Murphy at the double as Ipswich put serious dent in Cardiff City’s play-off aspirations

A Daryl Murphy double capped an inspired Ipswich Town performance as Cardiff City saw their Premier League dreams go up in smoke.

The 2-0 final result flattered the Welsh visitors who were indebted to their ex-Norwich keeper David Marshall for keeping the score down with a number of fine saves. Murphy scored twice either side of half time, and could have had two more, to amazingly move just one goal behind Town’s top goalscorers despite his short time in Suffolk.

But his goals were just part of a crucial three points that sees Ipswich leap into 17^th place in the Championship and four points clear of the bottom three. Gareth McAuley and Damien Delaney once again stole many of the plaudits with a fantastically resolute display, looking every inch the “Twin Towers” as coined by Blackpool boss Ian Holloway at the weekend. And Portman Road were treated to their first glimpse of left-back Shane O’Connor in a first team shirt and what a glimpse as the teenager’s blistering pace and penchant to attack won him many admirers.

Roy Keane got it spot on in starting Owen Garvan centre midfield and Jack Colback on the left with the Republic of Ireland Under 21 skipper putting in an assured display that everyone knows he is capable of. Grant Leadbitter was never missed as Garvan, David Norris and Colback bossed the midfield.

Town started the brighter of the two teams and David Healy and O’Connor had half chances without testing Marshall whose brave pink keeper’s outfit certainly got the home fans laughing. But it was the City keeper who was wearing the bigger smile after seven minutes when he acrobatically tipped over Murphy’s header.

It was a chance that set the tone for most of the evening with Cardiff underperforming and looking just a shadow of a team with play-off ambitions. But it could have been so different when Michael Chopra went close with a spectacular volley which fizzed over Brian Murphy’s goal. A few inches lower and the visitors would have been celebrating.

Five minutes later, Town made Cardiff pay with the opening goal. Colback expertly brought down a long cross with a piece of skill that outfoxed Adam Matthews before rolling the ball into the path of Murphy who slid it under Marshall. It was a simple goal, in terms of assist and execution, and one that gave Town a lease of life which saw them win a succession of corners and constantly putthe visitors’ defence under pressure.

Marshall did well to claw away McAuley’s effort while Cardiff’s injury-hit midfield lacked the craft and guile to break down Town’s sturdy defence, which included the impressive David Wright at right-back in place of the omitted Liam Rosenior.

And when they did create something, with the ball falling to Chopra inside the Ipswich box, it was again wasted with the frontman horribly slicing a shot wide with seconds ticking down on the first half. The striker, an alleged target for Town in January, endured a nightmare match and was later fortunate to escape with a yellow card following a tussle with the grounded Garvan.

The second half saw very few chances come the way of the Welshmen, bar some hopeful long range shots, as Ipswich finally put together a concerted 90-minute performance. With 56 on the clock, Town doubled their advantage when David Norris’s short corner somewhat fortuitously teed up Garvan on the edge of the Cardiff box. The midfielder did well to shoot through a posse of players and while Marshall saved his 20-yarder, Murphy was on hand to fire home the rebound.

The striker, who has now scored five goals in eight games, could and maybe should have had his hat-trick just ten minutes later when Marshall superbly tipped over Murphy’s instinctive effort. Ross McCormack’s inswinging free kick caused a few hearts to flutter in the Town box but it was the home side who looked the more dangerous as they set about making the game safe. Substitute Pablo Counago saw his header tipped over after good link-up play between the Spaniard and Jon Walters before Delaney’s low teasing cross was sliced towards goal by City centre back Gabor Gyepes but Marshall saved with his feet.

Understandably, nerves started to show as Town looked to cling on to a two-goal lead in a season full of late disappointments. Delaney was called upon to make a customary last-ditch block to deny Anthony Gerrard’s goalbound shot before O’Connor got the crowd on their feet with a lung-busting, pitch-length run down the right wing. The 19-year-old clearly does not lack confidence and may well have played himself into Keane’s side for the rest of the season.

Counago had the ball in the net late on but was pulled back for an earlier foul on Gyepes as Town, for once, held on to a somewhat comfortable victory. Keane told the club website: “We needed a reaction to the weekend and I was pleased we got that. Their keeper made two or three outstanding saves but we got the goals and could have had more. Cardiff are a good side but apart from Michael Chopra’s chance in the first-half, they had to make do with shots from distance.”

It was an assessment shared by Cardiff assistant boss Terry Burton, speaking instead of manager Dave Jones, who said: “Ipswich were by far the better team. They played better on the night and 2-0 flattered us. We were second best in every area and there was so much wrong that he [Jones] could be talking to the players until midnight.”