Leeds came from behind to beat the Blues 2-1 and inflict Town’s first home defeat of the season. David McGoldrick put the Blues ahead with his first goal of the season during a dominant opening spell but the Whites hit back via Luke Varney and Ross McCormack either side of half-time to win at Portman Road for the first time since September 2001.

Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side with midfielder Cole Skuse over his Achilles’ injury. Second-choice keeper Dean Gerken’s return after a dead leg was the only change on the bench with 17-year-old Michael Crowe dropping out.

Leeds made one change from the side which drew 1-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday last week with Noel Hunt replacing youngster Dominic Poleon.

Town started brightly as persistent drizzle fell steadily, Aaron Cresswell hitting a low shot through to Paddy Kenny in the fifth minute, then Tabb turned a loose ball home after the former Tranmere man had crossed from the left, but with the linesman’s flag having been raised.

The Blues went ahead in the 12th minute via McGoldrick’s first goal of the season. The striker latched on to Murphy’s flick and took the ball past Tom Lees, who lost his footing on the slippery surface, before hitting a low strike beyond Kenny from the edge of the area and into the net.

Leeds looked to hit straight back, central defender Jason Pearce, a Town target in his Portsmouth days, diverting a corner from the left well over.

There was a scare for the visitors in the 15th minute when Carlos Edwards’s mis-hit corner from the left bounced across the six-yard box, Lees doing well to put it over his own bar.

Town continued to press in a very one-sided opening to the game. On 19 Skuse won a tackle not far outside the Leeds box and fed McGoldrick, whose quick feet saw him into space, but his pass was just beyond Daryl Murphy.

Pearce headed over from a corner in the 22nd minute, but overall Town had dominated the first quarter of the game.

A minute later, Cresswell and McGoldrick combined on the left and the full-back hit a superb strike which cannoned off the corner of bar and post. The rebound was played to Tabb by Edwards and the former Reading man hit a low shot which was only just wide.

At the other end, Hewitt made an important interception from one-time Town target McCormack’s cross from the right, McGoldrick tidily clearing the danger.

On 28 Leeds drew level. Town sat too deep and allowed McCormack to hit a shot which struck Luke Chambers and fell to Varney just inside the area and the former Charlton man slammed a shot past Scott Loach and into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

Although the Blues had been on top for the majority of the half, the Whites had started to come more into the game, although Mick McCarthy will feel it was a poor goal to concede.

McGoldrick hit a low shot to Kenny after brave work from Tabb in the 32nd minute, then shortly afterwards Murphy headed a corner wide at the far post and moments later nodded a cross to Kenny.

There was a scare for the visitors not long before the break when there was a mix-up between Kenny and Pearce on the edge of the area. Murphy looked to get on the ball, which may have struck a Leeds hand as it was cleared, although the protests were mainly from the crowd. Not long after, the whistle went for half-time.

Town had been very much on top in the opening 20 minutes, playing their best football of the season with Cresswell and Skuse outstanding. They fully deserved their lead when it came via McGoldrick’s excellent strike, while the equaliser probably flattered the visitors when it came, although in the closing stages of the half they were much more in the game.

The second period was only four minutes old when Leeds went in front. McCormack brought the ball on from the left and hit a shot which deflected off Skuse and beat the unlucky Loach down to his right.

On 52 Tabb crossed from the left and Hyam flicked a header across the face of goal at the near post. Three minutes later, Leeds skipper Rodolph Austin was booked for a somewhat wild lunge at Cresswell.

Town gradually began to get themselves back on top and in the 62nd minute Skuse found Hewitt with a clever pass, leading to a succession of Blues corners, although without leading to any significant danger.

Varney headed over from a cross from the right in the 64th minute before Paul Anderson replaced Edwards and Ryan Tunnicliffe took over from Tabb.

Town continued to push for the equaliser, Noel Hunt clearing Murphy’s 68th minute header off the line, with his hands according to some, but not referee Dean. The former FIFA official angered home fans moments later when he allowed Kenny to pick up what appeared to be a passback from Austin, albeit one from distance.

