The West Stand Senior on Town vs Everton

Pre-match thoughts

It seems like an age since we made our way to Portman Road after two away games and the international call-ups.

Some say the break is a good thing—time to practice and train, but I’m not so sure. Many of the team were on International duty, so I think it was more likely to disrupt their club rhythm and training routines.

I fear that until they have had a run of games together, they will not have had time to form a truly cohesive unit. Mauricio, my companion on the train, was of the same opinion.

First half

It would seem that Jack Clarke's missed chance early on set the theme for the rest of the game. 

A defensive mistake by Burns led to the first goal by Iliman Ndiaye, who fired home from close range in the 17th minute.

Ipswich 0-1 Everton.

Jack Clarke slipped through several defenders before he tangled with McNeil in front of goal. Referee Michael Oliver (of World Cup experience) pointed to the spot, but the decision was sadly overturned following a VAR check.

Defending was again our downfall in the 40th minute when Dwight McNeil set up Michael Keane, who blasted home a clever left-foot shot from a tight angle into the top of the net.

Ipswich 0-2 Everton.

There were other missed chances and mistakes on our part in this half, but it still felt like a game waiting to be won.

Second half

This half was more even in play, with the ball going from one end to the other.

Delap hit the crossbar, and Chaplin fired into Pickford’s waiting arms. A headed ball from Burgess landed on the roof of the net.

There was still the feeling that a goal was possible, especially given past experience.

At the end, with substitutes, eight members of our team were on the pitch who had been part of the winning squads for the last two seasons, and it was one of the best spells of pressure in the game for us.

It was good to see Conor Chaplin on the pitch, thus allowing Omari Hutchinson to be more effective on the right, though he played well throughout. Cam Burgess, George Hirst, and Harry Clarke were also deployed late on.

Round up

So many fans are budding managers with strong views about who should start, where, etc. We all have favourite players for many different reasons. When you think how much these opinions differ, it highlights the difficulty of the role.

My two penn’orth* is they need to start putting away more of the near misses.  Too many lofted over the top today; I prescribe a week of shooting practice.

*For younger readers, ‘my two penn’orth’ (two penny’s worth) is old English for ‘my opinion’.

It still feels like the team is being tinkered with to find the best balance and combination of starters. I’m sure Kieron knows what he is looking for—let’s hope he finds it soon. Of course, injuries don’t help this process.

I do think Everton have been underrated by many, as their start to the season was underwhelming. However, they have since started to pick up in the last three games. They finished 15th last season with an 8-point penalty deduction, which is not too shabby under those circumstances.

To put this game into perspective, Everton hold the record for playing the most seasons in the top flight of English football, only playing four seasons outside the first tier since the creation of the Football League in 1888. The club have played at the top level continuously since 1954.

Our men of the match: Omari Hutchinson, Luke Woolfenden and Ari Muric.

View from the train

The train appeared to be full of quiet Evertonians. The town fans were a little subdued but not miserable—we had become accustomed to winning, but we must ultimately be realistic.

At home, I was interested to see that the BBC said Everton were worthy winners, with Ipswich having only two shots on target, but then made Pickford the Man of the Match with an 8.93 score. Does that not seem counterintuitive?