Ipswich Town 4-3 Rotherham United: Blues win after stoppage-time drama

The Millers - who have claimed just four points on the road this season - took a shock second minute lead through Tom Eaves, but the Blues hit back as goals from Wes Burns (2) and Kieffer Moore gave them a 3-1 lead at the break.

After a scrappy start to the second period, Rotherham pulled a goal back on the hour mark when Hakeem Odoffin took advantage of a missed Vaclav Hladky punch to fire into an unguarded net. 

It looked like the victory had been let slip when, in the fourth minute of stoppage-time, sub Kayden Jackson was adjudged to have tripped Peter Kioso in the box and Cafu scored with a Panenka penalty.

A minute later, however, Ipswich won it when Jackson pulled the ball back in the box for Omari Hutchinson to take a touch, rifle home and raise the roof.

Three wins in the space of seven days sees Kieran McKenna's men leapfrog Southampton in the table after they lost 2-1 at home to Hull. The Blues also go level on points with second-place Leeds.

Wes Burns celebrates after getting Ipswich Town level. (Image: Steve Waller)

Town boss Kieran McKenna made three changes to the team that had started the hard-fought 2-1 win at Swansea three days’ earlier. Blackburn loanee Lewis Travis replaced Massimo Luongo in midfield, while Wes Burns and Jeremy Sarmiento replaced Omari Hutchinson and Nathan Broadhead respectively in the wide attacking roles. 

With less than two minutes on the clock, Rotherham took the lead following some hesitant home defending. Harry Clarke had the chance to clear, but instead looked to shield under pressure. Sam Clucas stuck out a foot to stab the ball forwards and Eaves opened up his body in the box to guide a cool finish across an exposed Vaclav Hladky. 

The Ipswich players and crowd responded well to that early set-back and it wasn’t long before Moore went close to scoring when leaping highest in the box to head a teasing Leif Davis deep dead ball delivery just wide of the far post.   

Town’s equaliser did arrive in the ninth minute. A period of pressure started when Sarmiento did superbly to spin his man and switch the play out to the right. Twice Burns saw crosses into the box cleared, but Rotherham were powerless when Sam Morsy clipped a ball back into the area for Burns to convert with a firm stooping header back across the keeper.   

Kieffer Moore wheels away in celebration after giving Town the lead. (Image: Steve Waller)

Burns came mightily close to scoring again three minutes later when he darted past Clucas down the right side of the box and rifled a low shot inches past the far post. 

Town did take the lead in the 14th minute through a slick move that had the crowd purring. Clarke’s pass up the line was perfectly-weighted, Burns once again won the foot race and then swept in an inch-perfect low cross for the late-arriving Moore to side-foot home on the run.  

There was a heart-in-mouth moment in the 20th minute when Moore, who was proving a real handful up top, sat down on the turf for some treatment. The sight of him eventually getting up to continue sparked a big cheer from the home fans. 

Town doubled their lead in the 29th minute with Burns getting his second of the game. The flying Welsh winger, having once again got free down the right of the box, saw his initial low shot beaten away by the keeper. Davis' follow-up shot was also kept out by Viktor Johansson, but Burns was there to stab the loose ball into an empty net. 

Rotherham midfielder Ollie Rathbone leaves the field following his heavy collision with the advertising boards. (Image: Steve Waller)

There was a concerning moment in the 34th minute when Rotherham midfielder Ollie Rathbone, following an innocuous tangle with Sarmiento, fell heavily into the advertising hoardings and required medical attention. Following a lengthy stoppage he eventually left the field, sat up, on a golf buggy to warm applause from home and away fans alike. 

After the game restarted, Burns had a great chance to seal a first-half hat-trick. Davis’ deep cross just evaded the head of Moore in the heart of the box and Burns, perhaps seeing it late, glanced a far post header the wrong side of the upright. 

The two lengthy breaks for injuries meant there was 10 minutes added on time at the end of the first half. Rotherham had the best of that period and Ipswich did well to defend several corners. 

McKenna replaced Sarmiento with Broadhead the break, the Welsh attacker given an opportunity to continue his fine run of form in front of goal. 
Lewis Travis (right) battles with Peter Kioso. (Image: Steve Waller)The second half started in scrappy, stop-start fashion. Burns required attention after an aerial duel with Peter Kioso, Luke Woolfenden felt he was caught by a flailing Eaves elbow, while Millers midfielder Tiehi also needed the physios on after a coming together with Morsy. 

Out of nowhere, Rotherham pulled a goal back on the hour mark. A long, high ball into the Ipswich box led to Hladky coming off his line and failing to connect with a punch over bodies. When the ball dropped, defender Hakeem Odoffin reacted quickest to fire into an unguarded net.

A slightly nervy spell followed that goal, but Ipswich then came close to restoring their two-gaol cushion in the 67th minute. Following Conor Chaplin's fine reverse pass under pressure, Burns shrugged off the attentions of Kioso in the box only to see his close-range effort well smothered by keeper Johansson.

McKenna replaced Travis and Chaplin with Luongo and Hutchinson respectively in the 72nd minute. Three minutes later he was forced to withdraw the injured Clarke, who has managed an Achilles issue all season, with Axel Tuanzebe.

A long punt upfield by Johansson led to Eaves winning the flick-on over Woolfenden. Thankfully, Davis was there to charge down Nombe's shot. A minute later, a ball into the Ipswich box from the left was not cleared and Nombe's shot on the turn thumped the outside of the left post.

With nerves in the air, Rotherham's late pressure resulted in an equaliser. Sub Jackson was adjudged to have tripped Kioso in the box and Cafu scored with a cheeky Panenka penalty.

Deflation soon turned to elation, however, when Jackson pulled the ball back for Hutchinson to snatch the most dramatic of winners.

IPSWICH TOWN (4-2-3-1): Hladky; Clarke (Tuanzebe 75), Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Travis (Luongo 72), Morsy (cpt); Burns (Jackson 88), Chaplin (Hutchinson 72), Sarmiento (Broadhead 46); Moore (Al-Hamadi 80). 

Unused subs: Walton, Humphreys, Harness. 

ROTHERHAM UNITED (3-5-2): Johansson; Odoffin, Morrison (cpt), Peltier (Humphreys 72); Kioso, Rinomhota (Cafu 86), Rathbone (Seriki 36), Tiehi, Clucas; Hugill (Nombe 72), Eaves (Wyke 86). 

Unused subs: Phillips, Ferguson, Lindsay, Appiah. 

Attendance: 28,026 (145 away)

Referee: Keith Stroud.