Ipswich 9 - 0 Brentwood

Saturday 19th January 2008

In spite of the incessant rain of previous days and the showery conditions still prevailing last Saturday the saturated pitch at Humber Doucy Lane was declared playable by the match referee, Chris Goss from Buckinghamshire. The criteria is that provided the playing sufrace is safe and there is no standing water on it the game may go ahead.

All the participants, including the officials are to be congratulated in the way the match was played in such difficult conditions with little chance of any handling moves, the ball being so greasy. The referee also by the end of the game must have had difficulty in distinguishing the sides so muddy were the shirts and socks!!

The Visitors had come with high hopes of taking away the two points having only gained a draw at home - the fact that they were denied was the result of the Ipswich side continuing where they left off the previous week at Westcliff to register a good win and also keep a clean sheet for the first time this season.

This win was the result of a positive performance by the whole side playing to the conditons and man of the match, the ubiquitous veteran Ian Fraser playing at scrum half combing so well with skipper Searle kept Brentwood on the back foot. Fraser's kicks out of hand over his forwards was a joy to behold and kept the pack moving forward on to the ball hustling the visitors into many errors.

After only nine minutes Ipswich having attacked from the kick off a ruck offence on the 22 metre line gave Mark Broughton,retuning to the No 10 position,his first of three successful kicks(3 - 0). With Ipswich sticking to their game plan of 9 man rugby the backs saw little of the ball but played their part in closing down any possession Brentwood had and the two wingers came into the game when the blind side was used to some effect. With Ipswich continuing to pressurise the Visitors from a drop out following an unsuccessful kick and chase over the try line.

Brentwood had some disent with the referee who immediately awarded a penalty to Ipswich on the 22 metre line in front of the posts which Mark Broughton kicked to take Ipswich further ahead(6 - 0) here was no further score before the half time whistle. With Brentwood now having the advantage of the slope and only six points adrift Ipswich could not rest on their laurels and although the Visitors did threaten the Ipswich line on two occasions the Ipswich defence held out. The continuous rain was turning the pitch into a quagmire with handling now more and more difficult the Ipswich game plan continued to prosper so became Brentwood were denied and were pegged back in their own half of the field and it was this pressure that after 35 minutes a penalty award to Ipswich some 25 metres out on the right enablled Broughton to put his side two scores ahead with a successful kick and giving himself a 100% success rate (9 - 0). 

There was no further score and to relief of all the final whistle was sounded, to give Coach Brown a satisfying win and a good send off to Team manager Mike Elbrow to whom we wish bon voyage as he and wife Debbie emigrate to Australia.

Nex week Ipswich are away to Romford and gidea Park, not a happy hunting ground in past years but with the renaissance shown by the Ipswich side it must give Coach Aaron Brown some extra confidence to achieve a result at Crow Lane. k.o.2.15pm. 

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