IPSWICH Town face another tricky assignment this weekend when they visit promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion.

The Baggies are fourth in the Championship, firmly in the play-off mix and still in with a chance of reeling in frontrunners Norwich City and Leeds United.

However, they should be in an even stronger position, having slid to defeat in their last two fixtures, pipped by Sheffield United before losing heavily at Elland Road.

Encouragingly for a Town side in desperate need of a pick-me-up, Darren Moore’s side aren’t in great form at The Hawthorns, either.

They have not won in five outings there and have only won one of their last eight on home soil, against Wigan.

Ipswich will be making their first trip to West Brom in nearly a decade, when losing 2-0 in August 2009.

In fact, they have lost their last four matches there, failing to score in the last three.

Town’s last goal at the Baggies was Richard Naylor’s consolation in a 4-1 defeat in September 2003.

They got a point there in April 2000, thanks to Matt Holland’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

But you need to go back almost 20 years, to March 1999, for Ipswich’s last victory at West Brom.

George Burley’s men prevailed 1-0 and Frenchman Manuel Thetis was both hero and villain – scoring with a stunning overhead kick but sent off five minutes from time after manhandling Sean Flynn.

Town’s team that afternoon featured some greats of the Burley era, with keeper Richard Wright lining up behind a back four of Fabian Wilnis, Thetis, Mowbray and Mark Venus.

Mick Stockwell, Holland, Jim Magilton and Jamie Clapham were the quartet in midfield, behind a front two of James Scowcroft and David Johnson (joint top-scorers that season with 14 apiece).

Johnson also scored twice in the home game against West Brom, which Town won 2-0, and the Blues finished third in the old First Division, behind runaway champions Sunderland and second-placed Bradford City.

They went into the play-offs for the third season in a row but lost out again, this time on away goals to Bolton Wanderers.