Dad proves to be Bruce the almighty

Premiership Wigan survived a first-half battering before seizing complete control after the break in the Battle of the Bruces at Portman Road.

Poor Janet Bruce suffered a nervous night as son Alex, Ipswich’s central defender, and husband Steve, the Wigan manager, went to war in this classic Carling Cup showdown.

But it was Bruce senior who came out on top thanks to superb second-half strikes from England Under-21 midfielder Lee Cattermole, his first for the club, French winger Olivier Kapo, Austrian central defender Paul Scharner and substitute Henri Camara.

Cattermole, a £3.5million summer signing from Middles-brough, fired Wigan in front just six minutes into the second half after Ipswich’s former England goalkeeper, Richard Wright, failed to hold a fiercely struck free-kick from Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacious.

Striker Jon Walters levelled for Ipswich after 62 minutes, volleying home winger Alan Quinn’s cross, before Kapo restored Wigan’s lead just three minutes later with a low, angled shot from close range.

Ipswich’s brave resistance was ended when Scharner struck for Wigan’s third goal five minutes later and the scoreline completed by Camara’s injury-time header. Ipswich were clear underdogs at the start, with Wigan boss

Bruce choosing to field his strongest available line-up.

But it was the home side who started the brighter with winger David Norris sending Chris Kirkland sprawling full length to shovel away his fifth-minute shot. Quinn then hit a long-range attempt narrowly over before drawing gasps from the home supporters with a powerful diving header – again just inches too high – after a perfectly delivered cross from Walters.

The Premier League outfit looked to hit back when Emile Heskey rounded off an 11th-minute attack with a fierce deflected shot that forced a desperate save from Richard Wright.

Wigan were soon hanging on grimly though, with Ipswich denied three times in the space of less than a minute as they relentlessly cranked up the pressure.

First, Kirkland performed wonders to palm away Tommy Miller’s stinging 26th-minute shot. Bruce junior made a bid give his father a headache with a lunging header, only to see it headed clear by Titus Bramble, who then hacked away a second goalbound effort from Ivan Campo.

It was brilliant, breathless stuff and both keepers were called on to make further saves before the half-time interval arrived.