Saints aim to make it five games unbeaten against the Tractor Boys

The big surprise when researching this article was just how well we have done lately against Ipswich, we are unbeaten in our last four games against them, a run that stretches back four years to the away fixture in November 2007.

Our last meeting was in the FA Cup in January 2010, when we knocked them out of the competition 2-1, of the starting line up that day for Saints, only three players are likely to start tonight, Davis, Lallana & Lambert, although Holmes, Harding, Barnard & Bialkowski could feature in some way shape or form.

Our last League meetings were in that terrble season of 2008/09, although both the matches saw Saints unbeaten, in the first in the September of that year, a crowd just South of 15k saw a 2-2 draw with goals from Surman and substitute Tomas Peckhart but the highlight of the season at least away from home came in the return at Portman Road when Saints won 3-0 to make it three wins in a row and give fans hope of a great escape.

On that night in March 2009 Saints put three past their former keeper Richard Wright, Jason Euell getting the first two and then a last minute strike from Matt Paterson completing the emphatic win, of the 16 on duty on that night only the two goalkeepers remain at the Club, such has been the turnround.

In 2007/08 a home draw in March was preceded by our last defeat, a 2-0 loss on a cold November 2007 night.

Perhaps the fixture at Portman Road all Saints fans will recall was in March 2002, the last time the clubs met in the top flight, Saints won 3-1 and the game is remembered for a wonder goal from Chris Marsden who went on a run even Le God would have been proud of before rounding the keeper and slotting home prompting the monicker Chris Marsden Football Genius (CMFG)

In the overall total Ipswich just about shade the League wins with 25 as opposed to our 21 with 18 draws, both clubs have won 1 apiece in the League Cup, but in the FA Cup it goes completely our way with 4 wins out of 4.       

Photo: Action Images

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