We are making a habit of winning at Portman Road 4-0 because it is the third time this has occurred in three of our last four home league fixtures. More to the point perhaps, we are finally starting to build some momentum at the business end of the season when it surely matters the most! It was a struggle to begin with this afternoon, but Town found a way of overcoming the opposition who had started very brightly.
For the first 20 minutes, it was the visitors who looked the more threatening, but they failed to penetrate a very resolute Blues defence, where Cameron Burgess was outstanding throughout. Then we witnessed three goals in a ten-minute burst that saw Town over the line before the half-time whistle blew. The goals came from Conor Chaplin, Nathan Broadhead and Freddie Ladapo and it kept up the pressure on the two teams at the top of the League One table, who both managed to win again today.
I was on the BBC Radio Suffolk phone-in this afternoon, and was quizzed by Graeme Mac about who I would have in my midfield if I could choose between Dominic Ball, Cameron Humphries, Lee Evans, Massimo Loungo, and Sam Morsy? I dodged the question a little by suggesting that if Sam Morsy picked up another yellow and faced a two-game ban, then Luongo would be the perfect replacement because in many respects, he is almost a clone of Sam the man! To be honest, I thought they were too similar to be in the same team, but today I was clearly proved wrong. It worked well!
As I suggested yesterday, I fancied Nathan Broadhead to score today, and so he did, but another brace from Conor Chaplin secured the win, with Freddie Ladapo getting on the scoresheet too. It was a great team display today, and although Christian Walton only had one serious save to make, he never really looked like being beaten. Four games without conceding a goal, and at long last, momentum is really buidling now.
Ipswich Town: Walton, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis (Donacien 84), Morsy (captain), Luongo (Humphreys 77), Burns, Chaplin (Harness 70), Broadhead (Edwards 70), Ladapo (Hirst 70). Unused: Hladky, Jackson.
Burton Albion: Macgillivray, Brayford (captain) (Kamwa 61), Oshilaja, Hughes, Powell, Taylor (Carayol 73), Smith (Walker 46), Moon, Shaughnessy, Helm (Kirk 46), Hamer. Unused: Garratt, Lavelle, Ashworth.
The referee was Carl Boyeson from Yorkshire.
Attendance: 25,003
