2011-12 Match Reports CCFC v IPSWICH

15.10.2011

CCFC 2 v 2 IPSWICH TOWN

The dream of a Rugby World Cup Final having been cruelly taken from us by a French-Irish conspiracy earlier in the day, we trudged to our own field of dreams with a heavy heart and a step distinctly lacking in spring.

I’ve never been able to fully grasp why a number of City fans seem unable to take any pleasure in the success of the national Rugby team, dismissing followers as ‘egg-chasers’ and getting more than a bit uppity if any of our games are put back to avoid a clash during the Six Nations. 

Apparently the message boards (the contributors to which are not known for their insightful and balanced opinions and who probably think Talk Sport is a tad high brow) have been full of whingeing Bluebirds complaining that too much attention is being given to our World Cup campaign. Eh?! Where can this antipathy come from? Why is it either/or? 

A bit of a clue comes from the wonderful Jonathan Owen video produced for the 2008 Cup Final (wallow in a bit of recent nostalgia again at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBK_hvC9Mf8 ) I’ve spoken with colleagues who grew up in the Valleys and confirm that it was definitely rugby first with football the poor relation, particularly if you attended a Grammar School where the masters mistakenly felt that if you had aspirations it was important to understand the culture of the ruling classes and to play by their rules. 

This was the era of deference when to be Welsh and working class was something if not to be ashamed of, then clearly to be made to feel socially awkward and apologetic about. At the same time progressive class warriors were using rugby as a method of beating their masters at their own game, thereby restoring some pride amongst the dispossessed and the exploited. Football was marginalised and this seems to have left a legacy of resentment amongst valley-dwelling footie fans.

Growing up in the relatively prosperous capital we didn’t suffer from the need to use rugby to assert ourselves and it’s more difficult to make excuses for any antipathy. Football was always the number one pastime. If there’s any resentment it’s based on a resignation that welsh football will probably never assert itself on the world stage in the way that rugby has.

Today’s game against Ipswich saw the welcome return of a former Ninian Park favourite whose formative years were given to the City but having reached a stage where they felt obliged to move on to take advantage of opportunities offered elsewhere, who will surely always remain a Bluebird at heart. Yes, Bob Bank Betty has bounced back from Bath! 

And Michael Chopra returned to the stadium after a summer transfer.

Malky made five changes from the narrow defeat against Hull, Taylor was fit and resumed at right back while in the centre of defence Ben Turner made his first start in place of the discarded Gerrard who didn’t even make the bench. Miller and Blake failed to recover from knocks sustained on international duty last week. Up front Gestede partnered Earnshaw. The formation was a new one for Malky, playing a diamond shaped midfield headed by Whittingham in a much more advanced role than in recent seasons. This suggests that either the manager feels he has enough flexibility in the squad to adapt to the specific threat posed by the opposition or he just hasn’t made his mind up about his preferred starting eleven. Either way, it didn’t really come off.

In the first half, the narrow and compact midfield allowed the Ipswich full backs, particularly Carlos Edwards, to get forward and run freely down the flanks. Meanwhile McNaughton was held back from making his trademark sorties down the right side. Our main threat was in the shape of the impressive Gestade who did enough to justify a regular start. He won the bulk of the aerial challenges and linked up well with Earnshaw who failed to take advantage of some decent service. Rudy was rewarded for his early endeavours with a goal on 20 minutes after deftly flicking a Whittingham corner into the top corner of the net. 1-0.

Ipswich were always a threat around the box with our midfield guilty of standing off and letting them play. Only 10 minutes after we went ahead, Ipswich were level after Jason Scotland collected the ball unchallenged on the edge of the box, turned and dispatched the ball past the helpless Marshall. 1-1 with half time looming.

Ipswich began the second half the stronger and went into a deserved lead after, inevitably, the returning former fans favourite Chopra bundled the ball in from close range. Some confusion after the linesman appeared to flag for an offside but the goal stood as a sombre Chops walked back to the centre circle, limiting his celebrations to a manly handshake. It was a response to scoring straight out of a Pathe newsreel; an era when men were men and upper lips were stiff. 1-2.

Malky responded by replacing Conway with Kiss and we began to exercise a bit more control in the centre of the park. McNaughton was now getting forward a bit more as City fought to get back on level terms. On 70 minutes a goalmouth scramble saw a fairly muted appeal for a handball and after much deliberation and not a little indecision from the officials the Ref pointed to the spot. If you believe that Sam Warburton was guilty of a violent and malicious spear tackle earlier in the day then this was a cast iron nailed on penalty. Up stepped Whitts to dispatch with aplomb. 2-2.

Young Joe Mason replaced a disappointing Earnshaw and showed a few nice touches. Gestade should have secured the three points when sent clear with just the keeper to beat but he’d run himself into the ground by this point and his tame effort was easily saved.

On balance then a fortuitous point against a useful Ipswich team leaving us in the heart of a congested upper mid-table, settling in behind the early pace-setters. Which seems just about right.