Half time: Ipswich 1 Newcastle 1

72 mins Couñago shot 1-2

Full time: Ipswich 2 Newcastle 1

Sir Bobby refused to speak to the papers but was interviewed on Sky:

"Their second goal came after poor defensive work with the ball going through our keeper's legs. I've got to say before that there was some shoddy defensive work from us.

"But we played well in the first half and could have easily had plenty of goals. We had three great headers which brought three great saves out of their keeper and another one from Craig Bellamy that hit the post."

"It was a good open game and overall I'm not dissatisfied because it was not a competitive game and the result does not hurt us.

"But don't forget Ipswich have been back in training two weeks longer than we have and perhaps that is why we went off the boil in the second half."

"Bellamy looked sharp and brisk and very strong but that's what he is and he is a top player. I took him off after an hour because he had been out injured and I do not want to finish him early on.

"He got his usual reception from the crowd because of his Norwich connections, and I have to say I did not bring my team down here to Ipswich to see them booing one of my players."

And the local paper in Suffolk revealed that Darren Ambrose climbed off his sickbed to play:

Desperate Darren Ambrose was so determined to play in last night's testimonial for Dale Roberts he kept a sickness bug secret from Sir Bobby Robson.

The former Ipswich Town winger had been vomiting during the day and felt ill but kept quiet and played his part in an entertaining game won 2-1 by his old club at Portman Road.

Ambrose played for an hour before being replaced by new signing from Leeds United, James Milner.

Toon winger Ambrose said: "I was ill all day and didn't feel well at all but I really wanted to play so didn't tell anyone. I'm glad I played. I got a great reception and I was very excited to be back."

"It was the right turn-out for the right occasion, me Kieron (Dyer) and Titus (Bramble) got the right reception while Craig Bellamy got the reception he expected, being ex-Norwich."

"Ipswich were very good and they passed us off the pitch at times. You can tell they have had a few more games than us but if they carry that on into the season I can see them doing really well.

"They have beaten a top European side who were up for this game and one the manager wanted to win."

Suffolk punched

Newcastle's pre-season preparations took them to Portman Road on a tropical Wednesday evening, for a well-attended friendly staged in memory of the late Northumberland-born Ipswich player and coach Dale Roberts.

As well as giving our manager a warm reception, the three returning ex-Town players in our squad were also afforded some applause as the teams were announced, Ambrose appearing to be the only one who bothered to acknowledge the welcome.

The home side, who already had one pre-season Premiership scalp after beating Crystal Palace last week, were quickly on the attack from the start and ahead within 7 minutes.

Yugoslavian born (but Finnish international) Shefki Kuqi - who scored the winner for Sheff Wed in our 4-3 defeat almost exactly a year ago - netted from 12 yards as our defence played statues and allowed Miller and Bowditch room to work down our right flank.

And although we shaded possession after that, the home side did cause us one or two more anxious moments with Hughes in particular struggling, while Bramble provided his usual mix of proficiency and slapstick comedy to entertain both sets of supporters. Bernard by contrast looked as if he was relishing his task in trying to stabilise the back four.

Newcastle equalised five minutes before the break through a Laurent Robert header, the same player having had a goal chalked off for an offside earlier in the half.

Dyer ran into the box down the right with Bellamy on the overlap but elected to twist infield towards goal. The ball deflected off a defender and reached Bellamy, who chipped it back into the six yard box for Robert to head home.

Town 'keeper Kelvin Davis couldn't do anything about that, but had made good stops earlier in the half to deny two Shearer headers. He also did well to turn a well-struck Robert free kick round the post after the break.

We had restarted the second half with the same 10 outfield players but made little headway by the time Craig Bellamy was withdrawn from the action after a typically whole-hearted display, due in part to the stick he was getting from home fans for being a former Norwich player.

Milner also appeared on the hour in place of Ambrose and slotted in on the right, although he did switch wings with Robert in the final few minutes.

The home side grabbed what proved to be the winner on 72 minutes, when a shot from substitute Pablo Counago went in via a deflection and then Steve Harper's ankle after Kuqi had confusion as Newcastle defenders looked in vain for an offside flag.

Robert almost grabbed an equaliser in the final minute of normal time with two wickedly flighted corners in succession that Ipswich managed to clear off the goalline.

For the 2,000 plus toon followers in attendance (many from the Suffolk area) this was a frustrating night all round, with many echoes of the shortcomings of the last campaign to give a sense of deja vu.

Without Woodgate in defence to steady the ship we looked as brittle as ever, while our shortcomings when crossing the ball from both flanks remain evident.

Robert was as exasperating as ever and Bowyer left his mark on a few opponents whille the least said about Dyer the better - except that in parts his meandering performance was akin to that of Paul Gascoigne 24 hours previously.

Never mind continent-hopping to win hearts and minds in the back streets of Bangkok or wherever, for the second night running a large proportion of the visiting fans were of the exiled, occasionally-attending, impressionable-bairns-in-tow variety.

And as they were at Boston, in return for their cash they saw precious little in the way of entertainment from their heroes.

Of course nothing matters until August 14th but surely we could have served up something more palatable than this for the people who buy the (full-priced) shirts and the sky subscriptions to support their team.

Another opportunity lost, another generation of peed off kids asking their parents why they have to be Newcastle fans....

We really should know better than to turn up for these games by now. Bring on the gers and the tims and let's hope for better.

Biffa

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