Town on course for worst goal total ever

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town face suffering their worst Portman Road goal drought ever.

So far this season they have netted a paltry six times in 10 home matches putting them on course to 'beat' their 1971/72 tally of just 19 goals.

Blues fans are starved of goals with goalless draws in the last two home matches against Sheffield Wednesday and bottom club Peterborough.

They will have their fingers crossed that tomorrow's Championship encounter with Blackpool will provide better entertainment.

Ipswich need 14 goals from 13 remaining games to ensure this campaign doesn't earn a place in the Town record books.

The least number of goals the Blues have scored in a season is 32 in their Division One relegation season of 1985/86.

After 20 games in that season they had scored 16 goals, and at the same stage this term Town have netted 19 times.

In the League Cup that season, however Ipswich, had accumulated 15 goals from four ties.

Other campaigns when goals failed to flow for the Tractor Boys were 1971/72 when at this stage they had scored 16 times and ended up with 39.

In 1993/94 Town had managed 18 goals after 20 games and scored a total of 35 while 1994/95 saw 20 at this stage and 36 in total by the following May.

Ipswich have averaged over two goals a game in Blackpool's previous visits to Suffolk with the Tangerines having yet to taste success on Suffolk soil.

Keane says that he will be trying another combination to try and inject goals into his side, but his options are limited with Tamas Priskin out of touch and Pablo Counago out of favour in midweek against the Posh.

He may not want to over expose 16-year-old Connor Wickham to the notice of big-money Premier League sides, which leaves him with Stern John, Jon Stead and Jon Walters as main candidates for the front two places.

Keane, who will not tinker with his highly efficient back four, would like to see more width and crosses from the by-line with Lee Martin back in contention if he recovers from a heel problem.