Ipswich Town drew 2-2 with Morecambe this afternoon. Andy Warren hands out his player ratings.
Vaclav Hladky
The first debutant on the team sheet had, in all honesty, little to do in this game other than pick the ball out of the net twice. He was beaten from a tight angle and a clever finish for Cole Stockton’s first and was left exposed by Luke Woolfenden’s error for the second, which saw him rounded before the striker turned the ball home. 6
Kane Vincent-Young
Gave Morecambe left-back Liam Gibson a tough time throughout this game, clearly having him for pace and turning him towards his own goal, without truly being able to make it count in the first half. It was he who gave the ball to the visitors for Cole Stockton’s opener and he nearly made amends with a second-half shot deflected wide by Gibson. Kept playing for 90 minutes – it's great to see him back. He has further gears to find, which is to be expected. 7
Toto Nsiala
Sadly the big defender’s day lasted just 38 minutes before he pulled up holding his hamstring and left the pitch with his shirt pulled up over his face. Prior to being replaced by Janoi Donacien, Nsiala had put in a solid display, though he was unable to cut Stockton’s opener out on the line having backed off as the Morecambe forward drifted past a succession of Town defenders. 6
Luke Woolfenden
In general, this was a solid enough display from the academy graduate but he and the rest of the Ipswich defence won’t be happy with the two goals they conceded. The first saw Stockton weave his way through the Town defence, with Woolfenden not able to get to him as Evans steamed back into his path to try and help out, before Morecambe’s second saw the defender robbed of possession before the striker rolled the ball into the net. Penney's pass to him was a little under hit, it must be said. 5
Matt Penney
The only member of the back four to make a debut, Penney had a busy afternoon as he got up and down the left flank. His first half included an excellent ball for Fraser and another shot into the side netting, even if he sometimes took poor touches or lost possession in the final third. He continued to get up and down throughout the game, putting in a couple of dangerous crosses, with his pass to Woolfenden intercepted by Stockton for Morecambe's second. 6
Lee Evans
This afternoon’s skipper saw plenty of the ball and produced some excellent passes as he and partner Rekeem Harper moved it around the pitch, hitting full-backs seemingly at will. He keeps the ball really nicely and is very responsible with it, but he and Harper will want to be able to thread attacking players into dangerous positions more often. That’s a minor criticism because he and Harper combined nicely and look like they could become a driving force. 7
Rekeem Harper
Like Evans, he saw plenty of the ball and the big Portman Road crowd was treated to a good showing of the skill and ability to turn out of tight areas the new signing possesses. A solid start for a player with big potential. 7
Wes Burns
The Welshman started on the right flank and produced a few driving runs, just as he did on pre-season. He had spells where he was very quiet and then others where he combined with Vincent-Young well. He and the rest of the Ipswich forwards are going to have some serious competition for places this season, which should hopefully bring the best out of them. 6
Scott Fraser
The first new signing to net for Ipswich as the Scot swept home an excellent shot after picking up a clever position inside the box as he exchanged passes with Conor Chaplin. Started on the left but played narrow, looking to get involved whenever he could His goal brought a huge cheer, only surpassed by Macauley Bonne’s equaliser. He will hope to (and surely will) produce a more consistent set-piece delivery as the season goes on. 7
Conor Chaplin
In from the start as Paul Cook’s No.10 and, in truth, he really struggled to get into the game during the first 45 minutes, touching the ball just 11 times. That meant the midfield and attack struggled to connect, leaving Pigott isolated at times. He was more involved after the break, combining superbly with Fraser for Ipswich’s equaliser. There’s more to come. 5
Joe Pigott
The Blues’ newly-minted No.9’s first chance in an Ipswich shirt saw him cleverly angle a header onto the roof of the net from a corner and that’s really as close as he came to goal during the first half. That changed at the start of the second period as his clever feet allowed him to have a shot saved from range at the start of the second. That’s as good as it got before he was replaced. Away from goal he had some good linking moments and won some good headers, but didn’t truly find his groove. 6
Janoi Donacien (for Nsiala, 38)
An unexpected return to the heart of defence for a man who is back at the club following his loan at Fleetwood. And, after replacing Toto Nsiala, he was solid throughout. There was one nervy moment where it looked as though he had picked up an injury but, thankfully, he was good to carry on. 6
James Norwood (for Pigott, 78)
Was clearly fired up to come off the bench in this game and put himself about for the duration of his time on the pitch, treading a bit of a tightrope after some questionable refereeing decisions ultimately saw him booked. He produced an excellent flick-on for Bonne’s equaliser. 6
Macauley Bonne (for Chaplin, 78)
This day could only have been more perfect for the former Chantry student if his goal had ultimately been the winner. This goal is something the boyhood Town fan will have dreamed of for years, as he produced an excellent finish before madly celebrating in front of the North Stand. Hopefully the first of many. 7
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