It was poor. All bar one or two short spells of promising stuff from us lot, Reading dominated this game from start to finish.

They should've been 3 goals up before they actually scored. They'd easily created half a dozen chances before then, and an equal amount of corners to boot. The goal they did get was rather fortunate, either a lucky rebound or a gift from Jay McEveley, whichever resulted in a shot finding it's way via either a save or defection (I simply don't care) to Steve Sidwell who rammed it in. I'd rather they'd have scored one of their better worked chances really. The warning signs of near-shots and a disallowed goal had been ignored and Town were behind.

All this came shortly after out-to-prove-himself-at-home striker Sam Parkin had to leave the field with what turned out to be a broken ankle. Great. It never rains but it pours.

Nicky Forster had been dropped to the bench but Parkin's withdrawal saw him brought into action and before the half was out, with things obviously getting embarrassing Kevin Horlock was replaced by Fabian Wilnis, allowing Richard Naylor to switch to striker. Such schizophrenic positioning is surely why he's called "psycho" after all?

Almost instantly things livened up for Town, and the crowd were roused into a bit of noise. After the break it continued, with a couple of chances, the best when McEveley ran down the wing and after riding a couple of heavy challenges managed to cross to Forster who unfortunately shot wide.

Within a minute or so Reading increased their lead, and with it went any hope for the home side. The ball was going for dead near the goal-line but it was deftly cut back into the middle where in-form Leroy Lita was unmarked and side-footed home.

From this point we were pretty much pathetic. How we didn't lose by a greater margin I don't know. The third goal seemed to take ages to come and yet was inevitable. It was probably the best of the bunch, and happened very quickly. Lita was involved again, once more the ball being very deep and cut back for Kevin Doyle to put home.

It was horrible. You had to be there - if you missed this game due to emergency dentistry or loss of limb, you still got off lightly. I enjoyed nothing from the night. My two hour plus journey through icy fog and traffic jams, and the two hour journey back home left me wondering why I bother. I didn't even like Reading's away kit, which looked more like an overwashed Aussie-rules outfit.

Anyone actually going to Cardiff?

Parkin wasn't the problem, it was the long walk from the M6 to the Ricoh that did me in! Ho! You've not heard that before. First impressions of the new home of Coventry were ok, the stadium stands quite well in it's surroundings of shoddy old industrial estates. Looks just like quite a few other Premiership grounds of course, until you get in and realise that it's half empty. Below stairs there's plenty of space though, quite impressed there.

Early exchanges showed promise with both sides having efforts on goal, Town first through Richard Naylor and Coventry soon after through Town old-boy James Scowcroft, although I'm sure he was called Jamie back then. Town fielded new boy Gavin Williams on loan from West Ham.

The game started to lag though and chances became few, but one bright point was the possession enjoyed by Ipswich, although this did unfortunately mean that a lot of the play seemed to be down the other end.

Nicky Forster was partnering Sam Parkin up front, and the former Reading man had an excellent run which deserved at least a shot on goal, but as he wriggled his way into the box after rounding several players he seemed to square the ball into space and it was cleared. Parkin was quite bright and studious, looking more in creative rather than shooting mood. His chances came more in the second half, an all round decent performance maybe boosted by a rousing "He only scores away - he's gonna score today" from the travelling Tractor Boys.

Evens at the break was probably fair although if anyone edged it I'd argue it was us. Ian Westlake was replaced by Matt Richards after having an average first half, and Richards was involved in the first goal of the game.

Just five minutes in, Richards received the ball out on the left and was given oodles of time to slot in a cross that found the new lad Gavin "not Geraint" Williams, who almost casually knocked the ball home from 8 yards.

There followed a period of pressure from Town, it looked like the game was now in our hands and we played with confidence. But it never lasted long, and ten minutes later it was all square again. The Ipswich defence were found not only dillying but dallying too, and a ball which could've easily been cleared rebounded to Gary McSheffrey, and although his shot wasn't the most powerful it was well placed enough to evade a diving Lewis Price.

