Three points separate the Tractor Boys and Preston North End going into the weekend's game and the talk from both camps has been of making a dramatic push for the top six.
PNE and Ipswich Town have experienced contrasting seasons with North End starting the season excellently and reaching third spot at one point.
The Blues on the other hand had a terrible start to the season and all the talk in the papers and on the TV was of whether or not Roy Keane should keep his job at Portman Road.
All such speculation has since receded due to the East Anglian's excellent form which has pulled them clear of the relegation zone by five points.
While Ipswich have climbed the table PNE have stumbled into the bottom half however Tuesday's hard-fought victory over bottom club Peterborough United has rekindled hopes of a second successive Play-Off finale.
Earlier in the campaign Ross Wallace got North End off to a cracking start at Portman Road with a well-constructed opener, however captain Callum Davidson controversially received his marching orders and Jon Walters scored seconds before half-time to ensure the points were shared.
North End are unbeaten against the Tractor Boys in four games and have only experienced defeat once since 2004. The Deepdale match in February last year was one of the games of the season so fans of both sides will be hoping for a similar level of entertainment as that 3-2 victory for PNE.
Manager's Team News
"Billy has done very well, he's got good energy, good passing and good discipline, we need that in the pitch with the full-backs pushing on a bit. The added bonus is that Michael Hart's come in and done well at right-back and Eddie Nolan can play there as well, he can also play at left-back but Billy gives us the energy in the middle.
"I think Michael's done very well, he's impressed me immensely in training and he came into my thoughts just through his training performances really which has a big bearing on it. The lads have got to be on it in training and they know that now, he's come in and done fine. He did fine against Chelsea and well the other night, he tired towards the end which I felt might happen.
"We'll wait and see with Callum, we have to assess him over the next 24 hours, we'll wait and see, Browny is fine, no problems at all. Our home form generally is good and if you get any success your home form has to be good and it'll be a difficult one as they all are. I took a lot of positives out of Chelsea and we've carried it on to Tuesday. There was great determination to win the match, I felt if we had got that second goal we would have won it alot more comfortably but as a manager to see the players have the determination to keep a clean sheet and win the game was great and if we have that again I'll have no complaints."
The Manager gives the pre-match press conference an update on the injuries and his opinion on the form of Billy Jones and Michael Hart.
The Opposition
It took Ipswich Town until their 17th game of the season on October 31st against Derby County for them to earn their first win in any competition. Since then though their form has been among the best in the Championship.
The Tractor Boys have been beaten once in the league in 15 matches and included in that run of form have been wins over promotion challengers Cardiff City, QPR and Blackpool.
They were chosen by many as one of many teams who could challenge for promotion after their impressive end to the 2008/09 campaign. Their 3-0 win at Ninian Park crucial to ensuring North End still had a chance of reaching the Play-Offs on the last day of the season.
New Manager Keane set about revamping his team in the summer and spent big to reach his stated goal of the Premiership within two years. Damien Delaney, Lee Martin, Tamas Priskin, Grant Leadbitter and Carlos Edwards all arrived in Anglia however progress was slow.
Time though appears to have favoured the Irishman and Delaney and skipper Gareth McAuley have flourished at the back while Jon Walters and ex-Black Cat Leadbitter have begun to dominate the division's midfields.
Town could well have been in the Play-Off places already had they not conceded so many late goals with Chris Brunt's strike on Tuesday night the latest equaliser to deny them all three points.
But with plenty of games left for a late surge up the table there is hope amongst the playing staff and fans that the Tractor Boys can emulate the likes of Crystal Palace and Hull City who have made a late charge and reached the Play-Offs after an inauspicious start.
The Opposition Manager
"I might not look it, but I'm actually pleased tonight. I have no problem with my players, I don't begrudge West Brom their draw. We could have finished the game off, especially as Carlos (Edwards) and Tamas (Priskin) had chances late on.
"Driving to the ground, I knew that my two centre-halves would have to play well for us to get a result. I knew we were in for a big test. We probably had the more clear-cut chances, but in terms of possession and pressure, West Brom obviously edged it.
"Everyone put in a good shift. We tired a bit at the end, but I'm not taking anything away from my players. You can see why West Brom have a great chance of getting promoted. A blind man can see that!"
Roy Keane tells the Evening Star that he was happy with a point from Wednesday night's game
The Opposition Player
"The season is far from over,We have set ourselves targets and winning so many points in a set number of games. If we can aspire to this - and we'll be driving each other on - then we can then target where we will finish the season.
"As long as the targets are ticked off are successful we can drive up the table. It is still possible to qualify for the play-offs, and we have enough home games left. But we need to start winning on the road.
"It's a massive game for us, after doing well enough to lead a quality side like West Brom until the 93rd minute we'll be travelling north full of confidence."
Ipswich skipper Gareth McAuley targets the top six in the Evening Star
Head-to-head
PNE's all-time record against Ipswich Town - W10 D7 L8
PNE's all-time league record against Ipswich Town - W9 D7 L7
Last Meeting
Ipswich Town 1 Preston North End 1
Wallace 7, Walters 45
Portman Road
28th August 2009
PNEBetting.com
PNE 7/5 Draw 23/10 Ipswich Town 19/10
PNEBetting.com's Selected Bet
Danny Welbeck to score first and PNE to win 3-1 - 90/1
Go to pnebetting.com to check out almost 30 markets on the big game now
PNE Player
PNE Player will have full coverage of the game from 2pm on Saturday. There are only a few days left for you to subscribe to the service for £17.99, head to www.pne.com/player to find out more.
WHITE NOISE
Preston North End fans will be able to sit directly behind the goal on the Bill Shankly Kop at the game on Saturday with unreserved seating in that area. Any season ticket holders wishing to relocate to this area must exchange their tickets before 2pm on the day of the game.
