Yesterday, pitch black, we start the journey to Portman Road for a lunchtime kick off. We wonder if the match will be on. Squally weather, a long straight roman road and I daren't even reach 50. It's that bad!
A detour into the Vale Of Belvior to pick up a fellow fan. Unfamiliar paths. Around one village a fallen tree almost blocks the road. The sad silver birch lies still awaiting a chainsaw to complete the final act. We inch round, find bigger roads and make good time.
Ipswich, meet friends, a quick beer by the railway station, then to the ground.
Inside, the posh seats, the £37.50 ones, we mingle in the concourse with the home support. Everyone plays nicely. You even get a plastic fork for the "Portman" steak and ale pies, very tasty too. The pie not the fork.
Pitch side, the wind hits you, especially at the front, it must be worse on the field.
Derby battle, we compete, John Eustace just what we need, a physical presence in midfield. Will Hughes adds creativity, we match the work rate of McCarthy's ‘Tractor Boys'.
We believe a draw at least, we hope. Even the sun shines.
Eustace, who had already been booked blocks David McGoldrick off the ball, the former Forest man then deliberately trips our midfielder and a melee forms. The outcome of which is that McGoldrick is booked.
Goaless at halftime, we again mix with the locals. They love the Rams, we like Ipswich, a marriage made for the Premiership, we berate the Millwalls', the Leicesters' and the obvious other targets. We agree a draw would be acceptable.
Second half and again we have more possession, we play the better football but there is no end product.
We survive a penalty appeal as the ball flashes across the white chest of Richard Keogh, the reaction of the Blue Shirts suggest it was.
Then it happens.
The one bit of long ball direct football we play in the whole game.
A punt up field from Cyrus Christie, it reaches the home penalty area, it bounces, Tommy Smith the Ipswich defender nods it back to the goalkeeper, Martin gambles, reaches the ball first and flicks the ball over the advancing keeper and into the back of the net.
Route one football, a goal, we celebrate, we bounce, our fists reach for the sky. Even in the posh seats.
Now there's just the problem of holding on.
Jeff Hendrick, a clash of heads, doesn't look good, Bryson takes over.
Eustace commits another foul, another yellow and he's off. We have injury time of six minutes with only ten men.
Lee Grant is equal to the task.
We survive.
A one nil victory.
Only the journey home to face. Listening to the scores, Bournemouth are winning, The Canaries pull it back to one all, Norwich are down to ten men. And at the exact moment we drop the passenger off, Norwich score. They hang on and we are joint top of the table, only second on goal difference.
Pinching the words from Lou Reed "It's a Perfect Day".
Ps - Did I mention agent Maguire scored for the Windies as the Trees were blown away 0-2? No, oh… lets put that right then.
Forest lost to Sheffield Wednesday too! :)
Ref: Kevin Wright
Crowd: 20,861
Derby: Grant; Christie, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth; Eustace (Red Card 90+2), Hendrick (Bryson 80’), Hughes, Russell (Shotton 92’), Ibe (Dawkins 86’), Martin
Unused Subs: Roos, Ward, Mascarell, Bent
Goals: Martin — 57’
Possession: 51% - 49%
Shots On Target: 6 - 3
Shots Off Target: 12 - 7
Corners: 4 - 4
Fouls: 13 - 11
We Said — Steve McClaren:
"That was as good an away performance as we have had for a long time. This is a tough place to come but we put in a really mature display. You need to have that maturity to win games and sometimes we have been a little naive and not got the results. But today we stood up to their challenge when we had to, defended well and played it around.”
"The game wasn't pretty at times but this performance, and the belief and confidence it will give us, is something we can build on."
They said — Mick McCarthy:
"Derby are a good side but it was a nothing game and certainly no spectacle. It probably should have ended 0-0 but we made a mistake and it cost us. Tommy has come in at the end and apologised but no apology was needed, we all make mistakes."
Derby vs. Forest
iPro Stadium
12:15pm - Saturday 17th January
COYR!!