IPSWICH'S loss has been Wanderers' gain, judging by the impact Jermaine Johnson made at Arsenal.

The Tractor Boys might have snapped up the Jamaican international last winter but bad weather cut short his Portman Road trial without him kicking a ball!

Johnson was a surprise starter at Highbury, just four days after completing his transfer from Tivoli Gardens.

Wanderers' fans who didn't get to London had to rely on ITV's Premiership programme but the action highlights showed only a fraction of the 21-year-old's contribution.

Johnson will probably be remembered for the two occasions in the second half when he had a rush of blood and wasted good openings he had created for himself.

Earlier, his pace had twice taken him away from Patrick Vieira - the first ending when the Frenchman tripped him, a second ending with the first shot David Seaman had to save - and his break following Dean Holdsworth's quick-thinking when Dennis Bergkamp and Giovanni van Bronckhorst fluffed the free kick resulting from Ricardo Gardner's red card ended when he was barged by Mathew Upson just as he was pulling the trigger!

It was an amazing debut by any standards. He was never overawed, never out of his depth and had his manager and his new team-mates waxing lyrical.

"Your first game in the Premiership at Highbury ..." Mike Whitlow enthused, "... fantastic!"