The Blues were winning a lot of freekicks 10 or 15 yards from the area, but all too often they came to nothing. In the 74th minute, Cresswell hit a 25-yard strike into the wall, then McGoldrick sent a subsequent effort well over the bar. Moments later, Frank Nouble replaced Murphy.

Loach saved well from Hunt after clever work from Austin on the right, then Paul Green shot into the sidenetting with the visitors looking more likely to add to their lead than Town to pull a goal back.

Hyam shot into the sidenetting after a corner as the game moved into its final 10 minutes with Town still only fleetingly threatening to get back on terms.

Skuse’s 90th minute strike deflected wide, then from the corner Chambers headed into the ground and over.

As the game moved into injury time, Cresswell crossed from the left and Hewitt headed wide at the far post. The Blues won a flurry of late corners but couldn’t turn them into a goal.

On the balance of the first 20 minutes there was only going to be one winner, but after Leeds had equalised and then gone in front soon after the restart, the Blues huffed and puffed but couldn’t replicate that excellent early spell.

Town had a lot of the ball against a determined Leeds side and won a lot of freekicks and Mick McCarthy will be disappointed that his side made so little of them.

As has already been the case on a number of occasions this season, Town failed to kill the game off while they were on top during the first half, then conceded after the opposition came back into the game in the second period.

Town: Loach, Hewitt, Cresswell, Chambers, Smith, Edwards (Anderson 64), Skuse, Murphy (Nouble 74), McGoldrick, Tabb (Tunnicliffe 64), Hyam. Unused: Gerken, Berra, Veseli, Taylor.

Leeds: Kenny, Peltier, Warnock, Lees, Pearce, Murphy, Green, Austin, Hunt (Tonge 85), Varney (Poleon 64), McCormack. Unused: Ashdown, Drury, Smith, Diouf, Wootton. Referee: Mike Dean (the Wirral). Att: 18,322 (Leeds: 1,950).

Photo: Action Images

dubblue added 19:34 - Aug 24 Just read all the reviews and it makes depressing reading. A lot of players criticized Loach, Edwards, Hyam and Murphy. Was optimistic on the basis of MMs results last season but not so sure now. The big question is will ME give Mick the money he needs to strengthen the squad - creative midfielder and striker - or will MM go??
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TimmyH added 19:35 - Aug 24 Let's hope that is the case BillBlue - that alongside ME putting his hand in his wallet for a decent creative wide man and a shake up in midfield and then maybe we might start going places.
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sirbenofmorlingshire added 19:49 - Aug 24 We lack creativity in midfield, we need a goal scorer and a goalkeeper (or put Gerkin in!!!). We've got a lovely new pitch and I think MM is telling the team not to mess the surface up by kicking a ball on it as we spent most of the game with ball in the air! No one controlling it and when it was on the ground the favoured option was to pass back or sideways! I'm happy with playing the long ball, but if we're going to do it we need someone to hold it up and then have players coming forward to bring home the attack... I didn't see any of that today. Just lots of rain, lots of heading the ball, then loosing it and lots of disappointed fans (who weren't Northern). Edwards needs to be dropped, offered very little today, Tunnicliffe at least wanted to run at people and make a nuisance of himself, Murphy had no support coming thorough so booting it up to him had little effect and I'm sorry but loach is a liability, doesn't communicate with the defence (as pointed out to him by Chambo and Smith numerous times I spotted), doesn't come for crosses, a real weak link, I'd give Gerkin a stint, he looked solid as a rock at Stevenage. I think tactically we were alright today doing what we did, but the execution was not there at all. Desperately lacked creativity and ideas today.

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brittaniaman added 19:50 - Aug 24 Most people thought Blackpool would struggle this season,, but at this moment they seem to have got something right to be sitting at the top of this league ??????? I know it is early days but we do seem to be below par at the moment and if we do not wake up we are going to be on this catch up train again ?? because our second half display was diabolical ????? MM is getting in to this trap he had at Wolves he keeps playing his favourites ( as said by some Wolves fans ) even if they are not on form !!! he knows who they are as well as us,, and in his own words he says he has got 2players for every position ??? SO why not use them ???

