Described most frequently as diminutive and discarded by his last club Reading, Jay Tabb rose above the patronising descriptions, literally, and inspired Ipswich Town to a comprehensive victory over their promotion rivals Middlesborough at Portman Road. Both clubs went into the game in excellent form, on runs of eight games without defeat, but Ipswich were by far the superior side and were in a comfortable position by half-time having scored two goals through Daryl Murphy, his 14th of the season and Tabb, who hurled his 5’5” frame above two bigger men and produced a brilliant header for the second that stunned the opposition.
“Put it in the box for the big man. Long ball game,” said Mick McCarthy afterwards, tongue firmly in cheek before he