The pressure was now all from the home side, and at this point their fans actually made some noise, proving that the accoustics were pretty good for the apparently otherwise generic design of stadium. It was almost half empty afterall.

Thankfully the decent chances that came their way in the next five to ten minutes were squandered, but really, they should've scored again.

But then so should we have, so all's fair. The introduction of Darren Currie after the hour livened things up, the midfielder having replaced Jim Magilton. Dean Bowditch got a run-out too for the last ten, Nicky Forster making way. Eventually after another bland spell Town got to passing again, and the last quarter of an hour we seemed to lay seige to the Coventry goal but we just couldn't find the net.

Given the pressure and time in front of goal we enjoyed, I was disappointed with a draw from this one. Not at all a bad display at times, but that defence needs to keep focussed for 90 minutes.

Ipswich Town goalkeeper Lewis Price made a fantastic debut this evening for the Welsh national side despite the team losing 1 nil.

The Tractor Boys' number 1 was the only player to shine in an otherwise dismal performance by Wales. Price pulled off a string of first class saves and was only beaten by a penalty, which decided the game.

He drew praise from the BBC Wales commentary team. "Price kept Wales in it, it could've been a 5-0 drubbing". One summariser could not remember seeing a better debut for the national side "even the likes of Ryan Giggs ... we'll have to look after this kid".

Manager John Toshack said he was "embarrassed" after the match. "We never had a player today - apart from the keeper".

So it looks like Pricey has found a few more fans.

We couldn't really afford to lose to Plymouth, the recent lack of wins meant that the visit of a club in the bottom three was a perfect opportunity to get back on track. Defeat would've obviously started people off crying for heads to roll and all that, but thankfully Plymouth never looked a serious threat from start to finish.

They'd seen off the might of recent Premiership drop-outs Norwich not so long back, but judging by their showing in this match that was more a reflection on our local rivals rather than Plymouth.

We hit the visitors with a barrage of pressure right from the word go, with most of the play being in front of the North Stand where Plymouth defended. Nicky Forster was fit again and played alongside Sam Parkin, and early signs were encouraging.

Another player returning to the side was Kevin Horlock, and once again Jay McEveley replaced Fabian Wilnis at the back.

After probably less than ten minutes Plymouth got into the game and started carving out one or two chances of their own, but after a while the game went slightly flat. Town passed well but didn't seem to be creating much.

Things finally perked up after 25 when we went ahead though, Horlock won a corner off a good effort on goal, and when Darren Currie sent in the kick it was initially flicked out but only as far as Jay McEveley 18 yards out. He hit the loose ball first time, and despite him not striking it with huge force enough it found it's way through the mêlée into the bottom corner. He looked like he enjoyed his first goal for the club.

With Town now enjoying most of the play, it we only had to wait another ten minutes for the second. It was again scored off a Currie corner which this time took a flick on, and Jimmy Juan did really well to lurch forward and head the ball home from 8 yards.

We cruised into half time, and expected the second half to be much of the same despite Plymouth having a chance or two. It was to be the visitors though to score next, with them opening their account 5 minutes into the second half from a well taken free kick a lot like Jim Magilton's at Derby the previous week.

For once, and about time too, it did nothing to rattle Town who kept about their passing game, retaining their obvious superiority over the match. 5 minutes later we were two goals in front once again, this time from the penalty spot.

Nicky Forster had burst into the opposition's box on a couple of occasions without result, but this time he was brought down by the keeper deep into the box and the penalty was awarded. There is a possibility that the ball had already gone, it was difficult to tell but he was definitely floored as he raced forward.

Surprisingly Matt Richards stepped up for the kick and despatched it neatly to the left sending the goalie the wrong way. I thought perhaps given the recent unrest over Sam Parkin not scoring at home that he might take it, but it was all apparently sorted before-hand and Richards scored his second in consecutive games.

