Ipswich and Ahmadinejad nailed by Nolan

So a seemingly satisfactory Saturday by anyone`s imagination. Having travelled down to Ipswich with that horrible, NUFC-esque understanding that we were to be the team that Ipswich ended their dry spell against, wasn`t it nice to see the usual script torn to pieces?

From the outset, the Iranian president currently managing the Tractorboys handed us a gift by curbing his side`s attacking instinct with a 4-5-1. NUFC instead took the initiative by launching our own 'Twin Towers` of Ranger and Carroll on their defence. And it showed.

The pair of them, although at times ungainly, gave Alex Bruce and co the right runaround. Ranger shimmied himself into a glorious opening early on but saw his shot well saved by Richard Wright. The game then evened up a little after that before things hung on Ryan Taylor`s right boot.

Our former nemesis turned the game on its head with some splendid set pieces in the following five minutes, finding Nolan`s head for the first goal and then rattling home the third from fully 40 yards. In between Nolan was sent loose by Carroll and some kamikaze Ipswich defending allowed him to slide past Wright.

Half time came and went and saw Jonathan Walters pushed up front. This resulted in some lively Ipswich play but when Taylor`s cross was headed across the face of the goal, Nolan sealed our first midfield hat trick for positively eons. Time then ran down with some minor inconveniences. Nolan almost contrived to blot his copybook and get sent off but luckily refereeing sense saw through whilst Enrique was doing his level best to gift them a goal with some minging attempted dribbles in his own box.

An admirable win then for Coach Chris`s charges but again it will count for nothing without six home points this week.

Sour points were the knock for Ryan Taylor, who would be a massive loss for this week`s double header v QPR and Bristol, as well as minor niggles for Zurab and Butt.

All in all though a thoroughly heartwarming performance and one SBR would have been proud of.

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