I wasn’t confident of getting to this game as my flight home from Lulea wasn’t scheduled to land at Teesside until 5pm. You’d think that would be sufficient, but I’ve been delayed for one reason or another on quite a few of my recent trips. In order to avoid any uncertainty about Harry being able to attend, I’d arranged with him that his Dad would use my card and take him. If I did get back in time, I’d make my own way there and just buy a ticket. Secretly I was quite happy with this arrangement as I was none too keen to stand up for ninety minutes in the South Stand after a day of travelling.
In the end, my flight landed on time, Harry’s Dad couldn’t make it anyway and so it was the now regular trio of Tom, Harry and I that went. We were early enough to call into the fanzone pre-match where Tom’s cunning plan of buying two pints to cut down on the queuing was thwarted by Harry’s equally cunning plan of drinking one of them himself. He’s a tall lad for his age, so didn’t really look out of place.
Our defeat at Portsmouth meant that we had slipped behind Coventry at the top of the table but three points in this game would take us back to the summit, at least until the following afternoon.
The previous weeks’ international duty likely impacted on selection, with Browne retaining his place alongside Hackney and with Morris starting on the bench. Nypan had made his full debut for Holland and also began on the bench with Burgzorg returning.
I was surprised that Akpom didn’t start for Ipswich but pleased that he got a decent reception when he was called upon. I doubt that he’ll ever have as successful a season as that last one that he had with us. Sometimes a player just fits right and he certainly did then.
Ipswich had brought more than two thousand fans, which is a highly commendable turnout for a Friday night game that was on TV. They probably thought they were going to have a decent time of it when they were awarded a penalty just before the break. However, a very good save from Sol Brynn was compounded by us going straight up the other end and scoring. From thinking that they would be going in at half time a goal up to actually going in a goal down must have been hard for Ipswich to take.
Former boo boy target Morgan Whittaker added a second to aid his redemption before we had to endure a nervy final fifteen after they pulled one back. On the way out we were once again able to sing ‘We are top of the league, say, we are top of the league’. It might only be for the following nineteen hours, but it’s still a good feeling.
Tags: Middlesbrough FC
Trail of the Lion King 
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