For Arsenal fans making the trip back down the A12 on Wednesday night, they could be forgiven for feeling as if memories they had managed to suppress for thirty three years had momentarily stirred.
Both the scoreline, and the 78th minute winning goal, will doubtless have conjured reminders of an afternoon in May 1978 where a heavily favoured Gunners side similarly fell to Ipswich.
But in 2011, the margin between the two sides, and their relative recent fortunes, presented an even bigger chasm for the Blues to cross. With Town smarting from a record cup defeat against Chelsea, it was the worst possible circumstance to entertain an Arsenal side keen to prevent their trophy-less run stretching to six years. Towns squad was already at its weakest, before injury robbed them further of Troy Brown and Jason Scotland, with Arsenal naming a particularly strong side.
But the injuries and suspensions worked as a blessing in disguise, as they enabled Town to find an unexpected hero on the night.
In a season where focus on the manager has been largely negative, Caretaker Manager Ian “Charlie” McParland departed Portman Road, and the football club itself, having tactically outmanoeuvred Arsene Wenger- the man named “Manager of the Decade” in a recent award. With such meagre resources available to him, McParland chose to deploy players in unfamiliar positions with spectacular results, as a five man midfield managed to subdue Arsenals much-vaunted midfield, whilst creating opportunities at a rate not seen against Championship sides in recent weeks.
McParlands piece de resistance was the inclusion of Mark Kennedy, an erstwhile injury-prone left back, in a holding midfield role. The former Ireland winger revelled in the position, combining defensive aptitude with precise delivery, allowing Tamas Priskin to thrive in the space behind Arsenals high-lying back four.
Speaking to the BBC after the match, McParland said “We looked at Arsenal on DVD’s and we saw that they hold a high line, a very high line. We knew we’d have to hit them on the counter attack as we knew we weren’t going to keep the ball, because they are a fantastic team. To be fair, our boys did fantastically”.
Short of available midfielders without the cup-tied Jake Livermore and suspended Grant Leadbitter, McParland employed Connor Wickham in an unusual left-midfield position. It proved to be the second masterstroke of the evening, as the youngster was able to use his strength and control to trouble Emmanuel Eboue, whilst his energy ensured that Darren O’Dea had plenty of protection behind him. In central midfield, Colin Healy put in his best performance in a Town shirt, having been removed of the burden of playing holding midfield.
Unsurprisingly, Town started cautiously, but even after the early exchanges, it became apparent that this was not going to be a repeat of Sundays embarrassment at Stamford Bridge. Priskins powerful shot narrowly wide from distance served as an indication that Town might be able to offer threat to the Arsenal goal.
Whilst Arsenal predictably enjoyed the majority of possession, further chances fell to Wickham and McAuley as Town visibly grew in confidence against a clearly mis-firing Gunners side. Of note was the pressure being exerted from set-pieces- after months of ineffective distribution, suddenly the height in Towns side was looking a threat.
So often the Achilles heel of both sides in recent times, Town found themselves in the unusual position of dominating the physical side of the game, something which contributed to their set piece dominance.
As the game progressed, so Town found themselves with the major opportunities, almost exclusively created on the break as they managed to expose Arsenals high defensive line. In particular, Priskin was having some success springing the offside trap and, having missed a similar opportunity earlier in the half, in the 78th minute he sprinted clear and neatly tucked the ball past Sczesny. Bedlam ensued.
Whilst Arsenal pressed heavily in the closing minutes, so it fell to Marton Fulop to have his moment in the sun, as two outstanding stops prevented Theo Walcott from levelling the scores.
As the final whistle sounded on the most unpredictable of victories, it left Town fans with the notion that, just perhaps, a Wembley visit isn’t entirely out of the question.
Damien Delaney, like Priskin outstanding on his return to the starting line-up, spoke with some optimism after the match “We’ll do what Mourinho said and park the bus in front of the goal at the Emirates! We have something to hang on to, and that was all we wanted. Even if we were 1-0 or 2-0 down at least we’d have something to hang on to. But to go there 1-0-up, I’m sure they’ll be breaking out all the big guns because they haven’t won a trophy in so long.
“We’ll go there with something to hang on to and if we get another huge performance out of the lads and you never know we’ll be at Wembley in February”.
With Sundays defeat having been perhaps unfairly viewed as the legacy of Roy Keanes management, it would no doubt have pleased the Corkman to see the players he bought and managed succeed on such a big stage. The attitude and desire shown against Premier League opposition perhaps highlighted the frustrations Keane had experienced with the same players who had been less able to raise their game for lower key matches. Yet, with both Damien Delaney and Tamas Priskin being arguably the stand-out players in a team of excellent performances, it left lingering questions as to why they had been banished from first team action so notably in recent weeks.
However, for all the thoughts of the old manager, or that of the new man, Paul Jewell having been introduced to the crowd before the match, the man who deservedly stole all the plaudits was the one who had quietly gone about masterminding a famous victory. Charlie McParland waved goodbye to Portman Road on Wednesday evening, but he left a lasting impression on the Football Club.
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