Ipswich Town showed astonishing determination to overcome a first half red card and a worrying injury for Grant Leadbitter as Josh Carson sealed a battling 1-0 win at Bristol City.
Paul Jewell made the expected changes to his Town side with Darren O’Dea replacing the injured Mark Kennedy in defence, whilst Lee Martin came back into the midfield with Connor Wickham replacing Jason Scotland up front. There was also a place on the bench for 17-year-old academy defender Joe Whight, who was offered his first professional contract last week. Meanwhile Bristol City included former Town striker Jon Stead in their attack alongside Nicky Maynard.
There was little to separate Town and City in the Championship table prior to kickoff, so it was no surprise that the match got off to a fairly slow start between two even sides. Carlos Edwards did well to dispossess Maynard running in on goal before Damien Delaney blocked a shot from Marvin Elliott. Blues keeper Arran Lee-Barrett, starting his 5th successive match, was then called into action for the first time on 8 minutes, saving from Jamal Campbell-Ryce after Albert Adomah’s cross had deflected into his path. David James then made a sharp stop in the other goal to tip away Wickham’s close range volley.
Despite the early chances, both teams were struggling to find the final ball at either end, but it was the hosts who were gradually posing the bigger threat. Maynard was halted by a combination of McAuley and Lee-Barrett before Grant Leadbitter received the first yellow card of the match for a foul on Adomah. Maynard was then again denied by an excellent last-ditch challenge from McAuley six yards from goal, the resulting corner from Jamie McAllister nodded over at the near post by Jordan Spence. Town were having difficulty creating chances at the other end, Edwards crossing from the right for Wickham only for the England U21 international to completely misdirect his header back across goal.
Just shy of the half hour, the Blues were dealt a big blow. Both of Martin’s feet left the floor as he leapt in to challenge Kalifa Cisse, causing referee Russell Booth to show the Town midfielder a straight red card. It was probably the right decision, but it left Ipswich with the daunting task of playing an hour with only 10 men, Josh Carson switching from right to left wing to compensate.
Now a man up, Bristol City began to pressure the visitors as the match headed towards half time. Damion Stewart was booked for bringing down Wickham before McAuley had to block a shot from Stead after his former team-mate benefited from a ricochet between O’Dea and Delaney, then Spence fired narrowly over on the follow-up. Four minutes later Elliott sent a weak header through to Lee-Barrett before the Town keeper made an excellent stop to deny Campbell-Ryce, Stead heading across goal in the ensuing scramble. Town could only manage a long range effort hit wildly off target by Edwards on 43 minutes before Booth sounded the whistle for the end of the first half.
Both teams had started slowly but the sending off had put Ipswich very much on the back foot with Lee-Barrett and McAuley in particular to be thanked for keeping the scores level. Even so, Jewell resisted making any changes at half time with the Blues looking to battle it out for the remaining 45 minutes.
The manager’s team talk must have worked too; Ipswich came out brighter and soon found themselves with an unlikely lead on 52 minutes. Elliott gave away possession with a sloppy pass inside his own half, allowing Josh Carson to seize the loose ball and run forward into space. The 17-year-old, who netted his first two senior goals against Crystal Palace last weekend, made it three in three matches with a low shot from 25 yards which rolled beyond James into the bottom-right corner to make it 1-0 to Ipswich.
Now a goal down despite a one man advantage, City went looking for an equaliser. Stead turned and struck a long shot wide of the left-hand post before he was replaced up front by Brett Pitman, the Robins’ top scorer. Just as the hosts might have been planning an onslaught however, the match was then held up for nearly ten minutes following an aerial collision between Stewart and Leadbitter which left both men flat on the ground. Significant numbers of medical personnel were on the pitch as it became clear that Leadbitter had come off far worse in the clash, with the Town midfielder eventually being carried off on a stretcher amidst loud applause from the travelling supporters to be replaced by Colin Healy.
The delay had been something of a reprieve for Ipswich before the barrage of Bristol City pressure began with 20 minutes of normal time left. Elliott glanced Adomah’s cross wide before Robins boss Keith Millen made his second change, Cole Skuse coming on for Cisse. Delaney then wasted a good chance at the other end, heading wide from a Jimmy Bullard free kick after Spence had been booked for fouling Carson. Elliott came off to be replaced by Martyn Woolford as the hosts looked to find a way through in the final 10 minutes, though an addition of a further ten was almost inevitable. Lee-Barrett parried away a McAllister corner before Delaney diverted Pitman’s fierce drive over for another corner.
A minute later, Lee-Barrett made a rare mistake when he dropped from a cross into the box, but McAuley was in the right place to block substitute Skuse’s effort. With only two minutes of normal time left, fellow sub Pitman’s header from Adomah’s cross was parried behind by Lee-Barrett before the Blues keeper confidently claimed the subsequent corner, then Adomah flashed a shot across goal from the right.
The regulation 90 minutes were up, but following the earlier delay for Leadbitter’s injury, fourth official John Farries revealed there were to be a further 11 minutes of stoppage time. Bullard might have sealed it for the Blues in the first of those minutes from Edwards’ layoff on the counter attack, but his weak shot trickled through to James. A minute later, the hosts were piling on the pressure again, McAllister’s free kick laid back to Pitman whose shot on the turn was tipped around the near post by Lee-Barrett before the Bristol City striker curled another effort wide of the left-hand post. Wickham was then booked for timewasting after obstructing a free kick for the hosts, but after over 100 minutes of football, Booth finally brought the match to a close, with Jewell and his Town players sharing raptorous applause from the near 1,000-strong travelling crowd in the Wedlock Stand.
It was by no means the prettiest performance from Ipswich, but given the circumstances, the win was an impressive result. They might have been on the back foot for most of the match and ridden their luck at times, but the 10 men fought valiantly to stave off relentless pressure from Bristol City, with Lee-Barrett putting in another excellent shift in goal whilst Delaney and McAuley once again handled virtually everything that came their way.
At the other end, Edwards proved influential in creating much of Town’s opportunities and 17-year-old Carson continues to upstage Wickham as the Blues’ top young talent in recent weeks; something which no doubt provides a great deal of encouragement to Jewell for next season. Indeed, having previously fought back for a point against Middlesbrough on Tuesday before triumphing against the odds at Ashton Gate, the Ipswich boss will also be very pleased with the character his side have shown this week – something which they will certainly need if they are to challenge at the top next season.
What’s more, this victory – Town’s fourth in five matches – finally lifts the Blues back into the top half of the Championship for the first time since November, sitting in 12th six points behind the playoff places. Despite their impressive form though, any ideas of Ipswich still making the top six this season look absurdly fanciful, particularly with some tough fixtures to come – including the second East Anglian derby against Norwich City at Portman Road on Thursday. Even so, the closer they can get to the top six this season, the greater hope there will be of finishing there this time next year.
Bristol City: James, McAllister, Stewart, Nyatanga, Spence, Elliott (Woolford 80), Campbell-Ryce, Cisse (Skuse 72), Adomah, Maynard, Stead (Pitman 58) – Not used: Gerken, J Edwards, Johnson, Clarkson
Ipswich: Lee-Barrett, McAuley, Delaney, Carson, O’Dea, Leadbitter (Healy 70), C Edwards, Norris, Martin (s/o 28), Bullard, Wickham – Not used: Fulop, Peters, Whight, Drury, Civelli, Scotland Civelli
Did you travel to Ashton Gate on Saturday? Are you optimistic about our chances next season, or indeed are you still clinging to the faint hope of a possible playoff finish this season? Have your say on this game as well as all things Town by joining Vital Ipswich:
Share this article
Related Articles