Talking of Parkin, he was given a far better reception this time with many fans obviously recognising that booing does no good at all, and indeed that it was completely unjustified anyway. We even had a couple of songs including his old Swindon chant of Super Sammy Parkin.

The worst performance of the day easily went to the referee who made some breathtakingly bad decisions throughout the afternoon. Plymouth players had been less than sporting on a few occasions bordering on nasty, but with no control offered from the ref. He'd got worse in the second half with some blatant fouls, notably when Dean Bowditch was flattened late in the second half, going completely unnoticed. These things always follow the same predictable pattern, and yes, as the game went on he decided that a few yellows were needed, so he started booking Town players. Grrrrr. That sort of amateurish adjudication is very frustrating to watch and the crowd were getting angry.

Three points bagged, and despite some reminding us that Plymouth are a bottom three side I still think it was a good result because of the more solid performances all-round. We were looking more composed throughout and need to turn this into some sort of run, building confidence along the way as well as climbing up the table.

Both teams went in to this match at Pride Park desperate for points in order to drag themselves up the table and away from the mess at the bottom. Neither team were in form so a draw may have been inevitable, but three goals a piece was not really on the cards

Joe Royle opted for a positive three up front, Dean McDonald starting the game with Sam Park and Dean Bowditch his fellow strikers. Derby were using their new loanee from Southampton, Dexter Blackstock, who proved to be a pain all night.

A pacey start saw chances either way, things looked good and we might actually see a good match. Both keepers had early involvement, and Derby had a chance headed over the bar by Marcus Tudgay before Town opened the evening's scoring.

Richard Naylor had been in the news during the day having signed a new contract to keep him at Ipswich for the next 3 years, so was obviously in buoyant mood. He joined the action up front when Ipswich were awarded a free kick outside-right of the box, Jim Magilton sent it in where Naylor rose to head home from 12 yards.

Derby continued to match Town for chances, and both teams perhaps should've scored a few that weent astray. We weren't to last out until half time unfortunately, and with about ten minutes to go the home side equalised through that man Blackstock after Emerson Thome headed a cross back into the centre of the 6 yard box.

The ever-familiar panic seemed to descend momentarily at least, and Derby found themselves ahead just a couple of minutes later. Their second came from Marcus Tudgay who headed home a Morten Bisgaard cross from the right.

Ipswich did manage to pick themselves up quickly enough to make it evens come half time. Thome fouled Sam Parkin and up stepped Jim to curl in a cracker of a free-kick past keeper Kevin Poole. The Town captain was having a good game and it was fitting that he got on the scoresheet.

The second half started well too, and Town had a couple of efforts, one from Jimmy Juan and Sam Parkin had the ball in the net but it was offside. Derby broke perfectly from the latter and after a Fabian Wilnis slip up the ball ended up rather fortuitously at Blackstock's feet, who made no mistake scoring.

A minor shake up followed with Fab coming off for Jay McEveley, and Darren Currie replacing Dean McDonald, leaving Jim in grave danger of completing a full 90 minutes.

With Town pushing for the equaliser it gave Derby more chances at the other end, and Blackstock almost wrapped up the points for his new side with less than 15 minutes to go but his shot rattled the bar. That would've been a deserved hat trick for probably the liveliest player on the pitch.

Shortly after Dean Bowditch was replaced with Adam Proudlock, Ipswich did get the all important third goal, Darren Currie sending in a cross to the edge of the penalty area from the right, which was met expertly by the head of Matt Richards. The ball looped into the far side of the net, a brilliant header from such distance.

In fact Town almost won the match with minutes to go, when Sam Parkin met another Currie cross, only to see his goal-bound header tipped over by the backward stretching keeper.

That was a decent performance at one end of the pitch, and perhaps a little shoddy at the other, although Derby's defence is on a par with our own at the moment which does take the shine off it a bit. We at least remain above Norwich, and within 4 points of the playoff spots, but ominously only 4 points from the drop zone.