Ipswich Town returned to the top of the Championship with an incredible 3-2 win against Southampton, striking in the final seconds of stoppage time to take all three points.
The Blues took an early lead through Leif Davis' stunning strike, but the visitors responded with two goals in a matter of minutes to take the lead. Substitutions gave Town some fresh ideas, however, and Nathan Broadhead struck in the second half to make it 2-2.
Just as time looked to be running out, Jeremy Sarmiento popped up to flick a shot into the bottom left corner, sending the home fans delirious in IP1.
Ipswich came out of the blocks quickly. Their best chance came in the sixth minute as Conor Chaplin found space to play the ball into the box for Kieffer Moore, but the striker tried to leave it for Omari Hutchinson, who wasn’t in the right position to pick it up.
They managed to build on their impressive start, taking the lead in the 13th minute as Sam Morsy controlled the ball outside the area before pinging a pinpoint pass towards Davis on the left. He took a touch before launching a fierce strike into the roof of the net from a tight angle as Portman Road erupted.
The noise was killed off just seconds later as Southampton equalised. A run down the right allowed Joe Aribo to set up Che Adams for a shot from point-blank range, turning it into the goal to make it 1-1 amid furious protests from Town’s players.
The match had become incredibly open, with the Saints finding spaces in Ipswich’s back line to begin carving out some concrete chances. It took until the 24th minute for them to take the lead, as Stuart Armstong exploited a gap down the left before playing a through ball to Adam Armstrong, who slotted the ball into the net to put his side ahead.
Things went from bad to worse in the latter stages before half time as Kieffer Moore pulled up with a back injury. He tried to play on, but it ultimately proved to be too much as he was withdrawn for Ali Al-Hamadi in the 36th minute.
Soon after, Kayden Jackson was brought down after making a surging run into the box, but referee Michael Salisbury opted against giving a penalty as Southampton pushed down the other end, where Armstrong fired a shot just wide of the post.
Ipswich showed an improvement after the break, but Southampton had the best chance in the opening minutes after the interval as Jackson was penalised for a tussle with Ryan Fraser. James Bree delivered the free-kick onto the head of Jan Bednarek, who forced Vaclav Hladky into an excellent diving save in the 53rd minute.
It was the moment that really brought the second half to life, turning it into the end-to-end clash that everyone knew it had the potential to be. A slick attack from Town was stopped as Jackson's cross missed Al-Hamadi in the box. The Saints countered and Flynn Downes played in Fraser down the left, but Hladky make the save once again.
A triple substitution gave Town some fresh legs. On came Harry Clarke, Jack Taylor and Broadhead, the latter of whom showed quick feet to play Al-Hamadi in on the edge of the area, hitting the post.
It was clear that something was brewing. In the 68th minute, Ipswich found their equaliser as Davis set up Taylor. The midfielder's first-time pass picked out Broadhead, who had plenty of space to curl a low shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-2.
Portman Road erupted once more, and the atmosphere built as the hosts continue to carve out chances, although Southampton posed a very real threat on the counter. However, Russell Martin's side had to finish the game with 10 men after James Bree brought down Davis on the edge of the box - stopping a clear counter.
It looked like they were going to run out of time deep into stoppage time, but you can never count out Ipswich at any point in any game. Davis' cross from the left saw Sarmiento scuff his shot, but he recovered to flick the ball into the bottom corner, completing the comeback in astonishing fashion.
Town XI: 4-2-3-1: Hladky; Tuanzebe (Clarke 61'), Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Luongo (Taylor 61;); Jackson (Broadhead 61'), Chaplin (Sarmiento 88'), Hutchinson; Moore (Al-Hamadi 36’)
Southampton XI: 4-3-3: Bazunu, Bree, Stephens, Bednarek, Stephens; Aribo (Rothwell 82'), Downes, S. Armstrong (Smallbone 82'); A. Armstrong, Adams (Edozie 77'), Fraser (Brooks 71')
Attendance: 29,393 (1,969 away)
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