FA Cup drought is over as Ipswich Town turn attention back to League One matters

FA Cup progression, victory after an international break and Alan Judge getting on the scoresheet. What on Earth is happening at Ipswich Town?

After 10 painful years of FA Cup neglect and without a win in 14 attempts, The Tractor Boys finally put right their wrong and won away at Lincoln City, to send them soaring into Round Two.

What a win that is for Town, who will gain a great deal of confidence going into a huge run of fixtures. As as well as that, what a world of good a goal may do for Judge.

There’s no doubt the Irishman has struggled this season, both on and off the pitch with a difficult summer in his family life and uncertainties surrounding his future. But maybe that match winner could be just the boost he needs to get back to his best. And that would not just be good for him, but a massive boost for Ipswich Town.

We look forward to Saturday now in the first of two difficult home games at Portman Road, with fifth place Blackpool travelling to Suffolk. Town will have to be at their best to get anything out of it. And they will certainly need to be on form to beat current league leaders Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night.

Those games are followed by a trip down the A14 to third-placed Coventry City before the busy Christmas schedule, which makes it even more fundamental for Paul Lambert’s men to get some points on the board in their next two home fixtures.

It really could be make-or-break for this Town side, who, if they win the next three, will not only be back on top of the league but sending a statement of intent to the rest. But lose and they could find themselves out of the automatic promotion places and psychologically hurt in the race back to The Championship.

So, let’s be brave, let’s be aggressive and let’s go and show this league that the great Ipswich Town Football Club have a return flight booked to the second tier.