The referee led the teams in observing a minutes silence in memory 9/11 before getting Wanderers back into league action after their disappointment in the FA Cup the previous week. March had come with an unbeaten record to defend and had conceded only 1 goal in 4 games so a competitive encounter was anticipated by the small but enthusiatic crowd.
Wanderers applied the early pressure and it took only 4 minutes for them to go a goal up. Ricky Martin picked up the ball in his own half after a March attack had broken down, ran at their defence and then released a ball to an unmarked Rene Swann who had no trouble in evading the diving Brooks and scoring with a simple tap in. March increased their rate of attack but slack marking at the back allowed Wanderers to look dangerous every time they moved forward. Wanderers were dominating play, creating numerous chances, winning a series of corners and free kicks but failing to add to their score. The closest they came was when Ricky Martin, with just moments to go in the half, brought a diving save from March 'keeper Brooks.
Ipswich Wanderers 1 March Town Utd 0
Their half time pep talk appeared to have enlivened the March players as they were not allowing Wanderers so much of the play. Neither side looked close to scoring and each were giving the ball away too frequently in midfield for any threatening moves to develop. Two incidents gave the crowd something to talk about towards the end of the game; March were awarded a corner from which they appeared to have equalised. However the referee had already blown his whistle for, it was confirmed later, the March player incorrectly calling for the ball. Then Wanderers went close when a Kevin Morrison free kick was headed against the post by Steven Gayfer, who had just come on as substitute. Andrew Crump was the sole entry in the referee's notebook and, despite both sides using all available substitutes, the pattern and pace of the game did not change.
Ipswich Wanderers 1 March Town Utd 0
