‘It’s over to him now’ – Matt Gill happy to hand Ipswich reins to Paul Cook

Matt Gill says “it’s over to Paul Cook now” after the caretaker manager led Ipswich to a 2-1 victory over 10-man Accrington.

Former Portsmouth and Wigan boss Cook was in the stands at the Wham Stadium, shouting instructions, even though he does not officially take over until Wednesday.

Cook signed a two-year deal, replacing Paul Lambert who left on Sunday, with coach Gill overseeing a third successive win for Ipswich which moves them into seventh place, leapfrogging Accrington.

Stanley took the lead in the fourth minute through Dion Charles’ 15th goal of the season.

Accrington went down to 10 men in the 16th minute when Seamus Conneely was sent off for a foul on Troy Parrott in the area. Nathan Baxter superbly kept out James Norwood’s penalty.

Ipswich equalised in the 41st minute when an Andre Dozzell corner was not cleared and James Wilson rifled the ball home.

And it got worse for Stanley in the sixth minute of first-half added time when Dozzell’s free-kick was headed home by Norwood.

“The players deserve a lot of credit as we are going through a time of change with the new manager announced today,” said Gill.

“He came to the hotel and met the staff and we spent an hour with him and then he came into the dressing room and met the players before the game.

“He is raring to go and it’s over to him now.

“I thought we were a bit edgy at first, there were a few nerves with the new manager watching and we went a goal down.

“We stuck at it and got the goals before half-time and then we made it hard work for ourselves in the second half but we got through it.

“The players and staff have been brilliant with me and I enjoyed it on the touchline, it’s a newish experience for me, I have done it once before for one game, so I am pleased to get three points.”

John Coleman was livid with referee Bobby Madley for the dismissal of Conneely as the FA rules on fouls and misconduct say, on denying a goalscoring opportunity, a player should be cautioned rather than sent off if he attempted to play the ball.

“He said Seamus made no attempt to play the ball,” said a downbeat Coleman.

“I will be speaking to the head of the referees’ association Mike Jones tomorrow and he will agree with me that I was wronged like he has done 10 or 12 times already this season. It’s a basic rule that he has got wrong and Mike Jones can’t defend the indefensible.

“It’s not just me, there will be other managers upset with decisions and Mike must have his hands full dealing with phone calls about inadequate decisions.

“I wish they balanced themselves out over a season but they don’t. There are so many poor decisions and I am dumbfounded.

“I wish I was older and then I could give this up, I could retire.

“It’s like groundhog day and we keep getting served what we are getting served up and we have to take it.

“I can’t pack in it, I love the game and I love the lads and all I crave from referees is fairness.”