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Ipswich Town 1-1 Oldham Athletic - Match Report
Saturday, 6th Nov 2021 17:06

Town's wait for a home FA Cup win continues after their first round tie with Oldham Athletic at Portman Road ended 1-1. Wes Burns gave the Blues the lead on eight but Davis Keillor-Dunn equalised for Oldham four minutes prior to half-time, before Dylan Bahamboula saw a second-half penalty saved by Christian Walton as Town, who last won an FA Cup tie at Portman Road in January 2009, toiled against the League Two strugglers.

Boss Paul Cook made one change from the team which won 4-1 at Wycombe on Tuesday with Cameron Burgess, a one-time Oldham loanee, replacing Hayden Coulson, who picked up a knock at Adams Park, at left-back as he did from the bench against the Chairboys.

Janoi Donacien was back among the subs after missing the last two matches having been ill.

After the players had taken a knee - with usual the exception of Toto Nsiala, who raised a fist - to applause from the Portman Road crowd, the Blues were first to threaten in the fourth minute.

Kyle Edwards took the ball to the byline on the left before crossing to Macauley Bonne, who headed at visiting keeper Jayson Leutwiler, who saved. Kane Vincent-Young hit the rebound wide from a tight angle.

But it took only another four minutes for the Blues to go in front. Bersant Celina fed Bonne down the left just inside the area, the striker cut inside and hit a shot which Wes Burns turned home from the edge of the six-yard box for his second goal in two games and his fourth of the season.

Town continued to dominate against the League Two strugglers and on 13 Lee Evans sent over a corner from the right which Bonne headed goalwards and keeper Leutwiler uncomfortably palmed wide.

Two minutes later, Evans cut a free-kick on the right back to Burns, whose shot was blocked.

Oldham presented no threat until the 27th minute when Dylan Fage crossed from the right and Hallam Hope looped a header which Walton watched bounce well wide.

Three minutes later, Celina struck a powerful effort from just outside the box which Leutwiler batted away.

Blues skipper Morsy was booked for handling after he thought he'd been fouled in the 34th minute before Oldham created their first opportunity of the match.

Benny Couto crossed from deep on the left and Latics skipper Carl Piergianni’s header flew wide with the aid of a deflection.

Oldham were coming more into the game on and 38 Dylan Bahamboula, whose brother Plaisir had a trial with Town in the summer of 2012, hit a low shot beyond Walton’s far post.


In the 40th minute, Vincent-Young was just prevented from adding the final touch to an Edwards cross from the left, then from the corner George Edmundson, facing his old club, looped a header well over.

Having had a very comfortable afternoon, the Blues’ intensity had dropped somewhat and in the 41st minute the visitors levelled.

Nsiala failed to properly deal with a ball down the middle and Keillor-Dunn took it on a couple of paces before curling a shot beyond Walton’s left hand from the edge of the area.

Moments before the whistle, Keillor-Dunn played a ball to the right of the box towards Jordan Clarke but Edwards took it away from him as he was about to shoot.

Town had once again been guilty of allowing a side back into a game in which they had been ahead and very comfortable.

After gaining their early advantage, the Blues were well on top, although without creating too many chances to add to the lead.

However, they became more casual as the half wore on and the Latics had had a couple of opportunities prior to Keillor-Dunn’s goal.

Until then, Oldham had shown little and Town really should have gone in ahead at the break.

The Blues made two changes ahead of the second half with Matt Penney and Donacien taking over from Burgess and Vincent-Young as the full-backs with teams able to make five substitutions in the FA Cup this season from nine players on the bench.

Bonne headed the second half’s first chance straight at keeper Leuwiler in the 51st minute, before Conor Chaplin took over from Edwards.

On 55 Oldham had a gilt-edged chance to go in front. Evans pulled back Bahamboula as he sought to head at goal from close range and referee Hair pointed to the penalty spot, although booked Donacien, who protested he wasn't the guilty party.

Bahamboula took the resultant penalty himself but hit his strike too close to Walton, who dived to his right to push wide.

The save seemed to reinvigorate Town both on and off the pitch with the crowd upping the noise and the players the tempo with Penney just losing control when well-placed in the area on the left and then Burns overhitting a cross from the right.

On the hour, Harrison McGahey was shown a yellow card for pulling back Burns on halfway and two minutes later Bahamboula joined him for tripping Morsy in the centre circle.

Town were in control but without seriously testing Leutwiler until the 69th minute when a Chaplin free-kick from the edge of the box to the right was scrambled away by the keeper at his near post.

