Ipswich Town 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers - Match Report Saturday, 27th Jan 2018 17:16 Matt Doherty’s 15th minute goal saw top-of-the-table Wolves to a 1-0 victory over Town at Portman Road. Doherty nodded home a Barry Douglas cross at the far post with the impressive visitors subsequently looking more likely to add to their lead than the Blues were to level with Town keeper Bartosz Bialkowski making a number of outstanding saves. Stephen Gleeson and Jordan Spence came into the side for the injured Cole Skuse and ineligible Dominic Iorfa. Gleeson, facing the club where he started his career, was making his first full appearance for the Blues having come on as a sub at Bolton last week as well as his home debut, along with central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, who started the 1-1 draw at the Macron Stadium. The Irishman lined-up in the centre of midfield alongside Callum Connolly with Spence, back from his three-game ban, at right-back, Iorfa having been unavailable against his parent club. Wolves also made two changes with Alfred N’Diaye and Helder Costa replacing Romain Saiss and Leo Bonatini. The visitors won an early freekick on the right but David McGoldrick read their intentions as the ball was played back to Douglas and the Ireland international blocked the Scottish full-back’s shot. Town threatened for the first time in the fourth minute when Bersant Celina made a blistering run down the left which led to the first of two corners. From the second, the ball was cleared to Gleeson, whose shot was diverted through to Connolly, but the on-loan Everton man was crowded out as he looked to get in an effort at goal. On 10 Connolly struck the Blues’ first shot on target from 25 yards but without seriously testing Wolves keeper John Ruddy. A minute later, Martyn Waghorn tried to catch former Canary Ruddy out with a dipping lob from the edge of the box which the keeper claimed, then moments later the Town top scorer was yellow-carded for a foul on Willy Boly. In the quarter hour Wolves went in front via their first serious attack of the game. Connolly held up Ivan Cavaleiro on left of the area and the Portuguese wideman back-heeled into the path of the overlapping Douglas, who crossed from the byline to the far post, where Doherty headed down and into the top corner of the net with neither Jonas Knudsen or Celina making a challenge. The ball's bounce on the compacted and muddy pitch - rain fell heavily before the game and throughout - may have led Bialkowski to judge that it was going wide. Referee Simon Hooper had irked the Town players on a number of occasions in the early stages, he had pulled back play for a Blues freekick with Waghorn well-placed, while the striker’s yellow card had been somewhat harsh. This was compounded in 26th minute when Gleeson joined him in the book for a challenge on Ruben Neves not far outside the area when the home debutant had very evidently won the ball. From the freekick, Douglas curled a shot to Bialkowski’s right but the Town keeper, fresh from agreeing a new contract, did well to get across to save. Bialkowski saved sharply to his right again from Diogo Jota after Wolves had broken quickly, then at the other end Connolly struck a powerful effort which Ruddy stopped to his right. Town were playing well and went close to an equaliser in the 33rd minute when, following a corner, Celina brought the ball in from the left before lashing a shot across the face of goal and just wide. Moments later, Neves smashed well wide of the the Blues’ goal from distance. On 44 Celina broke forward on the left and teed-up McGoldrick 25 yards out, the Blues’ number 10 curling a goal-bound shot which Ruddy tipped over. That was to prove the final action of a first half from which Town were a little unfortunate to be behind. The Blues had passed the ball around well for the most part, however, without creating too many chances, while Wolves had defended resolutely and looked the more dangerous side on the break, Bialkowski having been forced into a couple of important saves in addition to the well-worked goal. Town began the half strongly, keeping Wolves pinned back inside their half for a long spell but again without creating an opportunity. However, the visitors began to threaten again, Bialkowski saving from Jota, then making an even more impressive stop when the on-loan Atlético Madrid man looked to slip the ball past him to his left when breaking in on goal on the left of the box. On 59 Wolves missed a glorious opportunity to double their lead. Jota showed a great turn of pace to reach a Cavaleiro ball down the left and broke into the box. The Portuguese U23 international might have shot himself but instead opted to cut inside to the unmarked Costa but he played the ball behind the ex-Benfica man. Bialkowski made another impressive stop in the 68th minute, the Pole coming off his line quickly to block from Costa after he had been played in on the right of the area. Town had had a lot of the ball after the break with Wolves happy to sit back and allow them to play in front of them. Their solid back three had prevented the Blues from seriously threatening until Waghorn hit a snapshot on the turn in the 70th minute which flew into the side-netting. A minute later, Bonatini replaced Cavaleiro. Soon after coming on, Bonatini crashed a powerfully struck volley from just outside the area against Carter-Vickers. On 75 Connolly was booked for a foul on Jota. Three minutes later, Bright Enobakhare replaced Costa. Bialkowski made another important save as the game moved into its final 10 minutes, palming Bonatini’s shot from a tight angle on the right away from goal. The Blues keeper was in action again on 82, diving across to his right to paw Enobakhare’s low shot away from just inside the post. With seven minutes remaining, Town made a triple substitution, Freddie Sears, Luke Hyam and Grant Ward replacing McGoldrick, Gleeson, who was warmly applauded off by his new fans, and Garner. Moments later, N'Diaye was booked for a foul on Connolly. Celina curled a shot towards goal on 86 but was only able to find Ruddy’s hands, then in the penultimate scheduled minute Neves struck a freekick a couple of feet over Bialkowski’s bar for the visitors. As the game moved towards the 90-minute mark a Ward cross from the right was chested back towards Spence by Connolly but the right-back and Sears got in one another’s way and the former MK Dons man eventually scuffed weakly to Ruddy. In three minutes of injury time a Hyam cross from the left was misjudged by Ruddy but the loose ball wouldn’t fall for a Town player. The final whistle was greeted by boos from some sections of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand, which was harsh on the Blues, who hadn’t played poorly but had merely met a much better team. The Wolves backline had remained resolute throughout, limiting Town, who have now won once in their last eight, to few chances throughout, while their frontmen were always dangerous and would have scored more goals but for another excellent performance from Bialkowski in the Blues goal. The defeat sees Town stay 12th, now eight points off the play-offs ahead of next week's trip to third-bottom Sunderland with table-propping Burton next at Portman Road in a fortnight's time. Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Carter-Vickers, Chambers (c), Gleeson (Hyam 83), Connolly, McGoldrick (Sears 83), Waghorn, Celina, Garner (Ward 83). Unused: M Crowe, Webster, Bru, Kenlock. Wolves: Ruddy, Bennett, Coady (c), Boly, Doherty, N’Diaye, Neves, Douglas, Costa (Enobakhare 78), Cavaleiro (Bonatini 71), Jota. Unused: Norris, Batth, Gibbs-White, Miranda, Vinagre. Referee: Simon Hooper (Wilshire). Att: 15,971 (Wolves: 1,890).
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