Town 2-1 Gills
By Aston
August 7 2004
Ipswich Town got the 2004/2005 season off to a winning start earlier today, beating Gillingham 2-1 at Portman road.
Town 2-1 Gills
Ipswich Town got the 2004/2005 season off to a winning start earlier today, beating Gillingham 2-1 at Portman road.
Norwich old boy Iwan Roberts got his Gillingham career off to a good start, getting booked in 30 seconds for a foul on Drissa Diallo, who was filling in at right back again.
Town had the game under control for most of the early going, but where unable to convert any of the chances that they created.
As normal Town managed to concede on the break, Paul Smith racing though on the break and out guessing Kelvin Davis and putting the ball in the bottom right hand corner.
Some would say that Ipswich should never of been behind and the town players did their best to rectify the situation, Shefki Kuqi came close sending his effort from Kevin Horlock’s corner into the net, instead sending it narrowly wide.
It was another corner that gave Ipswich the equalizer, Kevin Horlock’s right sided corner found Richard Naylor who out jumped the Gillingham defence to power home Towns first goal of the season and his.
Town pilled forward in search of a second goal before the break, Ian Westlake coming closest in first half injury time his effort being forced round the post.
Neither manager made any changes at half time, Andy Hessenthaler may well be wishing he had after Dean Bowditch fired Town into the lead just seconds after the re-start. Drissa Diallo’s cross bobbled around in the box before Deano hit it on the half volley into the top right hand corner of the goal.
Ipswich then found the attacking force that had made them the highest scorers in the league last season with shots coming in from all angles, most notable if which was Matt Richards’s double effort which really tested Steve Banks in the Gillingham goal.
Despite being under the thump for the second half as well Gillingham did come very close to snatching a late equalizer, Darren Byfield only being denied by a on form Kelvin Davis.
Ipswich Town squad Scott Barron, Darren Bent, Dean Bowditch, Pablo Couñago, Kelvin Davis, Jason De Vos, Drissa Diallo, Shefki Kuqi, Kevin Horlock, Tommy Miller, Scott Mitchell, Antonio Murray, Richard Naylor, Lewis Price, Matt Richards, Ian Westlake, Fabian Wilnis.
Gillingham Squad: Banks, Nosworthy, Ashby, Hope, Hills, Saunders, Smith, Spiller, Agyemang, Roberts, Byfield Subs: Brown, Leon Johnson, Southall, Sidibe, Jarvis.
Town lie 3rd in the table after one game, behind Coventry City and Reading.
| Ipswich Town 2 | Gillingham 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow cards | NoneRoberts | |
| Red Cards | None | None | Goals | Naylor (35),Bowditch (46) | Smith (24) |
| Substitutions | Couñago on for Westlake (69) | Jarvis on for Byfield (74), Southall on for Spiller (76), Sidibe on for Roberts (79) |
| Attendance: 23,130 |
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