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EssexTractor added 19:50 - Aug 24 Was it simply a bad day at the office or a sign of things to come? The most worrying aspect is that we appear not to have a plan B. indeed plan A was a limited affair, alive until Leeds realised the danger if they allowed Cresswell continued free rein. Again Skuse demonstrated some nice touches and arguably played the two best passes of the game, both measured perfectly inside the full back but Hewitts inexperience meant we failed to capitalise. McGoldricks goal,was taken excellently and he is a thinking footballer but on one or two occasions his lack of acceleration nullified his previous good control. Today, it was difficult to award much commendation elsewhere. I thought neither Smith nor Chambers played with their usual assurance, Tabb ran around with a hint of enthusiasm,Murphy does what he is told to do, be tall and attempt to win aerial balls , if their delivery is less than perfect than he appears to be non contributory. Loach could not be faulted for first goal and I would like to see a rerun of goal two to be assured of his culpability there.Aside from that I am very neutral about him and do not see that he should be considered to be made scapegoat for our very very disappointing opening weeks. Though it gives me no particular pleasure so to do I would say that both Hyam and Edwards were quite simply woeful. Despite more popular counter opinion I always thought Carlos was a more dangerous foe to opponents when running from the deep. Now he seems neither fish nor fowl, caught in no mans land contributing little. but of more concern is one time local hero Luke Hyam. In the two home matches he has appeared lack lustre, off the pace, indecisive , caught in possession and a pale shadow of the lad who had become almost first name on team sheet. In the Championship success comes not only through skill but through desire, passion, and bossing the game. We need our midfielders to step up to the plate and galvanise the whole team.and not being so easily out possessed and sadly outclassed as against Leeds today.

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Blue041273 added 19:56 - Aug 24 Actually, overall, we weren't that bad, but for the last 70 minutes we weren't that good either. My thought beforehand was that this was a benchmark game. Leeds are a decent Championship side and I thought that a result against them might well define our season. Now I fear that our season may well be defined in the negative. A couple of positive results are now urgently required. However, looking at our upcoming games this may be wishful thinking. It's fingers crossed time and no mistake.

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ElvisMariner added 20:04 - Aug 24 £34.50 to pay on the day.... Utter rip off ITFC.Is it any wonder that only 18,000 turned up?
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Fatcatevans added 20:29 - Aug 24 We can't play Skuse and Hyam in central midfield at home. Skuse is excellent but Hyam is turning into a mini version of Ray Wilkins with his crab like sideways passing. there's just no creativity. Edwards is well past his sell by date. Tunnicliffe has looked very good when he's appeared and is due a start. I also share the misgivings expressed on here re Loach. He just doesn't come off his line and command the box.

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JCBLUE added 20:30 - Aug 24 Not a great start to the season, for top 6 we need to be beating teams like Leeds at home. Changes need to be made for Brum, a couple of good loan signings would supplement the squad too. MM did a fabulous job for us last year and I have no doubt he will do the same this year. Early days yet, but hate losing, especially at home!!
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Lower_North added 20:44 - Aug 24 No quality in the last third Paid £32 to watch that in Lower North..Dreadful absolutely dreadful..
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IvorFeeling added 20:45 - Aug 24 Keanish - agree with you. The balance at the moment is not right. All of our good work came down the left and nothing of any note from the right this needs changing. Tunnicliffe for Hyam and give one of the others chance to replace Murphy and stick with them for 3-5games to develop a partnership. Not sure what has happened to Hyam as his distribution today was shocking and he doesn't, at the moment, want to look forward for the pass, just sideways or backwards. On the Loach front his problems stem from being to far back in the goal. When in open play he should be standing between the 6yard are and the penalty spot this wil mean he is quick to react and clear. For me the gap between him and the back 4 is too big as this breeds indecision. I would stick with Loach as if he is taken out at this stage the damage to Town will be worse as we will effectively have one unproven and one shot very low on confidence. This is when good man management kicks in. I do beilieve that we have the spine of a very good championship team - McGoldrick, Skuse, Chambers, Smith and Cresswell are proper top 6 players. Tabb is solid without being spectacular but good enough, Hewitt certainly has the class and it will come. Hyam I think needs a rest, he needs to work on his game going forward and I would play Tunnicliffe who in the short period while he was on tried to drive the team forward. So not great but also not like this time last year when we needed 5-7 changes more like 2 and a more balanced approach using both wings. Finally how close was Cresswell from bagging goal of the season!

