15:51: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2001

Chief Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock's regular live reports appear on this site

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IPSWICH TOWN V Wanderers

JUSSI Jaaskelainen passed a fitness test on his back injury to give Wanderers a magnificent pre-match boost at Portman Road.

Kevin Poole - a late replacement for the in-form Finland keeper in the 2-2 draw with Everton at the Reebok a fortnight ago - had been on standby along with Jaaskelainen's countryman Jani Viander, who was signed on a three-month loan from HJK Helsinki on Friday, but neither was needed.

Wanderers were otherwise unchanged, able to field their familiar 4-5-1 formation when Simon Charlton and Kevin Nolan were declared fit after recent injury scares.

Ipswich, who meet Italian giants Inter Milan in the 3rd round of the UEFA Cup on Thursday, went into the game without top scorer Marcus Stewart, who fractured his jaw in two places in a training ground collision with team-mate Pablo Counaga yesterday.

The Spaniard got a place in the side, though, as George Burley - under pressure after a 10-match winless streak in the Premiership - rang the changes in midfield and attack.

Counaga partnered 17-year-old strike sensation Darren Bent but there was no place in midfield for new signing Ulrich Le Pen, the highly-rated French winger signed from L'Orient for £1.5 million, who started on the subs' bench alongside Richard Naylor and former Wanderers' keeper, Keith Branagan.

Ipswich Town: Sereni, Makin, Bramble, Venus, Hreidarsson, Peralta, Magilton, Holland, Counaga, Reuser, Bent. Subs: Branagan, Naylor, Le Pen, Wright, Gaardsoe.

Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, N'Gotty, Bergsson, Whitlow, Charlton, Wallace, Frandsen, Warhurst, Nolan, Gardner, Ricketts. Subs: Poole, Holdsworth, Farrelly, Barness, Johnson.

Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent).

16:50: IPSWICH TOWN 1, WANDERERS 2

Half-time

GUDNI Bergsson scored his first goal of the season in a dream start at Portman Road - an advantage Michael Ricketts doubled to give the happy Wanderers a commanding lead approaching half-time .

Bergsson showed strength and determination to fend off a challenge from Ipswich's powerful defender Titus Bramble before stretching himself to head home Per Frandsen's corner after just six minutes.

Nineteen minutes later Bergsson was involved in the move that led to Ricketts claiming his 10th goal of the season - his ninth in the Premiership. The skipper helped on Paul Warhurst's pass, hooking the ball on to give Ricketts the space to lift the ball over advancing keeper Matteo Sereni before heading into the empty net.

In between, Jussi Jaaskelainen had to go full stretch to tip a shot from Town's Spanish striker, Pablo Counaga, onto the post but that was the nearest George Burley's men came to scoring until injury time at the end of the first period when Wanderers were punished for failing to clear their lines - Sixto Peralta robbing Kevin Nolan to set up Matt Holland to pull one back.

17:54: IPSWICH TOWN 1, WANDERERS 2

WANDERERS fought a defiant rearguard battle to record their third away win of the season at Portman Road.

Having led 2-0 inside 25 minutes with goals from Gudni Bergsson and Michael Ricketts and looking to be on course for a comfortable win, they put themselves under pressure when they conceded a goal on the stroke of half-time to Ipswich skipper Matt Holland.

And they could easily have buckled under that pressure had they not shown a fierce determination to frustrate Ipswich's best efforts. Martin Reuser and Mark Venus both went close with fierce shots and Sixto Peralta fired into the side-netting when Pablo Counago set up the best of the home side's chances 15 minutes from time.

Ipswich Town: Sereni, Makin, Bramble, Venus, Hreidarsson, Peralta, Magilton, Holland, Counaga, Reuser, Bent. Subs: Wright for Magilton (h-t), Le Pen for Makin (79 mins), Naylor for Bent (86 mins). Not used: Branagan, Gaardsoe.

Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, N'Gotty, Bergsson, Whitlow, Charlton, Wallace, Frandsen, Warhurst, Nolan, Gardner, Ricketts. Subs: Farrelly for Warhurst (66 mins), Holdsworth for Wallace (68 min). Not used: Poole, Barness, Johnson.

Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent).

Attendance: 22,335.