Ipswich Town won 2-0 at Middlesbrough yesterday afternoon. Stuart Watson reflects on the action.
CHESS MATCH
Kieran McKenna and Michael Carrick, good friends and former Manchester United colleagues, spoke in the build-up about how they share a lot of football philosophies. The similarities in their team’s styles became apparent pretty quickly in this game.
The opening exchanges were chess-like. Both sides tried to bait the press, pass, probe, find the spare man and then switch up a gear. Styles make fights, as they say, and it felt like both fighters could read where the next punch was coming from.
It made for a chess-like game of limited clear-cut chances. Ultimately though, Town executed their principles that little bit more crisper and cleaner between both boxes though and were more clinical at both ends of the pitch.
Boro's official match report describing this as a 'smash and grab' away win is way off. Town played with chemistry, composure and control. Take the Blues on at their own game and you're in trouble. This is what you'd call a thoroughly professional away win.
SUB STRIKES
Conor Chaplin's sweet strike from the edge of the box, which flew into the top corner with the aid of a slight deflection off the head of former Blues defender Matt Clarke, broke the deadlock. That takes him to eight goals this season.
Town's talisman then turned provider in the second half, jumping on a loose ball and providing a whipped pass into the path of Omari Hutchinson for a coolly taken killer second. That's his fifth assist of the campaign.
Hutchinson, who had replaced Nathan Broadhead just after the hour, made it 22 goals scored by Town substitutes in 2023 (Humphreys, Burns, Ladapo x8, Edwards, Harness x4, Aluko, Jackson x2, Williams, Baggott, Taylor and Hutchinson). That accounts for close to 20% of the team's 111-goal total this year.
MR SMOOTH
The Czech to English translation of Hladky is, rather fittingly, 'smooth'. Town's keeper was, once again, exactly that.
Just as he has done all season, the 33-year-old produced some big saves at key moments. When Boro were starting to give their home fans some encouragement around the hour mark, he sprang to his left to keep out Emmanuel Latte Lath's header. Soon after it went to 2-0, he showed equally good reactions to prevent Luke Woolfenden turning into his own net.
Those two chances both came from deep dead ball deliveries. Boro's only really good opportunity from open play had been when Latte Lath side-footed wide inside the box soon after Chaplin's opener. Beyond that they rarely threatened.
Ipswich mixed up control of the ball, a high press and the odd spell of low block to good effect. Woolfenden repeatedly read danger and Cameron Burgess made several important blocks. This was a fully deserved first clean sheet since the 1-0 win at Bristol City on October 1.
Back to Mr Smooth. His contribution is always about far more than the saves. His comfort with the ball at his feet is a major part of what makes this team so good. One cushioned touch under pressure far from goal was outrageous. At the other end, opposite number Seny Dieng looked far more nervy in possession. That position was a big difference maker in this match.
MORSY DILEMMA
The only blot on the copybook was Sam Morsy picking up a booking deep into stoppage-time for kicking the ball away after a soft free-kick had been awarded.
Frustratingly, Town's influential skipper is now one yellow card away from a two-game ban heading into a crucial run of fixtures.
Will McKenna rest his midfield general for Tuesday night's trip to Watford in order to ensure he's available for next weekend's East Anglian derby clash with Norwich City at Portman Road?
Speaking after the game, the Blues boss suggested that won't be the case. "I've not thought too much about it yet," he said. "Tuesday night is a really tough game though and that aspect (of the team selection) will probably fall into that category."
I'd agree with that. There's no point over thinking it. There's the same three points on offer in midweek as any other match. Morsy could play against the Canaries and then miss Leeds and Leicester. What will be, will be.
GAP GROWS
That's three straight wins against sides that finished in the play-offs last season. Twenty games played, 48 points on the board.
Wins for Leicester and Leeds mean Ipswich remain a point behind the leaders and seven ahead of third. Southampton conceding a last-gasp equaliser at Watford means they are now 10 back. The gap to seventh, meanwhile, has increased to 18 points.
Seventy-five points normally secures a top-six finish. The Blues, incredibly, now need little more than a point a game to hit that magic marker. Incredible.
Not even the most optimistic Blues fan would have predicted life back in the Championship could have gone this well. This scenario would have seemed laughable as recently as February. Keep enjoying the ride.
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