Report & highlights: Ipswich Town 0-0 Robins
22 February 2022
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It wasn't pretty and they rode their luck at times but Cheltenham Town, down to the bones through injury and illness, came away from Portman Road with another vital point this evening.
True, the home side will rue their wasteful finishing but Michael Duff's side showed their character and resilience once again after a testing four days on the road.
They had shipped five goals in Saturday's enthralling encounter at Wycombe Wanderers at the weekend, coming from behind on two occasions and they were organised and resolute here to record a hard-earned clean sheet.
Meetings between these two sides are rare. It was the Robins' first EFL visit to this famous old ground and their first since the Southern League days of 1938. Tonight's result means they have taken four points off the promotion chasers this term.
The occasion was another reminder of how far this club has come under Michael Duff with Ipswich's rich heritage plastered inside and out at the home of the former First Division, FA Cup and UEFA Cup winners.
He made four changes to the side that earned a point from that extraordinary match at Adams Park four days ago.
Out went Will Boyle, Ben Williams, Callum Wright and Kion Etete and in their place came Lewis Freestone, Reece Hutchinson, Charlie Colkett and Andy Williams.
The home side created all the chances before the break but couldn't find a way past Owen Evans.
Former loanee Wes Burns wasted the first, a glorious opportunity to put his side in the driving side with as little as five minutes on the clock but he inexplicably blasted his effort over the bar from close-range.
Bersant Celino smashed one over from distance and then Evans produced a fine save, low to his right, to deny Conor Chaplin with 18 minutes played. Then the striker was a whisker away from meeting Kayden Jackson's cross from the left.
At the other end, Elliot Bond's long ranger travelled well over but it amounted to his side's only effort of the half.
Evans was equal to efforts by Jackson and Celina; then Burns missed the target again from an angle down the right. Luke Woolfenden ended the opening 45 minutes with a glancing header that flew inches over the bar.
Duff's men started the second period with far greater purpose and enjoyed their first meaningful spell of possession but it was Ipswich that created the next chance when Celina's free-kick raced through the crowded box to safety.
Their only opening of note on the night arrived 19 minutes from time when Matty Blair burst down the right, skipping inside a defender and picking out Alfie May on the corner of the box. However, his first low first-time effort was smothered by Christian Walton in the Ipswich goal.
Duff sent on Ben Williams (for Hutchinson) and Wright (Ramsey) for the final 20 minutes or so and immediately they created a couple of half-chances from the left-hand side to draw the growing frustration from the partisan crowd of more than 21,000.
Ipswich then wasted more chances with substitute Macauley Bonne and then Chaplin firing over.
And despite all the pressure, it was Andy Williams who could have snatched victory deep into injury time but he fired it high and wide from a tight angle.
IPSWICH TOWN (3-4-3): Walton; Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson; Burns, Morsy (c), Thompson (Vincent-Young 66), Carroll (Pigott 79); Chaplin, Celina, Jackson (Bonne 66). Subs not used: Hladky (Gk), Bakinson, Aluko, Burgess.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-5-2): Evans; Raglan (c), Pollock, Freestone; Blair, Ramsey (Wright 74), Bonds, Colkett (Long 88), Hutchinson (B Williams 71), A Williams, May. Subs not used: Flinders (Gk), Soule.
REFEREE: A Davies
ATTENDANCE: 21,318 (251 from Cheltenham)
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