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theobald1985 added 21:04 - Aug 24 lets have it right we played them off the park most of the game what we lack is wingers as mick is playing with only 1 winger and 3 centre mid and relying on cresswell to overlap. are 442 should evolve to more of a 424 with attack minded players on the flanks such as anderson and taylor forcing ther back 4 to stay flat if we do this we can keep hyam and skuse in the middle to break up play and spray the ball around and the oppsition would be forced back i was at the game and leeds offered little-what we lacked was a bit of luck loach made a mistake partly due to a deflection but he will be fine as are number 1 cresswell hit the bar we had a goal dissalowed and the ref gave us nothing. luck evens out over the season so we just need to get behind the lads rather than starting the moaning already

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muccletonjoe added 21:09 - Aug 24 Where did we get some of these " supporters" from
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bluefeast added 21:10 - Aug 24 I hate being negative about our own players , especially the younger ones ,but Hyam looks uncertain of his job. He is not a creative central player. His confidence seems to have dropped game by game. Its a difficult one but a starting 11 needs to be on merit and I reckon we could change 4 players. Murphy , Edwards , Hyam and Loach who must of been bollocked 10 times today by Smith and Chambers for his lack of command etc etc.

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Bobby_Petta added 21:48 - Aug 24 Agree Midfield big problem, Where is the playmaker and wingers? Hyam was poor cannot pass, At Tabb not much better a central defensive midfielder not winger. Why does Mick keep signing defensive midfielders. Agree Tunnicliffe should be given a start, at least he tried to go forward not backwards or side ways like Tabb and Hyam.
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hendog added 22:25 - Aug 24 Some one said. A few years ago. They would get us in the prem . They have not got us there . We have no caah . We can not buy anyone . Come out and tell the fans you will not spend anymore cash and we are where we are .
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hendog added 22:28 - Aug 24 Come on Ipswich
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ChrisFelix added 22:49 - Aug 24 Disappointed today, felt that so far this season we have not had the rub of the green. However we will never achieve top 6 status with both Tabb & Edwards in the midfield
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BrettenhamBlue added 23:37 - Aug 24 First 20 minutes were superb. We were playing breath-taking football then all of a sudden our defence had another one of those moments and BANG 1-1. From that moment onwards there was only ever going to be one winner. Leeds were dominant and easily soaked up the pressure we put on them. Masterful defensive display and they will be proud of their result. The positives to take from this are few are far between. Felt McColdrick had a good game but the lack of service to him was unbelievable. Tunnicliffe was a class apart from every one of our other players on the pitch. It was him who (pretty much) single-handedly drove forwards to get those freekicks and corners. Skuse and Hyam were comfortable- but both lacked creativity in the final third (do feel that we need someone other than Hyam to play beside Skuse- either a hard-tackling big-midfielder- of the N'Daw type- or someone with a bit of creativity). Skuse was definitely better than Hyam but very similar players. Feel we do need a lot more in our team- especially from the bench. We had ZERO impact subs. Ebank-Blake needs to be signed up for the season (he will cause defences issues) and we need to agree some kind of percentage wage deal with Wolves to take Kevin Doyle off their hands. Only a few members of our team played badly- but we lacked anything up front and lacked creativity. Loach had a poor game and when Nouble came on he was abysmal (at the end of the match my son said Nouble had played- I didn't believe him because I didn't see the substition- it was only through reading this that I realised he was on)

