Millwall 0-4 Ipswich Town: Stuart Watson's verdict

Sam Morsy wins a header at Millwall. (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

FIRST FIFTEEN 

Ipswich have conceded a lot of goals in the opening 15 minutes of games this season, leaving themselves damage to undo. That could easily have been the case again in this match. 

In the opening quarter of an hour, Town conceded five corners and four free-kicks. Time-and-time again, Millwall sent dead balls into the Blues’ box and looked to pick up the bits and pieces. Ipswich couldn’t get out their own half, but survived the early storm thanks to a mixture of strong defending, smart goalkeeping and a touch of fortune. 

George Saville fired one chance over and twice stung the palms of Vaclav Hladky. On another day (see Preston away) one of those shots through the crowd would have found the net via a deflection. 

Harry Clarke’s superb charge back to snuff out a counter-attack opportunity for Tom Bradshaw also deserves mention in this section too. 

Nathan Broadhead celebrates after giving Ipswich the lead. (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

IN-GAME TEAM TALK 

In the 15th minute, Omari Hutchinson sat down on the turf in the middle of the pitch. Skipper Sam Morsy was keen to bring this to the referee’s attention. The game was subsequently stopped for the Chelsea loanee to receive treatment. To my eye, it wasn’t really clear what the injury was Hutchinson - a real livewire in the No.10 role - was soon able to continue. 

Was that a tactical move by Town? Maybe. The two-minute break in play allowed the entire team to come over and receive instructions from Kieran McKenna, Martyn Pert, Lee Grant and Rene Gilmartin, with Charlie Turnbull having relayed messages from the stands. 

Asked what had been said in those discussions, McKenna replied: “We said needed to give less fouls away because it wasn’t taking much contact or any contact at times for them to go down to try and earn the free-kicks. 

“Then, tactically, there were a couple of things we discussed. Millwall’s defensive shape was sometimes in between a back four and back five with (Danny) McNamara’s role and it was just about everyone understanding the pictures. 

“We expected them to press in a different way than they did, so it was just a few little details for us to get on top of. Once we did that and got control of the game with the ball, we never really looked back.” 

Kieffer Moore (left) celebrates with Nathan Broadhead after heading Town 3-0 up just before the break. (Image: Ross Halls)

A HELPING HAND 

Once that aforementioned team talk had helped Town solve the puzzle, Millwall’s defence looked at sixes and sevens. It felt only a matter of time before Ipswich took the lead. 

The move for the opening goal started with a cushioned Luke Woolfenden header at the back (something that had been worked on in the warm-up). Things like that sometimes go unnoticed. From there, Sam Morsy’s hooked pass into the channel was given chase to by Wes Burns. His perseverance led to Jake Cooper being robbed of possession. Cooper then got himself in a real muddle to concede a corner.  

Town punished that comedy of errors. After Leif Davis’ delivery was cleared back to him, the ball was worked to Hutchinson on the edge of the box and his teasing cross led to an inventive, flicked headed finish from Nathan Broadhead over poorly-positioned keeper Matija Sarkic. It was the first time since the Norwich game back in mid-December that Ipswich had taken the lead in a league game. 

Eight minutes later, Town got a helping hand for their second too.  Yes, it’s a cool piece of playing out from the back by Hladky. Yes, it’s a fine pass over the top by Massimo Luongo. Broadhead’s low cross wasn’t set to find a teammate though. Thankfully, Wes Harding’s outstretched foot diverted the ball into his own net. Tow had earnt that bit of fortune though.

Town added a third in first-half stoppage time when, following a smart one-two between Clarke and Hutchinson, Kieffer Moore’s downward header at the far post bounced down into the turf and looped over the keeper and a defender to find the net. 

In the previous three games (West Brom, Preston and Maidstone), Ipswich produced 84 shots on goal – 29 of them on target – and ended up with just five goals to show for their efforts. In this game, they had just eight shots on goal (four on target) and came away with four goals. 

“I think we were long due a night like that, to be honest,” said McKenna. “If you look at it statistically, over the last nine games (W1 D6 L2) we’ve been creating more shots and having less against us than we were in the first nine games of the season (W7 D1 L1). Sometimes football works like that. 

