Football: Ipswich Town fan Nick Wells can still see a glimmer of hope of a play-off place for the Blues
FOR weeks we have been searching for a sign. Finally it has arrived, a signal of intent that Ipswich could be heading for an unlikely promotion.
Forget the domineering performance against the Canaries, it was Tommy Miller's 94th minute equaliser against Wolves on Saturday, that got me thinking, unbelievably, that this could be our year after all.
At the "squeaky-bum stage of the season" there are some goals that far outweigh their reward in points – goals that suggest your fate is
destined for success.
Until 4.50pm on Saturday, we had not had anything to suggest that we would have a happy ending until finally we got a goal that had Jeff
Stelling squealing on Soccer Saturday and made you think there could be a twist in the tale.
Not least because of the player who scored the winner was an unlikely hero, a player who has been flop in most supporters' eyes this season.
Miller has simply not got the same amount of goals that made him a popular figure in his last stint at Portman Road .
But if Saturday's strike proves to be a pivotal moment in our quest for the play-offs, and beyond, then the quality of his fourth goal of the season will be far more precious than any higher quantity he's netted in previous seasons.
Unfortunately, Crystal Palace's unlikely win at Watford took the edge of our last-gasp delight, as did Wolves' win against Cardiff on Tuesday.
Regardless, Miller's strike has kept the season alive for at least another week and tomorrow's trip to Preston.
Not that the omens are good for us at Deepdale.
The last time we got any sort of win there was nearly 30 years ago when Alan Brazil and Paul Mariner were on the score sheet in a third round FA Cup tie, while you have to go back to 1966 for a league win.
But Preston have not posed the same threat this season as they have in recent campaigns, battling it out at the bottom of the table rather than the top.
Most importantly they no longer possess our nemesis, David Nugent, who was always bound to notch a goal or two against the Blues.
If Town can get a win and Palace and Wolves drop points at Hull and Coventry respectively, then suddenly the impossible will seem possible again.
It will all go down to the last game of the season and that will be a chance that we would have snatched at in August.
After two seasons of mid-season mediocrity, it is a situation to be embraced.
For the third week running, Town are drinking in the last chance saloon but until they call last orders we've got to keep going.
The full article contains 480 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
24 April 2008 3:10 PM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Diss