There was a scare for the Blues on 76 when Morsy slipped and allowed Oldham to break, however, Callum Whelan was stopped in the area by Edmundson as a number of Town players chased back. Moments later, Evans shot well over.

Bahamboula was replaced in the 79th minute, the Frenchman leaving the field to a smattering of applause from the Town support having caused the Blues a few problems. Harry Vaughan took over.

Town were toiling as the game moved into its final 10 minutes, Evans giving away first the ball and then a foul. From the free-kick, Walton saved well from Piergianni but with the flag having been raised.

On 83 Celina broke away and fed Chaplin to his left but Clarke slid in to dispossess the forward as he looked to shoot. Soon afterwards, Town swapped Burns and Evans for Sone Aluko and Rekeem Harper.

In the 86th minute Celina was sent away down the left and crossed but Chaplin’s sliding effort deflected weakly through to the keeper.

As the game moved into injury time, Town were showing few signs of grabbing a wining goal, indeed Oldham were seeing more of the ball around the Blues’ box.

Deep in injury time, Aluko broke down the right and hit a cross-shot which Leutwiler saved at his near post.

Moments later, the whistle confirmed that the two sides would meet again in a replay at Boundary Park which is likely to be a week on Tuesday.

While Oldham worked hard and on the balance of the game overall deserved their draw, Town once again had the game by the neck having taken the lead so early on but failed to kill it off.

But for Walton’s save from Bahamboula’s penalty, they could well have faced an embarrassing defeat to one of the EFL’s crisis clubs duiring a lacklustre second half.

Instead, both sides will go into the draw for the second round, which takes place on Monday evening live on ITV4 following the first round match between Dagenham & Redbridge and Salford City.

Town: Walton, Vincent-Young (Donacien 46), Nsiala, Edmundson, Burgess (Penney 46), Morsy (c), Evans (Harper 83), Burns (Aluko 83), Celina, Edwards (Chaplin 53), Bonne. Unused: Hladky, El Mizouni, Fraser, Pigott.

Oldham: Leutwiler, Clarke, McGahey, Piergianni (c), Whelan, Hope, Keillor-Dunn, Fage (Adams 87), Bowden, Bahamboula (Vaughan 78), Couto. Unused: Dearnley, Diarra, Da Silva, Diarra, Modi, Southerington. Referee: Neil Hair (Cambridgeshire). Att: 8,845 (Oldham: 437).


Photo: Matchday Images



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BromleyBloo added 17:07 - Nov 6
As ever, nothing easy at ITFC. Scored early and we were coasting………………?!?

Still, Oldham sounded decent and we didn't lose…………………….

COYB!!!
6

BangaloreBlues added 17:09 - Nov 6
A replay... just don't need all these matches.
6

TimmyH added 17:10 - Nov 6
Lucky not to get knocked out...started well but thereafter pretty poor stuff. Makes you wonder if the collective mentality pre game was to see if we could cruise through without picking up any injuries.

Been a decade since a decent performance in ANY cup competition...
13

ArnieM added 17:10 - Nov 6
Well played Oldham !!

Town subliminally too complacent I think . Love to fight another day and night serve to act as a reminder to the players that you have to respect your opponents and work your sox off for 90+ mins.

COYBS
17

DaGremloid added 17:11 - Nov 6
Whatever way you look at it - whether you're a Cook fan or not or whether you want a cup run or not - that's a very poor result. I don't blame Cook at all - he chose a team we would all be happy with. The players have let him and the fans down today. A home draw against a lower league side - we should be winning that everyday. Disappointing.
31

Eddie1985 added 17:13 - Nov 6
We seem to blow very hot and cold at times, it's a replay we don't really need and should be disposing of sides like Oldham with relative ease. I'm really surprised as after taking the lead I thought we should go on and score a few. Much for Paul Cook to work on
13

johnwarksshorts added 17:18 - Nov 6
Well that's the FA Cup football for you. Oldham came here with nothing to lose and and came away with credit. Shame we didn't go on and win and hopefully we can win replay.
6

dirtydingusmagee added 17:19 - Nov 6
ok we can hopefully put it right in replay, BUT that was a VERY disappointing result.the more worrying aspect is that we just cant get a winning run going . we wont get anywhere until we are consistent .
17

