Town Set to Be Unchanged Against Doncaster

Friday, 11th Apr 2014 15:15 Boss Mick McCarthy looks set to name an unchanged side for Doncaster’s visit to Portman Road on Saturday. Left-back Aaron Cresswell is expected to be fit having suffered a groin problem during Tuesday’s 2-0 victory at Huddersfield. McCarthy says he’s still a touch concerned by Cresswell’s niggle but hopes to be able to name the same backline for the 26th successive league game. “I'm a little bit worried but I’m hoping he’ll be OK,” said McCarthy, who otherwise will call on Tyrone Mings. “We’ll wait until the very end to see.” Other than that the Town manager says he has no other new injury problems with striker David McGoldrick on his way back from his knee ligament injury and in with a chance of returning before the season’s end. “We’re OK, we’re a lot better than we were on Monday because we’ve won a game since,” added McCarthy, whose side moved back to eighth, just two points from sixth place. “It was a great performance at Huddersfield, we thoroughly deserved the victory and it was a much happier, shorter trip coming back than it had been from Blackburn. “And with the results the way they were, Bournemouth beating Reading, it’s set the next five games up for an exciting time.” As at Huddersfield, Dean Gerken will be in goal with Cresswell on the left of the defence, as long as he's passed fit, skipper Luke Chambers on the right and Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith in the centre. In midfield Cole Skuse and Luke Hyam look set to continue in the middle with Paul Anderson and Stephen Hunt probably on the right and left respectively, although Anthony Wordsworth is vying for inclusion, most likely on the left for Hunt. Jonny Williams will again play in the role just behind main striker Daryl Murphy. Rovers are currently 19th, just four points from the bottom three but McCarthy doesn’t believe they will be relegated after one season back in the Championship. “I don’t think Doncaster will go down, I think they’ve always got that happy knack of picking up a result,” the Blues boss said.

“I’m hoping that’s not the case tomorrow, of course, but when the chips have been down they always seem to have pulled a result out or got a couple on the bounce and stayed out of it. “I think Paul Dickov’s doing a great job there. I think they can kick on next year. Certainly Paul did very, very well at Oldham and was maybe unlucky to lose his job. He’s got another chance with Doncaster. “Whenever you get promoted it’s always a tough task in the league above. He’s been given that task and I think he’s doing well with it. “We beat them up there and it looked like an easy game because we ended up winning 3-0. But they so many injuries, their team had been ravaged, so it’ll be a much harder game here. “I don’t think they’ll go down and they’re still scrapping, they need points still, so for that reason as well it’s going to be hard.” Doncaster look set to be without former Town loan midfielder Richie Wellens, who has been suffering with a foot injury, while veteran Australian international defender Lucas Neill is a doubt with a hamstring problem. If the on-loan Watford man doesn’t make it Gabriel Tamas will take his place. Keeper Ross Turnbull is out with a back injury, while defenders Rob Jones (neck), Jamie McCombe (back) and Bongani Khumalo (knee) and winger Harry Forrester (also knee) are all long-term absentees. Rovers’ 2-1 win at Leeds in their last away game was only their second win on their travels all season, the first having come at Sheffield Wednesday in September. They have drawn six and lost 12 of their other matches on the road this season. When the sides met at at the Keepmoat Stadium on Boxing Day David McGoldrick scored twice and Luke Chambers once as Town got their festive fixtures off to a winning start and briefly moved into the play-off places with a comfortable 3-0 victory. McGoldrick and Chambers headed home corners in the 24th and 30th minutes, then the Blues top scorer added the third six minutes after the break. Last time at Portman Road, back in November 2011, second-half goals from Josh Carson and Michael Chopra weren’t enough to stop the Blues from falling to a 3-2 defeat. Dismal Town were very much second best before the break with El Hadji Diouf (2) and Billy Sharp putting the South Yorkshiremen 3-0 in front at half-time. Historically, Town have the edge having won six games between the sides, four having been drawn and Doncaster having been victorious four times, one of those the only cup tie involving the clubs, Rovers’ 2-0 Carling Cup second round win at Belle Vue in September 2004. Blues loanee midfielder Paul Green started his career with Rovers where he spent seven years, helping them to climb from the Conference to the Championship, while making 211 starts and 66 sub appearances, scoring 33 goals, and winning the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Midfielder Wellens was on loan with the Blues from Leicester last season, while South African centre-half Khumalo had a trial with Town last summer and Ivorian defender Abdoulaye Meite was similarly put through his paces at Playford Road in 2012. Town are expecting a crowd close to 20,000 with local schools having taken 3,000 of the 12,000 tickets they were offered for the match. Saturday’s game along with all other matches in the Premier League and Football League will kick-off at 3.07pm as a mark of respect to the 96 Liverpool fans who died at the Hillsborough disaster 25 years ago. The FA Cup semi-final between the Reds and Nottingham Forest ended after six minutes, while there will also be a minute’s silence. McCarthy says it’s a fitting tribute: “It was a sad day for everyone and people should be remembered. “Just the fact that it was ordinary football fans turning up to watch a game, mums, dads or whoever sending their kids off to watch a game of football and they didn’t come back. I can’t imagine the feeling in those circumstances. It was tragic. “It brings fans together whoever they support because they’re all of the same ilk, they just want to go and watch their team. “We all want to watch our teams win but what we really want to do is watch them safely and certainly be coming home and having an enjoyable experience. But for those 96 that wasn’t the case, which I just can’t imagine. “And still, we can see from the feelings from the people in Liverpool how long it’s gone on, and rightfully so there’s now an inquiry. It’s unbearable, I would imagine.” At Portman Road ex-Town and Liverpool man John Wark and a Blues supporter will also carry a Town shirt on to the pitch prior to kick-off. Saturday’s referee is Graham Scott from Oxfordshire, who has shown 97 yellow cards and 10 red in 30 games so far this season. Scott’s most recent Town game was the 1-0 home defeat to Burnley in October in which he kept his cards in his pocket throughout. Squad from: Gerken, Loach, Chambers, Richardson, Cresswell, Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Hyam, Wordsworth, Anderson, Green, Hunt, Tabb, Henshall, Williams, Nouble, Murphy, Ebanks-Blake, Taylor.

