Talk of the Town - an exclusive weekly look at Ipswich Town

I’ve seen some sights down the years at Portman Road.

Nothing, though, compares with the crazy, sub-polar scenes I witnessed last Saturday night.

Had I been a betting man, I’d have placed a large sum on Town’s match against Leicester being abandoned.

How on earth did it start in the first place?

Given the deluge of sporting cancellations up and down the country, I thought it was only a matter of time before our game bit the dust, too.

I was glued to the radio while driving up the A12, waiting for an announcement from Portman Road.

But when it never came, an abandonment seemed the next likely outcome.

That thought intensified as I walked up to the ground, battling through the blizzard, and again when I saw the snow-covered pitch.

By the midway point in the first half, I was struggling to see the pitch markings, especially at the Sir Bobby Robson Stand end.

It seemed only a matter of time before proceedings were halted and when the players went off early in the second half, the general feeling was that enough was enough.

Fair play to referee Stuart Attwell, though.

The young official has been bombarded with criticism during his short career.

On this occasion he stuck to his guns, though, and credit to him for staying strong – despite fierce protests from Leicester.

There’s no doubt in my mind that in normal circumstances, the match would have been postponed.

But Sky’s presence at the ground – and the fact the game was being screened live around the world – was surely a major factor in fighting to keep it on.

The fact Ipswich were winning 3-0 must have been part of Attwell’s thought process, too. Things might have been different had it been 0-0.

The referee deserves great credit and so too do Ipswich.

Given the treacherous conditions, they played surprisingly well and clearly adapted better than Leicester.

Damien Delaney and Tommy Smith were commanding at the back, David Norris worked hard in midfield and deserved his goal and Jason Scotland smashed a brace (although I’m not sure how his first beat goalkeeper Chris Kirkland).

Town boss Roy Keane was in buoyant mood afterwards and rightly so, given his very uncertain future at the club.

Depending on who you talk to, the suggestion was that he would have been sacked had Town lost.

Another league defeat would have made it seven in a row – an unacceptable statistic that might have triggered action by owner Marcus Evans.

But Keane lives to fight another day and three precious points has bought him time.

Afterwards Foxes boss Sven-Goran Eriksson said the game was bad PR for English football.

I’m not sure I agree. Of course, it wasn’t a great advert in terms of slick, polished football. How could it be?

But had I been watching at home, I’d have been inclined to stay tuned.

I’d have enjoyed the lunacy of watching a game in such crazy conditions, waiting with baited breath for a comedy moment or, better still, a farcical goal.

Having said that, of course I can see Eriksson’s point.

Keane would surely have seethed if his side had lost 3-0.

Especially if his future at the club depended on it.

On this occasion, though, things turned out sweetly for him and maybe, just maybe, it’s the break he and his players so badly needed.

Does anyone remember seeing an Ipswich game played in worse, or equally farcical, conditions? If so drop me a line at matt.plummer@nqe.com