Football can be a cruel game. That's the conclusion Ipswich Town fans will reach if the unthinkable becomes a reality this May and their side suffer relegation from the Premiership.

For the second time this season, George Burley's troops were left feeling aggrieved after getting less than they deserved from a match against Aston Villa.

Only a wickedly deflected shot off the boot of John McGreal earned the Midlanders maximum points at Villa Park in December.

And in the return fixture on Saturday, a combination of acrobatic goalkeeping, poor finishing and a post conspired to deny the Blues a priceless three-point haul at Portman Road.

On paper at least, the storm clouds appear to be gathering over Ipswich, back in familiar territory in the bottom three of the Premiership.

With their much-hyped run-in which includes fixtures against Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, plus Champions League hopefuls Chelsea on Easter Monday survival will certainly have to be achieved the hard way.

But, if they manage to reproduce the grit, spirit and work-rate evident on Saturday, there is still every chance they can maintain their status and secure a third straight top-flight season.

Fielding one change from the side which drew 2-2 at Newcastle Sixto Peralta was ruled out with a recurrence of his thigh strain, meaning a recall for Finidi George Ipswich enjoyed the upper hand against their mid-table opponents.

Yet, frustratingly, they lacked the fire-power to make their domination count, especially in a pulsating second half when a previously cagey affair exploded into life.

There were eye-catching performances across the pitch, especially up front with lively namesakes Marcus Bent and Stewart stretching the Villa defence.

George was the pick of the midfielders while in defence the outstanding McGreal and Hermann Hreidarsson were a more than able match for Dion Dublin and Darius Vassell.

Town created a host of openings after the break and the closest they came was through one of their substitutes, introduced after just ten minutes.

His colleagues had barely broken sweat by the time Jim Magilton entered the fray, a replacement for Chris Makin after the full-back injured his ankle tackling Vassell.

Jermaine Wright filled the right-back berth, paving the way for Magilton to partner Matt Holland in central midfield.

And the Northern Irishman nearly made a vital breakthrough after 69 minutes.

Jamie Clapham's left-wing cross was drilled back into the danger zone by George, teeing up Magilton inside the box.

His first shot was blocked by Peter Schmeichel and then, when the ball ran loose, he rifled his close-range shot onto the post.

That flashpoint just about summed up Ipswich's afternoon, although they were up against a keeper in resolute mood.

Schmeichel had pulled off a double save to deny Bent in the first half, not to mention diving full-length to smother a volley by George.

But the Danish legend reserved his best moment for after the break, blocking a goal-bound header by Stewart with his legs.

The two Marcus' became more and more of a threat to Villa as the game progressed.

Stewart miscued a golden chance in the area, having been teed up by another George volley, and then Bent chested down a deep cross into the box, only to see his volley blocked by Mark Delaney.

In contrast to Schmeichel, Blues keeper Matteo Sereni was a virtual spectator until the last seven minutes, during which time he made three vital saves to help salvage a point.

First, he smothered a low shot by Vassell and then, after a neat flick by Dublin, the Italian tipped over a rising 25-yard effort by Thomas Hitzlsperger.

Sereni's best moment came from the resultant corner when, in addition to denying a late winner, he spared the blushes of a team-mate.

Magilton nodded on the flag-kick at the near-post, forcing the keeper to scramble backwards and palm his inadvertent effort to safety via the bar.

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Published Monday, March 25, 2002