IPSWICH WANDERERS 1 WISBECH TOWN 3

RIDGEONS PREMIER LEAGUE

TUESDAY 4TH APRIL 2006

Wisbech made the long journey down through the traffic to be greeted by a warm Wanderers welcome but a cold, biting wind cutting across the pitch. Manager Jason Dozzell opted to start with the same 11 who had secured all three points at Diss the previous Saturday.

‘Keeper Jamie Stannard was early into the action when he punched away Appleby’s corner in the first few minutes as each side showed their attacking credentials. D. Jimson wasted a good opportunity from 20 yds as Wisbech established a superiority in midfield by being first to the ball and harrying the home sides players to gain possession. Keith Hetherington provided the main threat up front for Wanderers on 22 mins with a curling free kick that was saved by Conroy at the feet of a rapidly advancing Chris Tracey. Harris and Nimmo combined moments later to bring a save from Jamie Stannard as Wisbech continued to punt the ball forward.

Wanderers had their moments of slick passing, setting up Terry Layton to stroke a cross into the box, which Rene Swann flicked on with his head and Conroy could only palm away, almost into the path of Keith Hetherington.

Wisbech opened the scoring on 25 mins through Harrold. Mark Goldfinch slipped (or was he pushed?) in a tussle for the ball just inside the area and the visitors’ no.11 was left to coolly sidefoot home. This setback spurred Wanderers on to play some of their trademark football, passing the ball effortlessly about the pitch and creating room down both flanks, from where Layton, Westren and Martin were able to launch searching crosses into the area. However, Wisbech defended efficiently against a, sometimes, inadequate final ball.

Ipswich Wanderers 0 Wisbech Town 1

The sides were evenly matched for the first 8 mins of the second half, until Jamie Stannard had to tip over the bar a deflected mis-hit shot from Harrold, injuring himself in the process. From the corner, the ball was half cleared and D. Jimson fired home for Wisbech’s second through a forest of legs. As in the first half, when they went behind, Wanderers started to play and demonstrated that they could get the better of the Wisbech defence and, on 63 mins, following a series of corners that had the visitors in a tangle, Chris Tracey stabbed the ball home from close range to bring the home side back into the game. A rare treat indeed to witness a Chris Tracey goal scored with his feet and not his head!

Wanderers continued to press, sensing an equaliser was not far away but it was Wisbech who scored next when D. Jimson’s long throw traversed the penalty area almost untouched, arriving at the far post and the feet of Nimmo who calmly stroked the ball into the net. Although Wanderers strived to battle on, there was a sense that the game was lost, even though Wanderers produced some of their best football of the match. On 71 mins, Bradley Barber and Marc Lowe combined in a slick interchange of passes and the former’s shot was palmed away by Conroy and then watched as it went, agonisingly, the wrong side of the post. Wisbech were continuing to show their intention to add to the score, making repeated use of skipper D.Jimson’s long throw to cause trouble for the Wanderers defence, and it was the no.7 that produced a fine swerving shot that just missed the angle of bar and post.

Wanderers suffered their worst home defeat of the season, against a well organised and determined Wisbech side who completed the double in a space of 2 weeks. They would have well pleased with the rewards for their long journey whilst Wanderers, whilst retaining 6th place in the league, were now seeing a gap open up with the teams above them, Wisbech being one. Chris Tracey won the Man of the Match award, as much for his never say die attitude in the second half as for his goal scoring feats (no pun intended!)

Ipswich Wanderers 1 Wisbech Town 3