Ipswich Town vs. Stevenage: Full Preview of Capital One Cup Round 1 Fixture
Ipswich Town welcome Teddy Sheringham’s Stevenage to Portman Road on Tuesday night, as Mick McCarthy’s men look to bounce back from their Championship opening-day heartbreak by booking a place in Round 2 of the Capital One Cup.
The Tractor Boys conceded two stoppage-time goals to draw 2-2 away at Brentford on Saturday, yet a solid all-round performance will have provided nothing but encouragement.
Sheringham’s men also stuttered as the Football League got under way, going down 2-0 at home to Notts County. Still, they’ll fancy their chances of slaying the Goliath before them, especially since Town are set to make wholesale changes to the side that impressed at Griffin Park.
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Fresh XI for Ipswich Town
McCarthy will use Tuesday’s Capital One Cup clash as a chance to hand first-team debuts to six players: Myles Kenlock, Josh Yorwerth, Giles Coke, Jonathan Douglas, Larsen Toure and Brett Pitman.
The Ipswich boss confirmed his heavily tweaked starting line-up in unorthodox fashion at a press conference on Monday, but he insisted that his new-look side still have enough bite to see off Stevenage, via the club’s official website:
"There will be changes but it will still be a strong team full of mainly hard-nosed senior pros. Gerks [Dean Gerken] is in goal, Chambo [Luke Chambers] will be at right-back, Josh Yorwerth will make his senior debut alongside Christophe [Berra] at centre-half and young Myles Kenlock will be at left-back. Tabby [Jay Tabb], Giles Coke, Jonathan Douglas and Larsen Toure will be across the midfield and David McGoldrick and Brett Pitman will be up front. So it’s a strong team, that’s for sure and no one can say we’re putting out a weak side.
"
McCarthy also confirmed that full-back Jonathan Parr and midfielder Teddy Bishop remain sidelined with their respective injuries, but a strong bench is expected at Portman Road.
The likes of Freddie Sears, Daryl Murphy, Cole Skuse and Ryan Fraser are set to don the tracksuit, although goalscorer from the weekend Kevin Bru will miss out with a hamstring problem.
Stevenage, meanwhile, could name the same starting XI that lost to Notts County at the weekend, with Dipo Akinyemi and Brett Williams up front.
Tom Hitchcock will be forced to sacrifice his place on the bench, however, after he was sent off against the Magpies.
Manager Sheringham saw the positives from that defeat on Saturday, praising his side’s togetherness before looking ahead to a “tough test” against Ipswich, as reported on Stevenage’s official website:
"I was very pleased with our shape as a team and thought our togetherness was outstanding. I was as pleased as you can be when you lose 2-0, let’s put it that way. It is probably one of the more difficult ties of the round and it is a test, a big test—but we will go there with optimism because I am impressed with my players.
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Stevenage will need a big performance to knock Ipswich out, although the statistics are in their favour.
Stats
McCarthy has never won a domestic cup match as manager of Ipswich Town—played seven, drawn two, lost five.
The last time that the Tractor Boys progressed beyond Round 1 of the Capital One Cup was in August 2012 courtesy of a 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers at Portman Road.
Town and Stevenage have met just once before in the clubs’ histories—a 2-0 win for Boro in the League Cup in August 2013.
Stevenage have lost five of their last six matches against teams from higher divisions.
Prediction
Although Ipswich Town’s recent record in the cup is pretty dire, it’s difficult to see them losing out to Stevenage, despite Sheringham’s optimism.
Squad depth at Portman Road is better than it’s been for over a decade, and should Town find themselves in a spot of bother on Tuesday night, they’ll have plenty of resources to call upon.
Even so, with quality all over the pitch and the dangerous duo of McGoldrick and Pitman starting up front, McCarthy could well be ending his cup drought without breaking a sweat.
Prediction: Ipswich Town 4-1 Stevenage
Our man Newman will be at Portman Road for tonight's match. Follow live commentary on Twitter @StuNewmanSport.
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