CARLOS Edwards is relishing the opportunity to erase the memory of one of the low points of Ipswich Town’s season.
Barnsley’s players were cheered by Town fans during their 3-1 win at Portman Road on November 13, and the Blues camp was booed when striker Tamas Priskin was substituted.
Ipswich travel to Oakwell to play the return fixture tomorrow (kick-off 3pm) with Edwards, who along with his team mates was critical of the home fans’ reaction, sees it as perfect opportunity to put the record straight.
Confidence is high in the Town camp after three consecutive league wins, and Edwards said: “It was harsh the way our fans chanted in the home Barnsley game.
“But that is an old chapter now and we must move on.
“And the best way of doing that is to rub Barnsley’s noses in it as they did us.
“I’d not say that we owe them one, but more like we are professionals looking to do a professional job.
“We’re not going to avenge anything, but to collect three points.
“And we can then say they we took three points off them.
“At the end of the day fans pay their money and are entitled to their opinions, and it is understandable that they don’t like seeing us battered.”
Edwards is set to continue playing at right back in what is expected to be an unchanged side, and he confirmed that there is extra spring in the step.
“Our confidence has been boosted and we’re raring to go and we can’t wait for tomorrow’s game.”
And he admitted that he was taken by surprise when asked to play right back by manager Paul Jewell.
“He passed me in training and asked if I’d played in that position before. I thought it was just a bit of banter, but when I left the training pitch my name was on the list along with the defenders.
“It was a surprise as apart from 45 minutes at right back for Trinidad after we had someone sent off and wing back at Wrexham where I was more like a headless chicken with all the energy I had then I had not played in a competitive game in that position.
“The manager might not perhaps agree but I think I’ve done an okay job having been thrown in at the deep end.
“I had no negative thoughts about it and I respect the manager’s decision to go along with a certain plan.
“I’ve done a lot of work recently on defending on the training ground with Chris Hutchings and my forehead was hurting as I’d never headed the ball so many times in a training session.”
Ipswich will be driving back from Barnsley tomorrow night, and then flying back up to Yorkshire on Monday for Tuesday’s re-arranged match at Doncaster Rovers.