Solano strike leaves Ipswich in the mire

Ipswich Town 0 Newcastle United 1

Ipswich is obviously just far enough distant from London for Newcastle United not to be inhibited by the jinx that overcomes them whenever they set foot in the capital.

Their victory at Portman Road yesterday, coming eight days after their 28th successive failure to win in the metropolis, left the Tractor Boys even deeper in the furrow that leads towards relegation. It may only be December but Ipswich have one won just one league game all season, are four points adrift at the bottom of the table and, more worryingly, are already a huge 10 points behind 16th-placed West Ham.

Encouragingly, however, for all those football purists who admire the principles and philosophy of a club without a Premiership victory since 21 August, the visiting manager was not among those convinced they will fall. Even though Bobby Robson's view maybe a trifle biased considering his 13 happy seasons in Ipswich's charge, his opinion has to be respected. "Obviously my heart leans towards them but I still think they will get out of it," said Robson. "Their football is good. They play a nice passing game. What they lack is that top marksman."

Marcus Stewart is still someway short of fitness and in the continued absence of last season's top scorer Ipswich failed by a distance to put away the chances they created. That had something to do with Newcastle's impressive resistance at the back, which amounted to what Robson reckoned was their best defensive performance of the season. Even so, Newcastle invariably struggled in dealing with low crosses and it was somewhat against the run of play when Nolberto Solano scored their decisive 21st-minute goal.

The Peruvian juggled Laurent Robert's pass before hooking it out to Gary Speed, lurking on the left. When the Welshman's fierce cross came back out to him via Matteo Sereni's attempted save, Solano was ideally positioned to dispatch the rebound from close range.

Alun Armstrong, who had forced Shay Given into a magnificent flying save following Ipswich's best move of the game late in the first half, nearly capitalised on a weak back-pass from Nikos Dabizas at the start of the second but his first touch took him too wide.

Armstrong always looked Ipswich's likeliest scorer, which was why it therefore came as something of a surprise that he should be removed along with Finidi George, the home side's most creative midfielder. The cumbersome Marcus Bent looked far more expendable.

With Speed a tireless influence, Newcastle matched Ipswich in midfield and looked increasingly dangerous on the break. Alan Shearer, keeping his elbows strictly to himself this week, tested Sereni's reflexes with a powerful drive, but that was nothing to what was to come from Craig Bellamy.

The Welshman's blistering pace constantly unnerved Ipswich. Hermann Hreidarsson and John McGreal were hard pressed to stop his solo raids as was Sereni, who smothered with his body when Bellamy dashed clear again late in the game. By then Kieron Dyer had come on as a late substitute for Newcastle, his first appearance for nine months ­ against his old club ­ to embark on his long battle to win a World Cup place.

Goal: Solano 21 (0-1).

Ipswich Town (4-4-2): Sereni 6; Makin 5, McGreal 4, Venus 6, Hreidarsson 6; George 6 (Peralta 5, 68), Wright 6 (Naylor, 85), Holland 5, Clapham 6; Bent 4, Armstrong 7 (Couñago 5, 68). Substitutes not used: Branagan (gk), Magilton.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Given 7; Hughes 7, O'Brien 6, Dabizas 6, Elliott 6; Solano 7 (Dyer, 82), Lee 7, Speed 8, Robert 6 (Bernard 7, 58); Bellamy 7, Shearer 6. Substitutes not used: Harper (gk), Ameobi, Distin.

Referee: R Styles (Waterlooville) 8.

Booking: Ipswich: McGreal, Couñago, Hreidarsson. Newcastle: Robert.

Man of the match: Speed.

Attendance: 24,748.