Sheffield United's Matthew Lowton
Ipswich Town could look to League One play-off final for full-back fallback option
By Stuart Watson
Friday, May 25, 2012
12:15 PM
THE result of tomorrow’s League One play-off final could determine who becomes Paul Jewell’s fallback option at full-back.
The Blues boss is still hopeful that he can persuade Portsmouth’s Joel Ward to become the man to provide competition to Carlos Edwards – as well as valuable cover in a variety of other positions – next season.
However, if that drawn-out transfer saga does reach an anti-climactic conclusion – Crystal Palace said to be close to winning the chase – then Jewell could well switch his sights to the right-back of whichever team misses out on promotion to the Championship at Wembley tomorrow (3pm).
Town have scouted numerous Huddersfield matches this season and are believed to have been impressed with Jack Hunt.
The 21-year-old Terriers academy graduate scored in his side’s play-off semi-final win over MK Dons and – alongside former Blues striker and goal machine Jordan Rhodes – was named in the League One Team of the Year.
Alternatively, there is Sheffield United’s Matt Lowton. The 22-year-old was linked with a move to Portman Road last summer but ended up signing a contract extension at his boyhood club.
Having made 32 appearances in the season the Blades were relegated from English football’s second tier, Lowton has continued to be a key player as Danny Wilson’s side narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
Both young, athletic and versatile – Hunt able to play on the right of midfield and Lowton capable at centre-back – the duo certainly tick all the boxes that Jewell has recently said he is looking for in a signing.
The Blues boss’ best piece of business last summer was the acquisition on young left-back Aaron Cresswell from League One Tranmere and he is keen to find more players capable of stepping up from the lower divisions.
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7 comments
i also hope we were watching todays game, 9 of Crewe's team came through their youth team, that said, the right footed kid from Maccelsfield could be another Cresswell
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martyn elmy
Sunday, May 27, 2012
When Rhodes comes into the Championship next season it will be interesting to see if he continues to be a prolific goal scorer. I'll stick my neck out now and say he will. (Always assuming he hasn't been snapped up by a Premier League side.)
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JOHN BURLS
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Rob - that's an interesting point about Scotland. We have had some excellent players from over the border. Alf got Doug Moran, Bill Baxter and Bobby Blackwood. Then Jackie Milburn signed an almost complete team Including goalkeeper Thorburn (ranged between brilliant and dodgy), John Colrain and winger par excellance Frank Brogan. And the of course some young lads: John Wark, George Burley, Alan Brazil....I seem to recall that in the 1970's we actually ran an Ipswich Town sponsored youth team in Glasgow!
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Ian Williams
Saturday, May 26, 2012
We need to start looking in non league for players. It's scraping the barrel, but that's the reality.
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Ed Taylor
Saturday, May 26, 2012
get both lowton and hunt forget ward had enough of his games let him go to palace they going down anyway
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gutted
Friday, May 25, 2012
Scrap ward get Lowton, much better potential imo.
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Jason Geroge
Friday, May 25, 2012
Stuart Watson is as deluded as some of the 'supporters' if he thinks any top players from division 3 see Town as a step up. If you are looking to make up transfer targets, start looking for 'undiscovered gems' in the lower reaches of division 3, division 4, non-league...... and even more remote places like Scotland.
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Rob Steroo
Friday, May 25, 2012