AFC Wimbledon 2-2 Ipswich Town: Stu's verdict on Carabao Cup defeat

FAMILIAR FEELING

Town's rapid rise over the last two years has been an incredibly fun ride. It's also, however, been slightly discombobulating. 

It was never 'our time'. We didn't get nice things. And we'd all got quite used to that.

Then, all of a sudden, the club is signing an England international, spending more than £100m in a transfer window and facing Liverpool and Man City in quick succession. It's all felt, and continues to feel, rather surreal. 

Last night's Carabao Cup defeat at the hands of League Two side AFC Wimbledon was, in a way, strangely comforting. Maidstone, Barrow, Accrington, Lincoln, Colchester, Newport, Exeter... Add it to the long list. Everything's changed, but some things remain the same.

Ali Al-Hamadi produces a muted celebration after scoring back at former club AFC Wimbledon. (Image: Ross Halls)

SHOW OF CLASS

It looked like this would be a routine victory when Ali Al-Hamadi was given the freedom of the box to head in a Conor Townsend corner delivery in the fourth minute.

The Iraqi international held his hands up apologetically in a muted celebration. Fans of his former club stood to applaud the gesture, with many chanting his name. That was a nice moment.

Mat Stevens heads AFC Wimbledon ahead in the second half. (Image: Ross Halls)

SOFT FOULS

The two goals Town conceded in this game both came from wide dead ball deliveries.
Many will focus on how the Blues could have defended them better. For me, however, it was simply a case of two excellent deliveries and two excellent headers.

Instead, the area that needs greater analysis is the way the free-kicks were needlessly given away in the first place.

Townsend got himself stuck under a high switched pass before barging an opponent into touch in the build-up to the equaliser. Jens Cajuste then produced an unnecessary trip to set up the host's second.

In general, Town have defended set-pieces well at the start of this season. Cutting out soft fouls is something that needs to be worked on though.

Chiedozie Ogbene made his debut just hours after signing from Luton. (Image: Ross Halls)

LINE-UP DEBATE

McKenna made 10 changes to the team that started at Man City, with only Ben Johnson keeping his place.

The benefits of building fitness and chemistry far outweighed the risk of a disjointed display and defeat, was the logic. Even with the latter outcome, I concur. All these new players need to get up to speed and quick.

Ipswich still should have had enough individual talent on the field to win this game. This was a side that contained six internationals with 131 caps between them.

By no means can this be described as a poor performance, but it wasn't exactly inspiring either. The most disappointing thing was the lack of chances created from open play.

Jack Clarke, pictured on his Ipswich Town debut. (Image: Ross Halls)

DEBUT MAKERS

Six players were handed their Town debuts in this game.

I liked the first look at Dara O'Shea. He's a really crisp passer and pinged a couple of super diagonal balls.

Wingers Jack Clarke and Chiedozie Ogbene showed signs they are going to be fun to watch. 

Ogbene, who only completed his £8m switch from Luton a few hours earlier, showed his trademark acceleration a couple of times and combined with Johnson well before going off at the break. 

Clarke, with his hairband and baggy shorts halfway down his backside, gives off a Jack Grealish-type swagger. Knowing he's going to dart inside is one thing, but trying to stop it is another. At times it looked like the ball was glued to his feet.

Townsend got up and down the left well and produced some teasing deliveries, both from open play and dead balls.

The two who looked the most undercooked were the midfield duo of Kalvin Phillips and Jens Cajuste. Both were simply fine - no better, no worse. Hopefully there's a lot more to come from two experienced internationals. 

  
SUPER ATMOSPHERE

Don't get me wrong, going to the Etihad was a thrill. I didn't think much of the library-like atmosphere there though. A half-hearted Poznan from one pocket of fans and big cheer when Ilkay Gundogan came on for his second debut was as lively as it got. I guess it must be hard to get excited when your team wins virtually every week.

By contrast, Plough Lane was rocking. Dons fans helped get their team to the line in the second half. There was an explosion of noise both when the shootout was won and also later when they were handed a third round tie with Newcastle.

Good luck to a proper football club. Ipswich may be in the big time again, but we shouldn't forget the recent roots.

This is also a reminder, ahead of Saturday's visit of Fulham to Portman Road, of how much of a difference vocal home support can make.