MX23RW : Sunday, April 28 10:45:57| >> :600:173762:173762:
[monks data]
Ipswich logo
Championship
Apr 12, 2014 at 3.07pm UK
 
Doncaster Rovers

2-1

Murphy (46'), Chambers (86')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Brown (83')

Preview: Ipswich Town vs. Doncaster Rovers

Sports Mole previews the Championship clash between Ipswich Town and Doncaster Rovers at Portman Road, with both teams still having plenty to play for this term.

Ipswich Town are one of eight teams who are fighting for the final playoff spot. Doncaster Rovers are one of eight teams who find themselves battling relegation.

Such is the nature of the Championship this season that very few teams find themselves with little to play for with five games of the season remaining.

With three of the current top six still to play as they look to extend the four-point gap between them and the drop zone, this is arguably a more important game for visiting Donny, who have the worst away record in the division.

They might have hoped to have secured survival already, but consecutive home defeats to Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers have allowed the teams below them to pull them back into the dogfight.

Ipswich also have a difficult run-in, with trips to nearly-promoted Burnley and in-form Watford on the horizon, so will have identified these as three crucial points if they are to sneak into the playoffs.

The Tractor Boys are two points behind sixth-placed Reading, and could yet be leapfrogged by teams such as Blackburn Rovers and Bournemouth, who are building momentum at quite a pace.

Mick McCarthy is still without 14-goal top scorer David McGoldrick, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season, but the contribution of loanee Jonny Williams has helped fill that attacking void.

The Crystal Palace youngster should play behind lone striker Daryl Murphy on Saturday in what could be an unchanged Ipswich team, although Tyrone Mings is on standby for fitness doubt Aaron Cresswell.

Donny manager Paul Dickov is without three defenders, with Bongani Khumalo, Rob Jones and Jamie McCombe all in the treatment room, but he still has plenty of Premier League experience to choose from.

Two of Abdoulaye Meite, Gabriel Tamas and Lucas Neil will be paired together at centre-back, while, ahead of them, Mark Duffy could replace forward Chris Brown to form a five-man midfield.

Recent form

Ipswich: WLDWWL

Doncaster: LLWLWD

Possible starting lineups

Ipswich: Gerken; Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell; Anderson, Skuse, Hyam, Hunt; Williams; Murphy

Doncaster: Johnstone; Quinn, Tamas, Neil, Husband; Duffy, Keegan, Coppinger, Wellens, Cotterill; Sharp

Sports Mole says: 2-0


ID:149169: cacheID:149169:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5254:No Data Analysis info

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Restore Data
Share this article now:
Doncaster manager Paul Dickov prior to kick off against Wigan on August 20, 2013
Read Next:
Preview: Doncaster vs. Birmingham
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
2Leeds UnitedLeeds45279980413990
3Ipswich TownIpswich442612688563290
4Southampton452591185622384
5Norwich CityNorwich4521101479631673
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4520121367472072
7Hull City451913136859970
8Middlesbrough45199176861766
9Coventry CityCoventry4417131468551364
10Preston North EndPreston44189175661-563
11Bristol City451711175347662
12Cardiff CityCardiff45195215165-1462
13Swansea CitySwansea451512185964-557
14Watford451317156058256
15Sunderland45168215252056
16Millwall451511194455-1156
17Queens Park RangersQPR451411204557-1253
18Stoke CityStoke451411204560-1553
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn451311215874-1650
20Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds45148234268-2650
21Plymouth ArgylePlymouth451212215870-1248
22Birmingham CityBirmingham451211224965-1647
23Huddersfield TownHuddersfield45918184875-2745
RRotherham UnitedRotherham45412293287-5524


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!