Report: Town 2-1 Wigan - We Are Top Of The League

By Aston
December 23 2004

Ipswich Town showed great Bouncebackability for the third game running coming from behind to beat Wigan 2-1 at Portman Road on Tuesday.

Ipswich Town showed great Bouncebackability for the third game running coming from behind to beat Wigan 2-1 at Portman Road on Tuesday.

A late goal from Darren Bent saw Town maintain their unbeaten home record and replace Wigan as league leaders after Leighton Baines had fired the visitors into a 57th minute lead and Richard Naylor had equalized 11 minutes later.

Wigan went into the game with a one point advantage over Town but Town soon took a grip on the game keeping Wigan to only limited chances although they did create one very good chance when Jason Roberts out paced Richard Naylor with Gary Teale in support, Kelvin Davis intercepting Roberts’ pass.

Darren Currie was Town’s main threat going forward forcing Filan into action from his free kick in the 13th minute and sending Darren Bent though on goal on 30 only for Bent to send his shot over the bar.

Goalless at the break with neither keeper being overly tested but Town probably just shading on shots.

Soon after the break Currie was again at the heart of the Town attack and again Filan stopped Wigan going behind.

Leighton Baines opened the scoring in the 57th minute after unleashing an unstoppable left footed volley from about 40 yards, nice way to score your first career goal and give Wigan a 1-0 lead.

Seven minutes later Richard Naylor bought Town level after flicking on Darren Currie’s free kick.

Town and Wigan could of scored towards the end of the game but only Town did, Darren Bent lifting the ball over Filan and into the back of the net with only 3 minutes of normal time remaining.

Town are now top of the championship two points ahead of Wigan at the half way stage of the season and history is on Towns side with only two teams since the creation of the Premiership, have the team that were top of Division One at Christmas failed to win promotion, that’s one two would be the orange away kit, some thing in common with the 1992 Division 2 winning side and the 2000 play-off winning side which both had orange away kits also and the third thing is the team that went top of the league at Portman on the 21st of December 2003.

Ipswich Town Squad: Darren Bent, Dean Bowditch, Aidan Collins, Pablo Couñago, Darren Currie, Kelvin Davis, Jason De Vos, Daniel Karbassiyoon, Shefki Kuqi, Jim Magilton, Tommy Miller, Richard Naylor, Matt Richards, Shane Supple, Ian Westlake, Fabian Wilnis.

Wigan Squad: J Filan, N Eaden, M Jackson, I Breckin, L Baines, G Teale, J Bullard, A Mahon, L McCulloch, N Ellington, J Roberts, G Walsh, E Thome, D Graham, M Flynn, D Wright.

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