Ipswich Town lost 1-0 at Wycombe Wanderers yesterday. STUART WATSON reflects on the action.
CHAPLIN'S CHANCE
After a pretty fragmented and scrappy beginning to this match, Ipswich started to figure out the puzzle.
Wycombe's threat down the left side was quelled and Town started to break the lines.
Conor Chaplin's cut back was blocked behind after Sam Morsy's driving run. Freddie Ladapo arrowed a shot narrowly over from the edge of the box following Kane Vincent-Young's forward charge. Wes Burns saw a sweeping low cross hacked behind.
It seemed only a matter of time before a Blues breakthrough.
When a fancy flick from Kayden Jackson and subsequent square pass from Morsy carved open the hosts, the ball arrived at the feet of exactly who you'd want it to in a central spot just inside the area...
Unfortunately, Chaplin didn't get hold of his first time effort and it was a comfortable collect for keeper Max Stryjek.
SWITCHING OFF
When Brandon Hanlan received the ball down the inside right there looked to be little danger on.
But he was able to shrug off the attentions of Cameron Humphreys, send Cameron Burgess to the shops with a drop of the shoulder and fire home before Richard Keogh could get across to cover.
From a nothing situation, and completely against the run of play, the Chairboys had scored.
For only the fourth time in 22 league games, Town had conceded the game's first goal.
FRUSTRATION
After the break Ipswich dominated possession, worked plenty of good positions and forced several corners.
But there was no way through against a gritty and experienced Wycombe side who were content to defend their one-goal advantage.
George Edmundson putting a towering header narrowly wide, following a teasing deep delivery from Humphreys, was as close as Town came to an equaliser in front of their 2,612-strong vocal away support.
Kieran McKenna made a triple change on 64 minutes, replacing Humphreys, Jackson and Chaplin with Lee Evans, Kyle Edwards and Sone Aluko.
Edwards often had Wycombe defenders back-peddling with some twists and turns, but wasn't able to provide a killer cross or shot.
Ladapo repeatedly dropped into dangerous pockets of space and rolled his marker, but him starting moves often left no-one in the box to attack the eventual cross.
McKenna chucked on Gassan Ahadme towards the end and switched to a 4-4-2, but the Blues continued to huff and puff.
In truth, in never felt like a goal was coming.
INJURY NEWS
There was some mixed news on the injury front after this game.
Lee Evans, as mentioned, made his first appearance in almost two momths.
The Welshman didn't put himself in the thick of the battle during his late cameo, often sitting right on the toes of the defence, but it was great to see such an influential player back out there and getting minutes.
It was also good to see Marcus Harness warming up ahead of the game. That suggests his comeback is not far away too.
The bad news is that, just as some midfield and attacking injuries start to clear up, the Blues are being hit with a spate of defensive ones.
Luke Woolfenden sat out this game with a minor adductor strain and could be back in time for the Boxing Day home clash with Oxford.
Richard Keogh replaced him in the team but was forced off at the break having received a kick to the calf.
George Edmundson came on for him but, McKenna revealed, shouldn't really have been playing due to an ongoing knee issue that needs to be managed.
Janoi Donacien, meanwhile, saw a run of 58 consecutive league starts end due to the ankle injury that forced him off against Peterborough.
PERSPECTIVE TIME
At the full-time whistle, Wycombe trio Stryjek, Alfie Mawson and Josh Scowen taunted the travelling Town fans.
This defeat hurt. It felt like a missed opportunity against a team that didn't play that well at a stadium that felt pretty quiet.
This isn't the first time we've seen possession without a punch against a low block. It's now one clean sheet in seven league games. It's two wins in six.
Those are all valid points to raise, but let's also maintain some perspective here.
This was only the third league defeat of the season. And Ipswich have arguably been the better side in all three of those matches (Plymouth, Lincoln and Wycombe). That speaks of a remarkable consistency in performance levels over a prolonged period.
Let's not forget that Ipswich have finished 11th, 9th and 11th since dropping into League One. We should all know by now that this division is not easy. You can't win them all. No-one does.
Town are 17 points ahead of where they were at this stage of last season. This time last year, we were all still digesting an FA Cup loss at Barrow.
Second at Christmas? I think everyone would have taken that before a ball was kicked.
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