Blackpool gave Town a run for their money not so long ago in the away fixture but started this game missing a key player in defence, and with Ipswich wanting to both bounce back from the previous home game as well as build on successive away wins they were expecting a tough test. As it happened the Tractor Boys looked comfortable throughout although at times didn't actually hit full pace.

Jim Magilton decided to stick with the side that won at Palace in midweek, meaning Velice Sumulikoski started a home game for the first time and Pablo Counago dropped to the bench. Jon Walters partnered Alan Lee in attack, and Richard Naylor was included at the back. Things quickly got worse for Blackpool as the game got underway, as they lost 2 more defenders through injury forcing some early substitutions.

This probably started the alarm bells ringing for the visitors who looked more and more defensive as the half wore on, having made an attempt to begin the game at pace, playing us at our own game. Town were on top from the early stages, and quite soon settled into a pattern where we had at least half-chance after half-chance, with some clear cut chances thrown in. Jon Walters was first to test the Blackpool keeper, running in from outside the box and coshing a low one across the goal which Rachubka palmed away. Walters then fluffed the return off a one-two with Alan Lee who delivered a perfect ball to his feet just 8 yards out, but Walters miskicked and keeper and defender cleared easily.

David Norris was lively in the midfield and tried his luck in the box with a headed effort from 15 yards, but his effort went narrowly wide of the far post. Then it was Alan Lee's turn to have a go as he rattled the bar at the Greene King Stand end with a volley from just inside the box, the ball bouncing back down into play but safety too. Between these periods of good pressure for Town, the game was often a little flat, and after half an hour there was a brief stoppage and this seemed to kill the momentum for us. In the final 5 minutes of the half, Blackpool found legs and pushed a bit more.

After half time things were quite similar to the passage of play that saw our best chances in the first. This time though we made a couple of them count. The opener was a superb effort, Sumulikoski brought the ball out of defence after a Blackpool attack broke down, and slotted forward to Walters who evaded the attentions of a couple of defenders to get the ball in the box before passing back to Miller. Miller then slotted the ball over to Lee, who with his back to goal himself, laid it off to Shumi who absolutely belted the ball into the roof of the net off the inside of the post. He seemed pretty pleased with himself, and after receiving the congrats from his team mates, ran over for high fives with the bench.

Tommy Miller had a good game, apart from his shooting, and he blasted a good chance set up from Walters straight at the keeper soon after. But Walters himself doubled the score when he chased a cleared ball deep into the opposition's half and shrugged off the large defender to muscle through and shoot past the keeper. If any 2 players deserved to score today, it was Walters and Shumi.

We should have mopped up the points beyond doubt with a few of the chances we missed, but we couldn't, and Blackpool pulled from the hat what thankfully turned out to be a consolation, thanks to some poor officiating. The goal was perfectly legal, but Town will feel more than a little duped into conceding this one in the 89th. Alan Quinn went in to challenge for the ball and the Blackpool player got their first, his kick cannoning off Quinn's boot and forward to Paul Dickov. The Blackpool frontman would've been offside had the ball been played forward by one of his own players, but it wasn't. This didn't stop the linesman flagging furiously, and every player except Dickov stopped playing. Even Bywater only made a slight gesture in attempt to save as Dickov rounded him and placed the ball in the net. Fair play to him, all this was behind his back and he was unaware that all in the ground thought he was looking like an idiot. The ref though, had seen how the ball came to be at Dickov's feet, and knew it wasn't offside, and he spoke with the lino briefly, then gave the goal. Unfair, sure, but what to do? Sack the linesman probably. Bottom line is harsh, but reads "play to the whistle".

A good three points easily won despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise. Signs are that the strikers are starting to get some form back, as they're getting the chances again at least. On another day this could've been 6 nil, but we'd still have only got 3 points.

This was certainly not the fixture we were after in order to bounce back from a disappointing display against Watford, but Town stepped up and delivered a good performance away from home, bagging all 3 points too. Danny Haynes had been omitted from the team right up until the last moment when Alan Quinn unselfishly turned his ankle in the warm up, leaving Jim to pick a last minute replacement. Kind of typical that Haynes then scored the winner.