Photo: Action Images



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dude added 17:33 - Apr 11

"Town are expecting a crowd close to 20,000 with local schools having taken 3,000 of the 12,000 tickets they were offered for the match." Two thumbs up. 4

samsonblue added 17:44 - Apr 11

Shame about this offer. With School holidays this week, not many schools prepared to organise a trip on the middle Saturday! Great idea, just wrong weekend!

COYB. 2

martleshamitfc added 17:49 - Apr 11

very poor if only 3000 school tickets taken? hopefully over 20,000 crowd and loads of noise tomorrow. Still think we need to win 4 games to get into the play-offs. 3

ITFCRealist added 18:11 - Apr 11

No Taylor, not much chance of Woody?



No wonder there are only 3k school tickets, even the kids don't wanna see the hoofball dross. -10

Robbie12345 added 18:24 - Apr 11

3000 taken due to poor publicity and lack of offering. My brother asked for a ticket at a school, but they weren't being offered. About 500 minimum would have gladly taken tickets there. I think this was done to give a minimum tickets away as possible. Poor ITFC, poor. -1

dude added 18:24 - Apr 11

I didn't see how many tickets were on offer to the schools. That's actually quite poor, although it will be good having 20,000 at Portman road. 1

Ipswichbusiness added 19:02 - Apr 11

If there is a doubt over Cresswell, why not put Mings in and rest him? We have some tough games coming up and we'll need him. 1

alfromcol added 19:06 - Apr 11

Hi Phil



What's the background to only 3000 tickets being taken. Were there conditions that had to be adhered to if the tickets were taken? Was it only a restricted age group offered the tickets. It is unbelievable that these were not snapped up if offered for free with no restrictive conditions!



There are just over 260 primary schools in Suffolk, without coming over the border to N Essex. That's not many tickets taken up per school. Add on Secondary schools, and the 3000 looks to be a poor response. The future does look bright if this is the interest amongst the young. 3

muccletonjoe added 19:07 - Apr 11

Tomorrow will not be easy anyone expecting a easy win will be very disapointed 7

StuartBrett8 added 19:12 - Apr 11

I'd take a scrappy 1-0 win right now :) 6

alfromcol added 19:12 - Apr 11

The future does look bright if this is the interest among the young.



Should have been 'doesn't look bright'



-3

76blue added 19:45 - Apr 11

#coyb 1

paulcooperisgod added 21:16 - Apr 11

What a surprise more negative comments from the arm chair fans. How about getting off your fat back sides and support the club instead of finding something to wine about? -1

paulcooperisgod added 21:16 - Apr 11

That should be whine 0

oscarwhiting added 22:01 - Apr 11

paulcooperisgod



I live in portsmouth and I'm 13. Ive done 10 games this season, the most I've ever done in one season. Trust me, if I could get to every game I would go. 3

pazelle added 02:13 - Apr 12

Keep the same team and we'll win imo 0

ITFCRealist added 02:24 - Apr 12

Pazelle. you are an optimist

If its the team above, boring Mick is setting up for a draw.



The fans want to see Taylor and Woody. But Mick says no.

0

stevelincsexile added 07:01 - Apr 12

My son and I are leaving early today anticipating a good crowd. We are always discussing team tactics and selection and we very rarely agree but that's football fans and that's the nature of the beast where would be if we all felt the same. As a side issue is it just us two or is every one the same as us touch of butterflies, great anticipation and expectations and looking forward today more we have for a while a make or break game. I would love the atmosphere to be like it was driving down the A12 when we beat Arsenal scarfes everywhere lots of noise fantastic atmosphere dare we dream.COYB 0

battyblue added 07:44 - Apr 12

WOODY,WOODY,,WOODY,,come on Mick are you blind? or just stubborn we can see it why o why cant you 1

brassy added 11:01 - Apr 12

give it your best shot lads win lose or draw COYB. 0

TimmyH added 11:57 - Apr 12

settle for a 1-0 right now, Doncaster have plenty to fight for! 0

louisrf added 14:32 - Apr 12

No excuses today we have to win and win comfortably, 3-0 I say, we need to make up some goals and this is the opportunity to do it. Doncaster have the worst away record in the league. Agree with the general consensus that we need four wins out of five but one of them HAS to be against Bournemouth. We can do this no doubt in my mind just got a feeling that it could come down to goal difference 0

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