“Tonight we were clinical, had little bits of fortune and we produced the defensive moments whenever we needed to.” 

Omari Hutchinson produced a lively display in the No.10 role. (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

CRUISE CONTROL 

With a three-goal lead, the second half was a bit of a non-event. Millwall switched to a 4-1-4-1 system in an attempt at damage limitation. Ipswich bossed possession to the sound of ‘oles’ from a packed away end. It won’t have thrilled any neutrals watching on TV, but it was smart game management given there’s a long trip to Swansea coming up on Saturday. 

Whenever the Lions did get balls into the Ipswich box, Town defended strongly. Moore’s presence is crucial in both boxes. Cameron Burgess, back in the side following his Asian Cup exploits, added some physicality. Hladky confidently claimed a couple of high balls. Burns charging back to win the ball in his own half in the 84th minute showed how much desire Town had to secure their first clean sheet since the goalless draw at Stoke on New Year’s Day. 

Ali Al-Hamadi is bundled over by Murray Wallace to win a penalty. (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

A SELFLESS ACT 

On came the subs in dribs and drabs to freshen things up in the latter stages. Jeremy Sarmiento should have made it four when he side-footed a Wes Burns cut-back wide. The packed away end which Town were shooting towards in the second half weren’t to be denied a joyous moment though. 

Hladky’s huge throw led to Conor Chaplin expertly sliding fellow sub Ali Al-Hamadi away. The Iraqi international then produced a mixture of strength and skill to chop inside Ryan Leonard before getting bundled over from behind by Murray Wallace when entering the box. For only the second time this season, Ipswich were awarded a penalty. 

Captain Morsy suggested it might be nice for Al-Hamadi to open his Ipswich account. The 21-year-old – who has now produced three very lively cameo displays following a January move from AFC Wimbledon – coolly tucked away the spot-kick. 

Ali Al-Hamadi tucks away the spot-kick for his first Ipswich Town goal. (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

Massive kudos to Chaplin, the most obvious penalty taker on the field at the time, for being so selfless. This was the first time in a year that he’d not started a league game. He’d only scored one in his previous 11 and would have been itching to get on the scoresheet himself. But the Blues forward, one of many ‘captains’ in this dressing room, recognised the value in a young man who has just stepped up two divisions feeling the love on Valentine’s Day. 

Hearing close to 3,000 fans chant his name will have left Al-Hamadi feeling 10 feet tall.  

PROMOTION PICTURE 

Could recent history be about to repeat? The wins dried up for Ipswich during a challenging winter period last season that included injuries, suspensions and some misfortune. Kieran McKenna insisted results would pick up if his players stuck to the process and so it proved. 

A spirited 2-2 comeback home draw with Sheffield Wednesday was soon followed by a 4-0 thrashing of Forest Green and the team, boosted by January recruits, rediscovered some powerful momentum in a run of games against struggling sides. 

Kieran McKenna shows Conor Chaplin some love following the full-time whistle. (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

Sound familiar? The Blues have just had a stirring 2-2 comeback draw with West Brom at Portman Road and put Millwall to the sword 4-0. Moore, Al-Hamadi, Sarmiento and Lewis Travis are having an impact. The gap to second-place Leeds has been cut to three points with a game in hand on them to come. With Southampton to play at Portman Road on Easter Monday, automatic promotion is technically still in Town’s hands (though Leeds’ goal difference is far superior). 

The eight fixtures leading up to that big Saints clash are all against sides currently sitting between 11th and 24th, starting with Saturday’s trip to Swansea. 

Replicating last season’s incredible charge over the finishing line – 13 wins from the final 15 – is, of course, going to be near-on impossible in the Championship. Others will have their slip-ups too though as the pressure builds. They'll feel it if the underdogs refuse to simply fade away as all, externally at least, had predicted.

McKenna has now had 100 league games in charge (W57 D31 L12 Pts 202). No team across the top four divisions – including Manchester City – have claimed more points in that same period. Wow. 

Whatever happens, keep backing these boys to the hilt. Forgive them slightly off days and show each and every one of them the love. They’ve certainly earned that. Special teams like this don’t come around very often. Don’t take that for granted.