Ipswich Town won 3-0 at Bracknell Town in the FA Cup first round last night. STUART WATSON reflects on the action.
ROMANCE OF THE CUP
Treble winners Manchester United opting not compete in 1999/00, odd kick-off times, semi-finals at Wembley, so many managers making wholesale changes to their teams to prioritise the league, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City lifting the trophy 24 times in the last 27 years...
No doubt about it, the FA Cup has lost much of its lustre over the last quarter of a century. It's been sad to see.
But nights like last night offer a reminder that there is still some romance left in the world famous competition.
This was a proper David versus Goliath first round tie. Three entire divisions and 104 places separated the two teams in the English football pyramid.
One of Bracknell's joint managers, Carl Withers, had spent the day working as an architect. Captain, Dan Bayliss, is a delivery driver for Waitrose. Goalkeeper Michael Eacott works for the fire service.
Yet here they were, after qualifying round wins against Harrow Borough, Chesham United, Yate Town and Banbury United, on equal footing with the 1978 winners for one night only.
The Ipswich Town coach couldn't get down the narrow driveway at Bottom Meadow. That left Blues players walking 200 yards down a darkened path, past broadcast trucks, to reach a rain-soaked pitch surrounded by trees billowing in the wind.
The crowd was capped at 2,000 for safety reasons. Blues supporters who had managed to get their hands on tickets had to trudge across a muddy field to reach the away end. When they got there, they stood 10 rows deep behind the perimeter fence with not much of a view.
Yet it was smiles all round. There were cardboard cut-out foil-wrapped FA Cups being held aloft. Music pumped from a smart clubhouse. Food trucks did a roaring trade. Camera men, there in the hope of beaming a classic cup-set to the nation, perched precariously atop temporary scaffolding.
This felt like being part of English football heritage.
A GOOD CLEAN SHEET
Kieran McKenna admits it took his team 20 minutes or so to get to grips with the conditions, the opposition and the occasion.
Bracknell players, fired up for the biggest game in the club's history, snapped at heels and forced mistakes.
But Ipswich expertly repelled long throw and dead ball deliveries and, slowly but surely, began to figure out the puzzle.
Three big chances were spurned in the latter stages of the first half. End product was lacking in the early stages of the second period too.
Could it be 'one of those days' in front of goal? Might Bracknell take one big chance and be left with something to defend as if their lives depended on it?
No. Gary Abisogun chopped inside but curled a shot too close to keeper Vaclav Hladky. Home skipper Dan Bayliss then hooked wide after a long ball into the Ipswich box had caused chaos.
Their moment had gone. Having left it all out there, Bracknell soon buckled to Ipswich's greater quality, athleticism and fitness.
This was an important clean sheet to keep following on from six goals having been conceded at Port Vale and Charlton, many of them from high deliveries into the box.
McKenna said: "Bracknell, even though they’re a lot of levels below us, they’re good on set plays, put seven in the six-yard box and swing it in with good in-swingers. We had to defend that well."
LEFT-SIDE STRENGTH
Town won this game thanks to the partnership of Kane Vincent-Young and Kyle Edwards down the left.
Vincent-Young, making only his sixth start of a fragmented season, started a little shakily, giving away a few cheap free-kicks.
But, seeing that Edwards' movement and dribbling was creating space, he started to bomb on more and more to create a dangerous overload.
It was Edwards' pass and Vincent-Young's low cross from the byline that led to the own goal which broke the deadlock on 66 minutes.
It was Vincent-Young who once again crossed from the byline to set-up Freddie Ladapo for 2-0.
Edwards' well-weighted through ball led to Wes Burns setting up Panutche Camara for the breakaway third goal too.
The performance of Vincent-Young is a major boost. Having back him up to speed following a calf issue alleviates some of the pressure on full-backs Janoi Donacien and Leif Davis to keep rattling out 90 minutes every few days.
CAM THE MAN
ITV named Vincent-Young the Man of the Match. Personally, I'd have gone for Cameron Humphreys.
The newly-turned 19-year-old, once again, played with such an old head on young shoulders.
He adapted effortlessly to a more advanced midfield role. He's energetic, composed and classy. Most importantly of all, he sees the picture.
There was a superb reverse pass to set up a Ladapo one-v-one. It was his clipped pass over the top that led to the second. And it was his mixture of tenacity, quick feet and vision that saw Ipswich turn defence into attack for the third.
Thank goodness the Blues tied him down a new three-year deal back in the summer.
A GOAL STREAK
Freddie Ladapo could have easily have lost his head in this game.
Towards the end of the first half he saw a shot from the edge of the box clawed away and also dragged another good chance wide.
After the break, he put a one-on-one opportunity to close to the keeper.
Good strikers keep working for the team and making the runs though. And that's exactly what Ladapo did.
Eventually, he got his rewards when arriving in the six-yard box at just the right time to convert for 2-0.
That's four goals in three games for the 29-year-old now, taking him to eight for the season.
Those who wrote off his chances of being a 20-goal-a-season man may have been a little premature.
A POPULAR SCORER
It's been a frustrating start to life at Ipswich Town for Panutche Camara.
Not long after his deadline day move from Plymouth, the midfielder had to undergo groin surgery.
Off the pitch, a player who previous boss Ryan Lowe described as having 'a heart of gold' has clearly made an impact though.
Just like when Edwards scored against Cambridge and Humphreys bagged at Port Vale, you could sense an extra feeling of joy in the celebrations when the 25-year-old side-footed into an empty net for 3-0.
If the non-stop runner can adapt technically and tactically to the way McKenna wants to play, Ipswich have another big weapon in their armoury for the months ahead.
WRITING A NEW SCRIPT
Not that long ago, the words 'FA Cup', 'lower level opposition' and 'live on television' would have send shudders down the spine of any Ipswich fan.
It evoked memories of Lincoln in 2017, Accrington in 2019 and Barrow last year.
Kieran McKenna and co are writing a new script this season though.
They've shown they can mix it with physical sides in League One.
They've shown they can they win more than two games in a row.
They've shown they can beat promotion rivals.
They've shown they can score from set-pieces.
And that's now two wins in a row in front of the TV cameras following on from the Friday night success against Derby.
Old wounds are beginning to properly heal.
CLASS FROM KEOGH
A final word for Richard Keogh.
The veteran defender could have looked down his nose at this fixture.
This is a man who has made more than 450 appearances in the Championship and played in the last 16 of a European Championships.
But the 36-year-old was seen in the Bracknell dressing room at the end, giving some kind words and pearls of wisdom.
That was a nice touch and shows the culture of respect and humility that currently runs right through this football club.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here