although I agree with the sentiment) he has for the last 12 months. Like many Jewell critics I wholeheartedly support the team but not the management.
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bluearmy78
Monday, February 6, 2012
Rob, do you see any positives in thrashing west ham 5-1 then capitalising on it by winning the next match? Because as an Ipswich fan what matters to me, ultimately, is that the team win. Others may wish them to fail so that the witch hunt can continue. I would suggest that the club could do without those types of supporter who are more interested in being proved right than seeing the team succeed.
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Tom
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sad to say this but Tom & TrueBlue you have just lowered yourselves to Steroo's level by failing to acknowledge anybody's right to an opinion other than your own. You all cheaply label people with concerns for the state of the club and differing opinions to you as "moaners" - what a shame you cannot accept people will see things differently from yourselves and are allowed to express those opinions equally...No amount of wins will convince me Jewell should be our manager, Clegg our CEO or Evans our owner....Two wins is clearly enough for some and I am genuinely pleased for those who it is...I think ITFC is worth far more than a failed manager whose achievements a decade ago are greatly over shadowed by his more recent managerial record..
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bluearmy78
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Two wins (6points)= no GED Scott comments.. Funny that
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My Comment is this..
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Hi Old Timer. Are you by any chance Rob Steroo's dad?
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Rex Ide
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Yes a good win - achieved despite Jewell NOT because of him - though hopefully he is getting the message ????? Players like Hyam Drury Martin Smith & ALB are saving our season - following some very poor treatment from Jewell. If he was the good manager some of you claim why didn't he start the season with them ????
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Old Timer
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Another welcome and crucial win in an exciting game. Two swallows and summer is on the horizon - well perhaps not quite yet. Good to see a goal in time added on that wasn't at our end. Still, we must be the only team that is playing with a one-man back four. The "effort" to secure players in key positions (three vacancies out of four) remains a sore that will not go away. Still, it looks like we are going to have to live with this "managment" team until at least the end of the season. Let's hope that the players continue with this new found vigour, vested largely in the energy of Jewell's unwanted youth.
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Mike Wyatt
Sunday, February 5, 2012
I think, for a fair portion of the late goals it was psychological (allied with the fitness issue of starting to die at 70 mins). To have Chopra turn this around with getting one could start to kill that 'added time fear'. Don't roll out the celebration mats yet, though. We beat Barnsley and Derby last month and then went on a losing spree. It's clear I have no confidence in Jewell, but I hope the players can keep it together for at least 14 more points (which should see us safe).
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I am Spartacus
Sunday, February 5, 2012
What a great result, I'm kind of glad we didn't bring anyone in in the window. We will survive as we are and the positive thing is that it's clear as day where we need to strengthen the squad for a big push next season. I'm behind PJ and Evans right now. COYB
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Fat_Boy_Tim
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Mr Steroo, we would all be better off without you.
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Rex Ide
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Now come on , lets not argue about why or how the team are doing well or the reasons for it , there have been times this season when i have been furious with jewell ,but he is still here , still the manager and what is most important is the team winning , which they are at the moment. I very much hope paul jewell has learnt something from some of his more prominent signings earlier in the season , and perhaps a bit more by giving some of our youngsters the experience they need to progress , at the moment he looks to be pointing the club in the right direction , should that change i will be one of the first on his back , but i , and almost everyone else must be happy with the team and results right now.
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KEVIN FRANCIS
Sunday, February 5, 2012
What ever Steroo- he spent last month trying to add to it not dismantle it- 2 more keanse sighnings out in healy and priskin and the team suddenly improves again strange that. Your hole issue with PJ is based sround his time at derby where again he had inherited a team You ignore the fact that this guy got wigan and BRADFORD into the prem. No mean feat. Still think we need a new centre back , rb and gk but progress continues and I think there is now a baseto build on
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TrueBlue
Saturday, February 4, 2012
We all know by now that Steroo is the kind of person you wouldn't even choose to have as an imaginary friend.
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Macquarie
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Another good result, just. But when will we learn to defend. This is an absolute priority to find a top class central defender. Sonko again makes a mistake, he's a liability, one decent display against West Ham. He's o.k. up against a team that relies on booting the ball up in the air, but on the ground he's hopeless. West Ham were again lucky today against Millwall, who in my opinion were hopeless. Playing against 10 men for most of the match, they never put the Hammers under any decent pressure. As long as Town play anywhere near the standard that they have achieved in the last two games they will have no problem staying in this League and adding a few decent signings to the squad at the end of the season would see them near the top end of this league. At last JET, CHOPRA etc are showing their true potential, but we need to sort out the defence and back up Chopra and Scotland with another goalscorer.
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whymarkmariner
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Tom up the dosage the tablets are not working. Two wins by a team Jewell worked all last month to dismantle might suggest that the team is better off without him.
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Rob Steroo
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Come on Rob Steroo ad co, find something negative to say about this. A lucky last min winner? Should have played like this earlier in the season? It's easy to beat bottom teams but what about the top team, oh, hang on we did. Go on, say anything negative to avoid accepting the fact that PJ is making progress and he and the team deserve credit, as does the owner for backing him.
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Tom
Saturday, February 4, 2012
We've got close to a very good side, a different determination and a different attitude. Next, 3 points against Middlesbrough weather permitting. And not too many moaners commenting this week I hope!
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JOHN BURLS
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Well done you Blues! I'm still sure Steroo will have something positive to say.
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Paul The Alien
Saturday, February 4, 2012