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Akaroablue added 01:04 - Aug 25 OG's leading scorer so far this season I think, that tells the whole story! Buy a decent Target Man who can score goals as well, spend some money Mr ME or our team will make mediocrity look promising!!!
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BobbyBlueLamb123 added 01:42 - Aug 25 Not counting the Millwall game Town have had some hard games to play Reading and QPR away and a good Leeds team at home and have lost by the odd goal in each of them and have matched them teams in all those matches Remember we have a lot of new players in the team and most of them are doing alright and I must say its the old players that are not playing well the likes of Murphy and Edwards and Loach and these players need to be dropped We have better players on the bench and Tunnicliffe should be giving a run in the team I hope Mick can see we need a new striker urgent and a class attacking midfielder and a better keeper before the transfer shut The near 2000 Leeds fans made more noise today and were taking the micky out of the 16000 Town fans stating how quiet they were Come on lets get behind the team and outdo the away fans because they need you now more than ever and me and my five mates cant do all the singing on our own

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Morgan added 08:27 - Aug 25 Loach has made some great stops this season already, the goal was a horrible deflection. He gets some unfair stick in my opinion, I think he is a quality goal keeper. He will develop as the season goes on if you get of his back. Look at the comments on here, we need a creative midfielder, we need a wide man, We need two wingers, we need a striker... Guess what, we don't have the money to spend so how about we stop banging on about it and getting behind what is already a very strong championship squad assembled on a shoestring. Mick knows exactly what we will need and if he had the cash I have total faith in him using it wisely. We had a goal disallowed, hit the woodwork and the side netting a number of times, first 20 we were unplayable. Stop pressing the panic button all the time and give it time to come together. I'm not worried in the slightest. Come on you blues.

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kizipswich added 08:50 - Aug 25 Don't get to watch regularly due to being in Australia. But after seeing this game i was unsure what Mick sees in Murphy, offers little upfront. McGoldrick was great and has the creative flair we need. Wasn't impressed with the right flank at all, Edwards is well past his best and Hewitt doesn't seem ready to be starting week in week out. Some out and out wingers who can get forward with pace would benefit the side. A lot of positives to take from the performance though i thought we dominated the majority.

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Morgan added 08:54 - Aug 25 Also on the subject of ticket pricing... Usually I think we get decent value for money but yesterday seemed a step too far into the ridiculous. I realise that 18k at £34 is almost the same gate money as 25k at £25 but its just alienating the next generation of supporters. There is a picture on the Internet of a Leeds fans ticket priced at £40 odd quid, If that is true that's a disgrace we should be doing that to another club. Even Leeds ;-)

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Stato added 09:20 - Aug 25 Too many Town fans prepared to accept mediocrity. After 4 games we are already closer to the relegation places than the play offs. How long before we are our usual 10 points off the play offs and the season is over ? Crap match day performances and lack of entertaining football have far more to do with the gates than the ticket prices. Go back and read all the posts about what a great side Reading are ..... we are the only side they have beaten. Too many "we love Scott he's a blue merchants" and too many "you're only a supporter if you cheer every crap performance and never point out what needs improving". Just look at how long Jas was lambasted on here because Jewell was "such a nice bloke" and some of the abuse that Jas got for daring to challenge the lemmings was embarrassing. Also too many of the "we love Marcus" brigade not prepared to wake up and see he bought Ipswich as a commercial tax vehicle and his general lack of interest has meant the extension of the longest stay in the championship. I'm not anti ME but I'm bright enough to see he ain't our saviour. We could of gone bust and recovered by now but we are suffocated by debt which meams our squad is less than it could/should be. I like Mick a lot but there are loads of nice blokes down my local. I want to see Ipswich winning and I'll continue to point out the emperor has no clothes on until we are back in the prem where we belong. ME put your hand in your pocket or sell us to someone who will. Mick stop playing 442 EVERY week and take some risks (with Taylor especially). Hyam, Edwards, Hewitt, Murphy and Loach all need replacing at Birmingham and not half way through the season when it is too late. We are in danger of getting to where we were with Jewell in that most supporters could see what needed doing (i.e. stop playing Edwards at RB) and the manager couldn't.

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