Jonny Williams played 45 minutes on his return from injury as two Ben Morris goals saw Ipswich U23s beat Bristol City 2-1 at Playford Road. Morris opened the scoring within three minutes of the first half, then doubled the lead two minutes into the second before Joe McNulty gave the visitors hope of a comeback.
The first of Morris’s two strikes came thanks to the power and precision of Andre Dozzell. The midfielder picked the ball up on halfway and began driving forward to the edge of the Bristol City box where he eventually passed to James Blanchfield. The former Arsenal youngster's smart ball into the path of Morris allowed the striker to place the ball into the goal courtesy of the left post.
Two minutes later Morris almost had a second, but this time he was thwarted by Robins keeper Jojo Wollacott, who managed to push his close-range effort onto the bar and away from danger.
The Ipswich onslaught continued in the eighth minute, this time it was the quick feet of the Williams, playing his first game since suffering a shoulder injury in December, that found Morris in the box, but his clever first touch wasn’t matched by his curling effort that went wide of the far post.
After a dominant opening 10 minutes Bristol City started to take control and they would have have been level if Freddie Hinds hadn’t guided a shot from close range wide of the left post.
The Ipswich defence was tested again in the 12th minute, but on this occasion Adam McDonnell was well placed at the back post to head the ball off the line following a corner.
The visitors' spell of dominance began to tail off going into the 20th minute, with Diego De Girolamo’s well hit effort that went just wide of Michael Crowe’s left post signalling a return to even possession.
Ipswich briefly recaptured their form from the opening 10 minutes just before half-time as Morris played Dozzell through. But the midfielder misjudged his charge towards goal, eventually running the ball off for a goalkick when squaring it back across the box seemed the likely option.
That brief sign of intent was immediately evident again at the beginning of the second half and this time Morris showed the composure needed to latch onto a ball in the box and guide it firmly into the right side of the goal.
The more even second 45 minutes progressed without much threat from either side, but Blues keeper Michael Crowe was alert when called upon and showed good judgement when coming out to push the ball away from the feet of the on-rushing Hinds.
Bristol City found a way back into the game just after the hour mark with a well-worked set piece taking Ipswich by surprise. De Girrolamo’s low corner from the right was timed perfectly and met by the late run of McNulty, whose shot hit a few bodies before finding its way into the back of the net.
Ipswich failed to make any more significant chances in the later stages, although they were able to keep the Robins just as quiet in front of goal.
A late penalty claim from substitute Conor McKendry was the waved away by referee Ian Rathbone despite looking like a foul a minute before the end of the match.
Williams completed 45 minutes and looked sharp on his return. The Wales international didn’t shirk away from any physical elements of the game and showed flashes of skill in and around the box.
U23s: Crowe, Woolfenden, Nydam, McDonnell, Smith, Webber, Blanchfield (Folami 90), Dozzell, Morris, Williams (McKendry 46), McLoughlin. Unused: Ndaba, Hayes, McGavin.