Town Fall To Narrow Defeat At Elland Road

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy said after this close encounter, that although he was saddened by the result he was not by the team performance, which he felt was of some consolation.

‘I am disappointed with the result but I’m even more disappointed because of how well we played. Character is always there in abundance, but we showed a lot of quality today. Leeds know they have dodged a bullet,’ he explained.

Leeds started as you might expect them to start and that was at full throttle and even before the early goal they dominated possession and deservedly went in front when Pierre-Michel Lasogga put the hosts ahead with a clinical low finish after just 13 minutes.

We all knew that a visit to Elland Road was always going to be a big ask and this is the way things transpired.

It was in-form striker David McGoldrick who got the Blues back on level terms however after 30 minutes, when he stooped to head home unmarked from a free kick from Jordan Spence out on the right.

This was a goal that Town largely deserved having controlled possession for long periods having gone a goal down. And yet, no sooner had the Tractor Boys restored parity, that they found themselves behind once more.

Some woeful defending saw Saiz play a delightful through ball into the path of Phillips on the right side of the penalty area. As Bialkowski raced out of his goal to avert the danger, Philips cleverly took it past the keeper before tapping it goalwards, from a tight angle to make it 2-1 to the hosts.

The home side’s lead was extended on 67 minutes and against the run of play because since the interval, Town had been dominant throughout and it seemed only a matter of time before they would level things again.

Sadly it was Bartosz Bialkowski who was the culprit when he dropped a Pablo Hernandez corner over his own line to stretch the home team’s advantage. At the time it did not look in but referee Geoff Eltringham, having consulted with his linesman and presumably goal line technology, pointed to the centre spot.

These days though, Ipswich Town football club are not quitters and within four minutes it was 3-2, when David McGoldrick fed Iorfa wide on the right and he whipped over a cross which was too close to Wiedwald to be of any danger but the Leeds keeper fumbled what should have been a comfortable low catch and Garner slammed home his fourth goal of the season from close range.

Town continued to press to the bitter end but sadly could not find an equalizer – even after Martyn Waghorn was introduced.

The result is indeed disappointing but not this time the performance and with a home game against Sunderland on Tuesday night at Portman Road and another against Bristol City on Saturday, we may still be there or thereabouts when we look at the Championship table next weekend.

Frank Weston – Editor of Vital Ipswich