Ipswich Town produced a performance Sir Bobby Robson would have been proud of as they eased past Forest Green Rovers this afternoon.
On what would have been the great man’s 90th birthday, Ipswich scored early through Conor Chaplin and never looked back, responding well in the wake of Tuesday night’s disappointment in Bristol.
Nathan Broadhead, who was excellent throughout his time on the field, doubled the Ipswich advantage before the break, with Chaplin adding his second of the afternoon on the hour as he arrived late in the box to turn a low cross home.
With supporters applauding to mark Robson’s FA Cup win with 78 minutes on the clock, substitute Freddie Ladapo added the fourth to complete the scoring and send the home support away, happy with what they’d seen.
Victory takes Town back above Bolton and into third once again, with both Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth now eight points ahead of Kieran McKenna’s men.
Next up is a visit to MK Dons next weekend.
McKenna reverted to the side which drew 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday a week ago, which meant four changes to the team which drew at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night.
Three of them came at the front end of the pitch, where George Hirst, Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin returned to the starting XI, with Wes Burns keeping his place on the right.
Sam Morsy and Cameron Humphreys continued in the middle of midfield, with Harry Clarke replacing Janoi Donacien and joining Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess and Leif Davis in defence, ahead of goalkeeper Christian Walton.
Town were instantly on the attack, with Chaplin stinging the palms of visiting keeper Ross Doohan, before sweeping the Blues into the lead after just three minutes as he took a brilliant Broadhead pass and beat the Rovers stopper into the corner of the net.
With Ipswich in control, Davis pushed forward on the left side and saw a deflected shot saved, before a long Clarke ball saw Hirst bring it under control, then look to lob keeper Doohan from inside the penalty area. He couldn’t quite get the ball down quick enough, as it clipped the bar on its way over the top.
Broadhead’s brilliant touch saw him spin away from Oliver Casey before seeing his shot well-saved by Doohan, with Burns sending a left-footed shot straight at the keeper a few minutes later.
Town’s fast start slowed down slightly but the advantage was soon doubled when a short Ipswich corner resulted in Humphreys delivering a teasing ball which landed perfectly onto the foot of Broadhead, who did the rest as he turned the ball into the back of the net.
The hosts continued to push before the break, with Chaplin seeing a shot blocked and balls into the area testing the Rovers defence without landing at Ipswich feet, before the sides headed to the home dressing room with Ipswich two to the good.
Hirst had a chance to make it three, right at the start of the second half when a Davis ball through the penalty landed at his feet, with his effort turned away by Casey before it reached the goal.
McKenna’s first change saw Humphreys replaced by Massimo Luongo, just before the hour, with the Aussie involved almost immediately as he kept the ball alive inside the box, which eventually allowed Davis to send in a cross which was turned home well by Chaplin.
The Town boss’s next move saw Ladapo, Kayden Jackson and Kyle Edwards introduced in place of Hirst, Burns and Broadhead, before Chaplin was denied a chance of a hat-trick when he was replaced by Harness a few minutes later.
Ladapo got his name on the scoresheet as he turned home a Burgess nod back across the box, from a deep Davis free-kick, with supporters already applauding in memory of Robson.
Davis hit the post as he arrived late on the edge of the box, driving low but seeing his shot bounce away, and Ladapo headed wide before the full-time whistle blew and put the league’s bottom side out of their misery.
Ipswich Town: Walton; Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Humphreys (Luongo, 59); Burns (Jackson, 68), Chaplin (Harness, 77), Broadhead (Edwards, 68); Hirst (Ladapo, 68)
Subs: Hladky, Donacien, Harness
Forest Green Rovers: Doohan, Bernard, Casey, Cooper, Robson, Stevenson, Savage (McCann, 74), Peart-Harris (Clarke, 74), O'Keeffe (O’Brien, 74), Garrick (Omotye, 54), Bakayoko (Godwin-Malife, 63)
Subs: Thomas, Brown
Att: 24,804 (225 Forest Green fans)
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