Stowmarket Sport: Football: Stowmarket Town find their way through fog to stay in title hunt

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Football: Stowmarket Town find their way through fog to stay in title hunt

Stow manager Steve Jay peers
through the gloom at a fog-bound
Greens Meadow this afternoon.

Stowmarket Town 3 Ipswich Wanderers 1
by John Gillingham
These old rivals played out an entertaining game at a foggy Greens Meadows that saw the home side dig out a gritty performance against Wanderers, who over the 90 minutes probably had more of the possession, but it was the home side who took the all-important three points.

Stowmarket got the ideal start scoring as early as the third minute, McConnell's ball down the flank set LEE DRUMMOND away, the home player cut inside before releasing a shot that beat everybody and crept into the corner of the net.

Minutes later the same player saw a superb shot tipped over the crossbar by Foster.

The rest of the half, Wanderers dominated the play, and on 35 minutes deservedly equalised, Karantzis took advantage of some slack home defending, which saw his deep cross, met by KEITH HETHRINGTON, who steered the ball past home keeper Bugg.

Wanderers could have taken the lead when from a corner the ball fell to the midfield player Bailey, but his first time shot crashed aganist the home cross bar.

Stowmarket broke away, but when Graham's header also hit the visiting crossbar, MARC WAKE was following up to head home past Foster in the 42nd minute.

The second half saw both sides continue to create good openings, Laws had a free-kick turned around a post by home keeper Bugg, while minutes later, Phillips through on goal, saw his shot also turned around a post, when the Ipswich striker looked 'odds on' to equalise.

With Wanderers looking for an equaliser, gaps appeared in their defence, Foster did well to stop Proctor and Tournay-Godfrey from adding to the home scoreline, but with 82 minutes on the clock, it was the home side that sealed the win, Drummonds perfectly placed corner saw DAN SMITH power home a header at the near post which his excellent performance in midfield deservedly won the home side their hard worked three points.