Ipswich Town beat Plymouth Argyle 3-2 in a Championship match at Portman Road yesterday afternoon. Stuart Watson reflects on the action.
ONE TO SAVOUR
More than 300 miles separate these two clubs, but a mini rivalry has started to grow over the last year or so.
Ipswich can feel very hard done by to have only taken one point from their two games against Plymouth last season.
In September 2022, they were 1-0 up at fortress Home Park with little more than 20 minutes to go having had chances to kill the game off. Bali Mumba and Morgan Whittaker both scored from outside the box to turn the game on its head and goalkeeper Christian Walton subsequently saw a late header tipped onto the bar.
There was more agony in this fixture back in January when Mumba, from outside the box again, fired in a stoppage-time equaliser, via the aid of a slight deflection, to salvage the Pilgrims a 1-1 draw.
Of course, Steven Schumacher's men went on to pip the Blues to the title in a high quality League One promotion race. They ended up on 101 points compared to Ipswich's 98. 'Fair play', seemed to be the general consensus among Ipswich fans just relieved a four-year stay in the third-tier was over. Many Argyle supporters, however, seemed a little aggrieved that all the flowers were being thrown in the direction of the team that had finished second.
All of the above gave this clash a little extra edge. There's no doubting Ipswich players and fans enjoyed this win.
NOT AGAIN!
George Hirst failed to take a big chance in the second minute after Ipswich had swiftly worked their way from goalkeeper to six-yard box. Had that stabbed effort gone in then things may have been different.
Instead, it was Plymouth who took an early lead via their own crisp move through the thirds. Whittaker stepping inside from the right and bending a sublime left-footed effort inside the far side-netting brought back memories of Mumba's goal from a similar spot at that end of the field nine months earlier. Argyle, once again, had scored against Ipswich from outside the box.
After that, Town's play lacked some of its usual rhythm and quality. A slack Sam Morsy pass could have led to Whittaker scoring a second. At the other end, Plymouth defended with focus and spirit. Omari Hutchinson saw a lot of the ball wide right, but was never quite able to fashion a clear cut opening. Not enough was made of a high corner count.
As half-time approached, you sensed the atmosphere inside another packed Portman Road just starting to drop off.
BIG TALKING POINT
When Mustapha Bundu knocked the ball out of his feet on the halfway line, George Edmundson was left frantically chasing. In the end he was forced into a desperate late lunge as the former Anderlecht front man was about to burst into the box.
Bundu went sprawling. Uh oh. Would it be a penalty or free-kick? Would it be a red or yellow card? My instinct was the initial contact was outside the box and that the covering runs of Brandon Williams and Luke Woolfenden meant it would be the latter in both cases. What I didn't expect was the referee to give nothing.
Slow motion replays suggest Edmundson may have got a sliver of the ball and that the contact with Bundu's ankle was minimal. I do still think this one is probably a foul though (and that's coming from someone who loves a last-ditch tackle). If you're going to jump in from behind like that you have to make cleaner contact.
Schumacher was left 'fuming' by the incident afterwards. Did it really change the game though? Plymouth may not have scored from a free-kick. Ipswich's equaliser didn't come from a direct counter. Yes, Edmundson got booked in the second half (softly in my opinion) but he probably wouldn't have made that tackle had he already been on a booking.
I don't think we should take too long dwelling on this moment.
TURNAROUND TOWN
For the third time this season, Ipswich turned things around after going behind at Portman Road.
In first half stoppage-time, Massimo Luongo's inventive backheel flick during a penalty box scramble at a corner was heading straight into the arms of keeper Cooper. Then Mumba dived in to divert the ball past him.
I thought the rule was that if the original shot was on target then the attacker gets credited with the goal. Still, a former Norwich man who has been an Ipswich nemesis getting credited with the OG made for a nice bit of schadenfreude.
Ipswich didn't start the second half well. Twice Leif Davis gave the ball away sloppily to groans. Then, in the 54th minute, he responded by curving a perfectly-weighted pass up the inside left channel for George Hirst to chase off the last shoulder. The Town striker got away from Dan Scarr and provided a cool finish past the on-rushing Cooper.
SUPER SAVES
Hutchinson could have killed the game off just before the hour mark following a smart bit of skill in the box. His shot was deflected inches wide though.
After that Ipswich really rode their luck for a spell as Plymouth pushed for a leveller.
Twice the visitors worked glorious openings in the final third, but weren't quite able to play the killer final pass.
Then Vaclav Hladky came to Town's rescue with two outstanding stops - the first a one-handed save to claw away Scarr's powerful goalbound header at a corner and the second a one-on-one stop from Joe Edwards with his legs after Town had been carved open.
Ipswich wouldn't have as many points on the board this season without their Czech keeper. They probably wouldn't have scored as many goals either given his vital role in playing out from the back. Walton isn't getting back in this team any time soon.
GETTING IT DONE (JUST)
Jack Taylor stepped off the bench to give Town some renewed energy and composure in midfield. He and Morsy were both involved in the build-up to a trademark Davis cut-back being finished off, at the second attempt, by fellow sub Marcus Harness. With 86 minutes played, that should have made for a comfortable finish. It didn't quite work out like that though.
A drop in concentration and some tired closing down led to Plymouth pulling a goal back when Mumba set up Edwards in the box. McKenna said afterwards 'there are so many phases of that goal that I didn't like'.
Ipswich still had five minutes of added time to negotiate. Some smart game management thankfully saw them get over the line.
WINNING HABIT
It's often said that the sign of a good side is being able to win when they're not at their best. That was certainly the case here.
Just like in the 1-0 win at Bristol City in midweek, Town rode their luck at times but were ultimately able to get the job done.
Three more goals at home, three more points in the bag. That's 50 league wins under McKenna now (in just 82 games). Momentum is a powerful thing.
Are these sort of scorelines on Suffolk soil sustainable? Might more teams start to wise up how to play against the Blues? Will this brand of football be as effective on heavier pitches during the winter months? That’s all up for debate.
What’s fact is that Ipswich have beaten five of the current top eight, that there's a nine point cushion to Leeds in third, a 12 point gap to Sunderland in seventh and a game in hand to come.
A hell of a platform has been put in place.
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