Murphy money will be invested
GRANT WARD proved there is life after Daryl Murphy with a sweet strike to give Ipswich Town a hard-fought win over plucky Preston North End.
Ward, who became an instant fans’ favourite after scoring an opening-day, second-half hattrick against Barnsley, continued his incredible start at Portman Road with a fantastically-executed half-volley to give his side a much-needed boost.
They went into the match without main marksman Murphy who had handed in a transfer request just hours before kick-off – manager Mick McCarthy confirming postmatch the Republic of Ireland international would be signing for Town’s big-spending Championship rivals Newcastle.
McCarthy said: “He put in a transfer request and my view is you don’t stand in the way of someone who wants to leave.
“It is great move for him and he has been terrific for us so I wish him well. It is a great bit of business for the club and we will reinvest and get players in.”
Preferring to talk about his side’s second win of the season, McCarthy added: “I thought we were excellent. We played really well in the first half and then we stood up to a right scrap in the second half – it was a real bloke’s performance.”
The Town boss had promised fans that Ipswich would be more entertaining and enterprising this season, but this was a performance etched in the mould of McCarthy – hard working, gritty, determined, all admirable traits personified by the brilliant Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra.
There was occasional finesse in the final third – especially in the opening half an hour.
This was typified by the excellent Ward who continues to show an eye for goal with an unerring half-volley into the corner of the net from 20 yards.
It was the perfect riposte to the pre-match nerves held by Town fans greeted with the news of Murphy’s departure.
But it remained an uncomfortable afternoon throughout.
Preston went closest to scoring in the first half with Callum Robinson twice the guilty party.
He did everything right with the first chance, muscling past Luke Chambers on the left wing before cutting inside and being denied an equaliser by a fine save from Bartosz Bialkowski.
But when he was presented with an even better chance just minutes later, his shot lacked power.
The second half was a scrappy, often dour, affair with Preston restricted to half chances and finding Smith and Berra in impenetrable form.
Ipswich should have made the points safe late on when Ward shot high and wide after being teed up by Jonas Knudsen and then bursting clear but being denied by the advancing Anders Lindegaard.
Preston boss Simon Grayson said: “I am disappointed as you know when you come to Portman Road and play against a Mick McCarthy side, you have to compete and battle.
“We lost too many individual battles and not enough players played to the standard that I know they are capable of. There was not a great deal in the game but we didn’t do enough, on or off the ball, to get anything from it.
“I am hoping to strengthen. I have given a list of names to the owner and I am hoping to tick some people off.
“It is going to be a crazy three or four days through all the divisions.”