Nobbysnuts added 17:20 - Nov 6
A very poor result with a strong team out....but we go again. It could be worse...look at Sunderland now...in absolute free fall. Every team will have a bad run. Maybe just Maybe we have had ours. (This result aside)
10

barrystedmunds added 17:25 - Nov 6
By anyone's standard, a disappointing result (like we haven't had a few of them over the last few years). Positives are, we didn't lose! Onward and upwards. COYB
6

bluelodgeblue added 17:26 - Nov 6
I felt the club video as the players were coming out for the warm up said everything? The comments said the the team were happy??? You compare that with the Gary Neville's clip of him not even acknowledging his former friend and team mate , he was purely concentrating on the game??? That tells me we are a world apart from where we should be??????
2

blueboy1981 added 17:27 - Nov 6
After an impressive win against Wycombe, and taking the lead AGAIN today, you have to again question why did we not step up a gear instead of taking the easy option of ‘off the Gas' ? - it has to be a lack of Character and Commitment in players attitude.
Yes, lesser Clubs can up their game, but just as easily roll over, away from home, and trailing after just 8 minutes.
Simply the failure, and it was, no excuses please, a serious question mark for the Team.
Oldham shouldn't have been a threat at all - just look at the difference in squads.
10

midastouch added 17:28 - Nov 6
We've got 1st round replay folks, that's almost like a cup run for us these days! :-)
16

Suffolkboy added 17:33 - Nov 6
Sort it , AND sort them out PC ; somethings very much amiss with a side apparently lacking conviction,confidence and consistency !
Where on earth is the self belief and (STILL ) the hunger to score enough goals to win ,certainly in these circumstances ?
For P's sake COYB
4

blue86 added 17:44 - Nov 6
No hiding from it, this is a bad result. We should be beating Oldham at home. But the FA Cup is a strange competition where lesser sides up their game. Long as we win the replay, because our FA Cup record has been cr@p for far to long.
2

chopra777 added 17:44 - Nov 6
Do we only like playing on Tuesday night. At least it will be I follow. Not at the races today. Respect your opponents and try to place your shots. Why bring on attacking players too late. At least we will know if round two is worth fighting for.


1

therein61 added 17:45 - Nov 6
I don't know what it is about our club when it comes to home F.A cup games we seem to have something hanging over us, but that aside it just shows that unless we get into a consistent run we are not going up.
4

ringwoodblue added 17:47 - Nov 6
Today serves to remind us that we can't afford to take anything for granted with Town. After we took the lead, like most, I assumed it would be a case of how many we would win by but I was wrong and credit to Oldham, they nearly won it themselves.

Our inconsistency really concerns me as we will need to win games consistently if we are going to get promoted.

The replay won't be easy at their place.
15

VanDusen added 17:48 - Nov 6
It won't be on iFollow as they don't have the rights. I fancy the BBC might fancy this as the pick of the replays expecting an upset depending on tomorrow's results mind...

That's the FA Cup anyway - least we're still in it and hope gor a bit of luck next week.
5

blues1 added 17:51 - Nov 6
Da gremloid. While yes its disappointing to say we should be winning g these games comfortably every time is inaccurate. Yes, ud think so, but this is the fa Cup, a competition littered with shock results. Look at Wigan held by a nonlge team today. Sunderland beaten by lge2 opposition. We will clearly need to be better in the replay tho or we could go out.
3

itsonlyme added 17:52 - Nov 6
F****ing shocking performance. How can we blow so hot and cold. Nowhere near good enough!
1

RobITFC added 17:55 - Nov 6
Why don't we ever play 2 up front ? What does Pigott got to do to get on the pitch ? Well played Oldham, but surely again poor "in-game tactics" not happening, we did not need this extra game. but that is the FA Cup for you, love a cup shock!
3

confederateblue added 17:56 - Nov 6
Fantastic performance from the boys and we were unlucky not to walk away with the win.

Cookie's barmy army marches on regardless.

It was disheartening to hear so many so called ‘fans' calling for Paul Cook to be sacked though.

UPPA TOWEN
-6

Drifter3012 added 18:02 - Nov 6
Bizarrely today it seems it would have been advantageous to let the likes of Pigott, Fraser & perhaps Barry to prove themselves.
Maybe they would have been more hungry.
But Cook gave us the team we wanted and it was them that didn't show up really.
Fortunately we didn't lose and hopefully the lads will turn up at Oldham as they did at Wycombe.
2

EssexTractor added 18:04 - Nov 6
After Tuesday we would all have chosen that team ..and Cook does so …because he believes in the FACup..the passion , the history , the drama, …sadly he failed to pass on those feelings to his players who were in truth awful.
Lethargic, no dynamism , no fluidity..and why aside from Edwards in the first half do we just stop in midfield , go sideways or backwards..and this against an Oldham team potentially threatened with falling out of the League.but in all fairness they looked as good if not better than us today. .they had the best player on the field …who sadly for him missed what would have been a match winning penalty kick.
Edmundson played to his strengths today ..nobody else did.

7


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