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Champions
in Europe ... A Tribute to the 1981 UEFA Cup Winners
2ND ROUND: BOHEMIANS PRAGUE
Town fans on their way home from Czechoslovakia
IPSWICH
EASE ANXIETY
Ipswich
3 Bohemians 0
Ipswich Town turned on a sparkling second-half performance to crush Bohemians of Prague in the first leg of their second-round UEFA Cup tie at Portman Road last night.
After a first 45 minutes spent pounding fruitlessly at the Bohemians goal, Ipswich eased their supporters' anxiety by scoring twice in nine minutes just after the break.
Scorer of both goals was John Wark, the Scottish midfield player, who added to the four he netted in the previous round against Aris Salonika and took his tally for the season to 14.
Wark's first, a 48th minute shot from the edge of the penalty area, was assisted by a deflection, which sent the ball looping into the corner of the net.
His second goal six minutes later was the reward for being in the right place in front of goal when Brazil's shot rebounded from a post.
But the best goal of the match came five minutes from time through substitute Beattie.
Beattie, the former England defender, thrown into attack when Wark hobbled off with a tendon injury, had only been on the field a few minutes when he received a short free-kick from Mills and hammered the ball into the goal from 25 yards, via the inside of a post.
However, had a last-minute long-range effort from Chaloupka not found the safety of the Ipswich crossbar, then the Suffolk side's spirits would have been considerably dampened.
Ipswich attacked for almost the entire game, but a half-time it seemed they were in for a night of frustration. During this first period they could only count two shots on target.
The first effort came in the seventh minute, when Wark forced an uncertain punch from goalkeeper Hruska. Muhren pounced on the loose ball but his left-foot shot was hooked off the line by Bicovsky, the Bohemian captain.
After 25 minutes Mills, pushed into midfield as a replacement for the absent Thijssen, tried a delicate chip from 20 yards and this time Hruska handled the wet ball comfortably.
The elusive Gates spent much of the match on the ground and this manhandling by the Bohemian's defence earned bookings for Roubicek and Chaloukpa.
Ipswich Town - Cooper; Burley, McCall, Mills, Osman, Butcher, Wark (Beattie, 81), Muhren, Mariner, Brazil, Gates.
Bohemians Prague - Hruska; Roubicek, Jakupec, Prokes, Ondra, Bicovsky, Nemec, Panenka, Cermak, Chaloupka, Koukal.
Daily Telegraph
BEATTIE
IS KEY AS IPSWICH SURVIVE
Bohemians
2 Ipswich Town 0
(Ipswich win 3-2 on aggregate)
Ipswich reached the third round of the UEFA Cup in Prague last night but they had to survive almost nonstop attacking pressure from Bohemians before going through.
Ipswich in the past have found it difficult when defending 3-0 first leg leads and they came within an ace of throwing away another European tie.
With the temperatures below zero Ipswich were a goal down after two minutes and when Bohemians added another soon after half-time there were fears that they could go out of the competition.
In the end they survived, though far from comfortably. Kevin Beattie was Ipswich's hero on the night, playing only his third match of the season. Beattie was a giant at the heart of the Ipswich defence and his ability in the air was much needed to foil the constant flow of Czechoslovak attacks.
To concede a goal after only two minutes was a bitter blow and Sivell, making his first European appearance for five years, got his first touch of the ball by picking it out of the net, Micinec having darted through the hesitant Ipswich defence to shoot home.
Ipswich managed four good headers - three from Wark and another from Mills - but Bohemians possessed far more threat and Ipswich had an escape just before half-time when Micinec headed against the underside of the bar.
Burley was booked for encroaching too near to the ball at a free kick moments earlier.
Bohemian's spirits were raised in the 52nd minute. Sivell was penalised when he raced out of his area to kick the ball clear from Nemec and Panenka sent the free kick over the wall into the top of the net.
Ipswich had to defend really well for the next quarter of an hour but towards the end they pushed forward and Turner, who had substituted for Brazil, hit the post with seven minutes to go.
So Ipswich are through, but they will not want many more scares like this.
Bohemians - Postulka; Jakubec, Prokes, Koukal, Ondra, Bicovsky, Nemec, Panenka, Chaloupka, Cermak, Micinec.
Ipswich Town - Sivell; Burley, Butcher, Mills, Osman, Beattie, Wark, Muhren, Gates, Brazil (Turner, 70), McCall.
Daily Telegraph