KEANE HOPES STEAD CAN SAVE HIS JOB

ROY KEANE hopes Jon Stead can save Ipswich's season - and his manager's job - after the striker scored his first goal of the campaign.

Town are still the only team in the top four divisions yet to win a league game.

And they needed a reckless back-pass from Argyle left-back Gary Sawyer to gift Stead his 68th-minute equaliser.

Carl Fletcher's superb strike put the home side ahead in the first half.

But that moment of Sawyer madness allowed sub Stead to rescue the visitors from a defeat by their fellow strugglers that would have left Keane's job in even more doubt.

Ipswich keeper Asmir Begovic was then needed to make a last-gasp save to deny Shane Lowry from close range as Keane's side held on.

Former Manchester United star Keane shrugged off the mounting pressure on him and is praying former Blackburn striker Stead can kick-start the Tractor Boys' season.

He said: "Football is a mental game. The longer you don't take your chances the hard it becomes. Stead took his chance. Fair play to him because we've left him out for the last couple games but that's what I expect from any good pro.

"It's encouraging that we are at least creating chances. We get a number of chances, but what we haven't been doing is putting the ball consistently in the net. We know we can get a lot better.

"As far as I'm concerned we have got a battle ahead but the players will get their rewards. We've conceded a lot of late goals and Plymouth had a late chance. I'm not sure we would have come back if they had scored that.

"Jon Stead has done before by scoring goals for big clubs and he has gone on runs where he has scored a lot of goals. I'm hoping he will be the man to put the ball in the back of the net for us now.

"They are playing with freedom. Maybe they haven't seen the table and think we are top."

Argyle also have their own managerial situation to resolve with new head coach Paul Mariner expected to gain further responsibility at Home Park.

Mariner, a hero at Plymouth and Ipswich in his playing days, is working alongside Argyle boss Paul Sturrock as head coach.

But former England striker Mariner, who has been coaching in America for the past seven years, is expected to be in charge of picking the Argyle side within weeks as Sturrock is given another role at the club.

And Sturrock is hopeful for the future despite Sawyer's blunder costing his side just a third win this season.

He said: "No manager can legislate for mistakes like that. It was zaney game and we lost three players through injury. After all the injuries and going down to ten men I thought a draw was a fair result.

"Paul Mariner is a get up and go person and he has benefited the team in the last few days. We worked very well together from the touchline."

Confidence

Neither side has much belief after their appalling starts to the season, but both began full of confidence yesterday.

Ipswich centre-back Tommy Smith did well to deflect Jamie Mackie's shot wide after the Argyle striker found his way into the six yard box from a third-minute free-kick.

Grant Leadbitter was a continual threat to Argyle with long-range efforts that kept keeper Romain Larrieu alert. Argyle's French goalkeeper pushed away a fierce 30-yard half-volley on 14 minutes from Leadbitter, who had already driven into the side-netting.

But it was Argyle who made the breakthrough when some clever approach work opened up the Ipswich defence on 22 minutes. Mackie passed back from the edge of the penalty area and after Rory Fallon's dummy, Fletcher smashed in a left-footed shot from 25 yards.

Argyle were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty moments later when Ipswich keeper Asmir Begovic hauled down Mackie but Sawyer's blunder threw Ipswich a lifeline after the break.

Stead seized his chance to impress Keane after being left out of the squad for the previous two games when he latched on to Sawyer's weak back pass from 40 yards out and calmly rounded Larrieu before slotting in.

Darcy Blake needed to make a vital block to prevent Argyle from going behind moments later. Walters teed up Alan Quinn with an open goal at his mercy but on-loan Blake diverted his shot wide.

Sturrock is planning on appealing referee Simon Hooper's decision to send off Blake with five minutes remaining after a two-footed tackle that looked to have taken the ball and not Alan Quinn.

This article has 0 comments