Cut-price Ipswich have swagger
THEY may have cost just £10,000 in transfer fees, but Mick McCarthy’s men currently look priceless after making it four straight wins to propel themselves into the play-off spots.
In-form Ipswich put Rotherham to the sword. thanks to two goals in the first six minutes as deadly duo Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick continued their fine start to the season.
Murphy’s close-range header and a beauty from his strike partner proved the difference, with Ipswich then happy to sit back and soak up any pressure from plucky Rotherham after the interval.
McCarthy said:“September has gone particularly well.
“We have had a good time although we have carried a bit of luck.
“We have played well and gained momentum. We were fantastic in the first half, although we didn’t push on.
“I will have a look at the match and analyse it more.”
On the back of three straight wins, Ipswich supporters were already buoyant as they arrived at Portman Road. Six minutes after 3pm, it just got better and better for those of a Suffolk persuasion.
Scott Loach, the Millers’ keeper and boyhood Ipswich fan, had already denied Murphy with a smart save at his near post before the same player got the better of him from inside the six-yardbox with just three minutes on the clock.
The lead was quickly doubled when McGoldrick showed all his class, shifting the ball to his supposed weaker left foot and firing a precise shot into the corner from 25 yards.
McCarthy hailed the form of his front pairing and declared McGoldrick one of the best strikers in the league.
The Town boss was also quick to praise the reaction of Rotherham – and rightly so.
They slowly worked their way back into the game, thanks to a series of halfchances, with Ryan Hall’s header lacking sufficient power to trouble Dean Gerken.
The points were almost safe shortly after the restart when Frazer Richardson’s woeful back header was seized on by Conor Sammon, but he was denied by the foot of the post.
Instead, Town went further and further back. Rotherham dominated possession and shots without truly threatening Gerken’s goal.
The closest moment for the visitors came from Richardson, who skied a rebound after the keeper had denied Paul Green’s free-kick.
Rotherham number two Paul Rayner said: “It is nice getting these plaudits but we would prefer scruffy one-nils and getting more points on the board.
“We are evolving and we are no longer in awe of the names or the players in this league.
“We have again proved we can compete and we have again shown our spirit and togetherness. There were lots of plusses.”