In a much-improved performance, Ipswich experienced multiple highs and lows before coming away with nothing from an incredible game at the Gtech Stadium. Alex Osborn reports.
Finding themselves 3-2 behind and down to ten men, Ipswich thought they had gained a point after a late Delap leveller, only to concede a dreadful goal in the 95th minute.
Quiet opening
Brentford have made a habit of scoring very early goals this season, so it was a relief when the first couple of minutes ended with the score still 0-0. In fact, it was Ipswich that made the stronger start, forcing a couple of corners in the first five minutes.
The following 20 minutes passed relatively quietly, with Brentford having slightly the better of play without really threatening. There was nothing in the opening 25 minutes to suggest what would happen in the rest of the half.
Goal frenzy
Town found themselves 2-0 up from out of nowhere, and both goals were excellent.
The first came from a penetrating through ball from Philips to Hirst, making his full Premier League debut. Hirst got a little lucky when his attempted flick came back into his path off a defender. Still, he played a lovely ball into the path of Szmodics, who opened his body before clinically finishing into the corner.
Town fans had barely had time to celebrate the goal when the second arrived. Chaplin picked the ball up in the centre and drove at Brentford before hitting a fabulous reverse pass into the path of Hirst. Hirst still had plenty to do but dinked a tremendous finish over Flekken into the corner of the net for his maiden Premier League goal in scintillating style.
Town’s joy at going 2-0 up was tempered by the loss of Ogbene, who was stretchered off with what looked like a serious achilles injury.
At 2-0, it was clear the next goal would be crucial, and it should have gone to Town. Some excellent pressing at a Brentford goal kick left Szmodics with a clear shot on goal, but Flekken was able to save his shot in what was arguably an easier chance than the earlier goal he scored.
Turnaround before half-time
Town’s position of strength completely evaporated before half-time with a major collapse.
In their first real attack, Brentford managed to carve us open after 43 minutes, resulting in Wissa sweeping home a good team move. Worse was to come 2 minutes later, when Brentford broke too easily through the midfield and played in Wissa, whose shot found its way into the net off Harry Clarke, who had slid in to attempt a last-ditch clearance.
There was an agonising wait as VAR checked a very tight offside decision, but there was no reprieve for Town.
The half-time whistle finally went, with Town grateful to get inside and regroup. It was frustrating to give up a hard-earned two-goal advantage just before the break.
Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke had a strong first half and was unlucky to concede the own goal. His bad luck continued in the second half as he lost a tightly contested battle with Lewis-Potter. After 50 minutes, a long ball out to the wing saw Lewis-Potter head past Clarke, who was now on the wrong side, hauling down the Brentford player.
The referee initially awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, but a VAR intervention changed this to a penalty on the basis that the main pullback happened in the box. This was an arguable decision, but Clarke was shown a yellow, and Mbeumo slotted home the penalty.
Clarke was now struggling to contain Lewis-Potter, and in the 70th minute, he caught him on the edge of the box, resulting in a second yellow and Town’s first red card of the season. Replays suggested he may have been unlucky as he appeared to get the ball before the player. Fortunately, Damsgaard’s finely struck free kick went narrowly over, but his own goal, red card, and penalty conceded do not make for pretty reading on his full Premier League debut.
Added time heartbreak
Town did well with ten men and still looked like they could threaten with Delap and Jack Clarke adding fresh legs up front. Muric kept us in the game with good saves from Wissa and Damsgaard.
Ipswich then struck with a brilliant goal in the 85th minute. Davis found himself in space down the left and whipped in a brilliant cross that Delap flicked past the keeper with a skilful finish, resulting in joyous celebrations for the Town fans in the corner at that end.
Seven minutes of added time felt ominous, but when Collins blazed over a glorious chance in the 92nd minute, it seemed that Town would hold on. However, disaster struck with two minutes left when Mbeumo whipped in a low cross that Muric fatally left, assuming it would get a touch, only for the ball to settle in the corner of the net. This was a horrendous mistake from the Ipswich number one and proved costly.
The game was still not done. Town pushed forward, and Delap cut in from the left before firing in a tremendous shot that cannoned back off the post. It just wasn’t to be, and Town ended up with nothing from a game they had given so much to. It was heartbreaking not to at least come away with what would have been a hard and brilliantly earned point, considering our injury crisis.
Town's injury crisis
Injuries are really impacting the team now. Greaves, Tuanzebe, and Johnson are missing from defence; Morsy, Taylor, and Luongo are all absentees in midfield, and Hutchinson was declared ill before the game. Ogbene’s serious-looking injury during the game will not help matters.
Despite these absences, Town played with a lot of cohesion. Cajuste and Phillips did well in midfield, with the latter a big improvement on recent performances. Chapman reminded us of his abilities in the ten role with his lovely assist for Hirst’s goal.
The injuries have definitely most impacted the defence. I think results would have been much better had Tuanzebe and Greaves stayed fit. Tuanzebe, especially, has been a season-changing loss. The fact that we have used three different options at right back in the three games we have missed sums up how large his impact is on the defence.
Interestingly, after Burns came on for Ogbene, we had 6 players on the pitch who had been part of the League One promotion team, an impressive level of progression through the leagues for those players.
Clinical finishing
From the last two defeats, there was a sense that Town were really struggling to create and convert chances at this level. Today’s performance was much better, with three expertly taken goals against a strong and well-drilled opposition.
George Hirst played well up front on his debut at this level and took his goal superbly. Szmodics was much more involved in the first half than in previous matches, although they faded in the second.
Delap continued with his amazing start to life at this level with another excellent finish and the agonising late striking of the post, again showing his shooting power.
It was nice to see Chaplin back in the team. Although he can be quiet for long periods of the game, his ability to cut open a defence makes him a dangerous player to have on the pitch.
Defensive woes
Whilst the team was more menacing in attack, the defensive frailties we have seen in recent matches are still present. The gap between the defence and the midfield is too large, and it remains too easy to carve us open.
Although Brentford’s first two goals were well executed, it seemed far too simple for them to slice through our midfield and defence, highlighting a recurring issue with the gap between the defence and the midfield being too large. The penalty and winning goal were both the result of errors.
Town must cut out these mistakes if we are to start winning games. To score three goals away from home and come away with nothing will be very frustrating for everyone at the club.
Confidence
Kieran McKenna said he took great pride in the performance and the quality and resilience shown by the team. Despite recent poor performances, they certainly didn’t seem to lack confidence and showed a lot of fight to stay in the game when down to ten men.
However, the lack of a win and only four points from nine matches must be starting to impact confidence levels, which are crucial in football. Let’s hope that the players take away the positives from this game rather than dwelling on the manner in which a point was lost at the end.
Moment of the match
It could have been any of our goals, but I’ll go for Delap’s equaliser, which looked to have given us a point when all seemed lost. Davis’ brilliant cross was a lovely reminder of his attacking abilities.
Next up
Town are at home to Leicester, who narrowly pipped Town to the Championship title last season. Leicester are the only promoted team to have won this season and the pressure will all be on Town to try and secure our first win of the season.
This is simply a must-win game if we are to have any chance of staying up this season. A real six-pointer. Win, and we are only two points behind them, lose, and they open up a 9-point gap to us. Hopefully some of our players will have returned from injury by then, it is crucial that we go into this game with as strong a squad as possible.
Player ratings
Muric 4, Clarke 4, O’Shea 5, Burgess 6, Davis 6, Cajuste 6, Phillips 6, Szmodics 6, Chaplin 6, Ogbene 6, Hirst 8 (MOTM).
Subs: Burns 6, Woolfenden 6, Clarke 6, Delap 7, Townsend N/A.