Richard Naylor made a welcome return at the back, and put in a fine battling display typical of the old Naylor we know at the expense of David Wright. It was Naylor who was instrumental in this win, clearing off the line at one end of the pitch in the first half, before sort of scoring at the other. Sort of, as it was his volleyed effort that thumped into Haynes's head before looping into the net. Haynes of course claimed the goal, although it hardly proved a point on his selection for the match as he knew nothing about it. But hey, right time right place and all that, and it was the match winner.

The midfield had a different look from the off with Velice Sumulikoski starting for Town for the first time, Danny Haynes and Tommy Miller alongside David Norris. Owen Garvan had to sit this one out on the bench. Jon Walters and Alan Lee were paired up front with Pablo Counago as a sub. The Macedonian 'Shumi', was at full pace for the entire match, a real non-stop performance, chasing every ball. He's looking better all the time. Miller had a good game perhaps rising to the challenge of having all those new faces in the centre of the park.

The front two were a threat all night, although not getting a goal between them they looked comfortable and made the Palace defence work hard throughout. Pablo came on for the last 5 for Lee, and faced a tired defence but did not have enough time to carve out too many chances.

All in all this was a well earned win, an intelligent performance that ground down Palace and latterly frustrated them right to the final whistle. There were few threats from the home side that weren't dealt with easily, the Naylor clearance probably their best effort. We remain in the play-off positions and look well placed fixture wise to push to at least cement that or even flirt with the top two. If we can only get that dodgy home form sorted...

PaperView updated

We did it! Amazing, an away win after 11 months of waiting. And no more fitting place to end the run than at the place it started, Hillsborough. The game was won with a brace from the Alans - Quinn and Lee, either side of the break.

Jim gave debuts to some of the new faces he'd brought to Portman Road in the last few days, David Norris and Stephen Bywater started while Velice Sumulikoski began his Town career on the bench. Almost new face Alan Quinn also started his first away game for Town. This of course meant that there would be casualties amongst the regulars, Danny Haynes dropped to the bench along with Alan Lee, and Gary Roberts was nowhere to be seen. No Neil Alexander of course who signed for Rangers and in fact made his debut as a late sub this weekend.

Town looked bright throughout this match, the new signings all looked enthusiastic and solid. Alan Quinn looked like a very positive player with a good touch and was keen to break forward. David Norris looked like a quality player and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet, he was pulled back by Owls keeper Grant having jinxed around him with the ball. He did his best to stay on his feet and score but didn't hit the target, at which point the ref should have blown. His failure to go down perhaps illustrates the honesty of our new midfielder. Velice Sumulikoski got a quarter of an hour in the second half when he replaced Owen Garvan, he was solid enough and as with Quinn pushed forward eagerly. He will hopefully adapt to the English game easily and quickly.

At the back Steven Bywater was never in trouble and seemed commanding of his back four when he needed to be. Also it was good to see that he and Alex Bruce never even laid a finger on each other for the entire match!

The injection of new players into the team at short notice did not upset the apple cart too much all things considered. Perhaps expectedly, there was not the fluidity that we sometimes see from Town, although this is usually reserved for home games. We were however, a solid and attacking unit which given time should only improve as players get used to one another. The existing players appeared to be boosted by the new faces, one or two will need to make sure they keep it up or be at risk of losing out altogether. Healthy competition as they say.

The opening goal came from Alan Quinn after just 4 minutes, the ex-Owl following up some excellent persistence from Jon Walters on the left. He laid the ball back to Quinn who then rifled in a rising shot from 25 yards to beat Grant. The lead lasted less than 10 minutes however, when Wednesday had a shot well blocked from a corner, the rebound found Marcus Tudgay lurking just outside the box who did well to punt it first time through a mass of bodies.

As we quite often see at home, Town did not let this set-back put them off their stride and continued to push. It wasn't until 20 minutes from time though that Town regained the lead. Alan Lee had replaced a struggling Pablo Counago just 5 minutes before the visitors won a corner. This was cleared but only to Alex Bruce, worked his defender and got space to put in a deep cross left to right which was met by the head of Quinn. The ball back into the middle was strange, heading down and bouncing up towards Lee who, with his back to goal flicked the ball over his shoulder into the net from 8 yards, a kind of untidy overhead kick. You could sense the euphoria, and then the relief 20 minutes later as at last the final whistle came and gave Town their first away win of the season.

The signs are all good with the new guys making very obvious impact, and maybe with the away hoodoo now broken we can start picking up enough points on the road to cement our place in the top 6, a place regained with this result and held onto thanks to some other fortuitous results.