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Ipswich Town 2-0 Accrington Stanley - Match Report
Saturday, 17th Oct 2020 17:01

Second-half goals from Gwion Edwards and Freddie Sears saw top-of-the-table Town to a 2-0 victory over Accrington Stanley at Portman Road. The Blues, who started without an out-and-out central striker, were disappointing in the first half but improved after the break with Edwards opening the scoring in the 54th minute and Sears sealing a third successive 2-0 League One home win on 71.

Sears returned to the Town starting XI in place of Oli Hawkins in an otherwise unchanged side.

Hawkins, who has started the last three league games, missed out on a place in the 18 having almost certainly picked up a knock.

Sears started on the left of the front three with Gwion Edwards moving out to the right and Alan Judge playing as a false nine in the absence of out-and-out strikers Hawkins, James Norwood, Aaron Drinan and Kayden Jackson, who was also missing from the 18, presumably due to a fitness concern.

Myles Kenlock again started at left-back in the absence of Stephen Ward, who is still out with an achilles injury.

Jon Nolan was back after his calf problem and on the bench, alongside recent loan signings Mark McGuinness and Keanan Bennetts, and young striker Tyreece Simpson.

Accrington also made one change with defender Michael Nottingham handed his full debut following his recent move from Blackpool for forward Ryan Cassidy.

Ahead of kick-off, both teams took a knee in support of Black Lives Matter with the visitors hitting the first shot of the game in the third minute, Joe Pritchard’s effort from the edge of the box flying wide of Tomas Holy’s right post.

Town first threatened in the eighth minute when Judge broke away from his man on the right and sent over a cross but it was too close to Stanley keeper Toby Savin as Sears came in for it at the far post.

More of the early stages of the game had been played in Town’s half with Accrington seeing most of the ball.

But in the 14th minute they broke following a visitors attack and Judge played a great ball into the path of Sears who burst away from Mark Hughes to find himself one-on-one with Savin. However, the keeper was able to block. A minute later, Holy saved Matt Butcher’s low effort from the edge of the area.

There was a scare for the Blues, who were struggling to settle into their new system, in the 19th minute when Holy came well out of his goal to clear but the ball cannoned back off Andre Dozzell and Colby Bishop tried to hook it towards goal, but fortunately it ran harmlessly wide.

In the 25th minute Tariq Uwakwe curled a low free-kick goalwards which Holy did well to palm round his post low to his right. Following the resultant corner, the ball dropped for Pritchard but the midfielder volleyed wide.


On 28, Edwards did well down the right and sent over a low cross which the Stanley backline failed to clear, allowing Sears to hit a low shot which deflected behind off the keeper's feet.

Town continued to miss the presence of focal point frontman Hawkins and all too often were guilty of giving the ball away in their own half.

On 40 Accrington skipper Seamus Conneely shot only just over from 25 yards. A minute later, Pritchard curled a strike over.

Accrington were on top as half-time approached and as the period moved into one additional minute, Conneely hit a deflected effort wide.

Town had toiled for much of the half, finding it hard going without the presence of an out-and-out central striker both when they were working their way forward and when forced to clear their lines by Accrington’s determined pressing with Holy’s long kicks invariably picked up by a visiting player.

Despite this, the Blues had had the best two chances of the half with Sears likely to feel he ought to have taken the first when sent through by Judge.

At the other end, despite much of the game being played in the Town half, Accrington had only really threatened via efforts from distance.

Neither side made a change of personnel ahead of the second half but the Blues moved Sears into the middle, Edwards to the left, from where he scored two goals last week at Blackpool, and Judge to the right.

The change looked to have some impact with Town seeing more of the ball in the Stanley half and passing it around at a greater tempo. On 51 Bishop turned away from his man midway inside the Accrington half before hitting a powerful 25-yard strike which flew not too far wide of Savin’s right post.

And in the 54th minute Town took the lead via Edwards’s fifth goal of the season, more than anyone else in the division.

After a spell of Blues possession in the Accrington half, Dozzell played forward to Sears just outside the box and the former West Ham man looked to play a pass between the two centre-halves for the Welshman, the ball catching one of the defenders on its way through to Edwards, who took it on to the right before cutting a low shot across Savin and into the net.

The visitors looked to get back on terms and in the 60th minute Nottingham saw what looked to be a goal-bound strike blocked.

Accrington continued to take the game to Town and on 67 Conneely hit a low strike from distance which Holy did well to save down to his left with Kenlock clearing the loose ball.

Town were looking a threat every time they broke forward, albeit without having been able to create a serious opportunity.

However, in the 70th minute, after Jon Russell had hit another shot from distance for Accrington straight at Holy, the Blues doubled their lead via Sears’s first league goal of the campaign, his third in all competitions and his first since the opening day Carabao Cup victory over Bristol Rovers.

Stanley defender Ross Sykes, red-carded in the fixture between the sides at the Wham Stadium last season, played a loose pass midway inside his side’s half to the left. Judge seized upon it and played it forward for Sears, who took it into the area before deftly clipping over Savin and into the net.

In the 74th minute Huws, who had grown into the game in the second half, made way for Nolan.

On 80 Cameron Burgess was yellow-carded for a foul on Chambers, who joined him in the book for dissent.

A minute later, a Town corner from the right struck a Stanley defender and bounced to Savin with Bishop, who was completing a full game for only the fifth time in his senior career, just unable to get a touch on it.

Judge made way for home debutant Bennetts in the 84th minute, the on-loan Borussia Mönchengladbach winger soon getting into the action, cutting in from the left but scuffing his shot to Savin.

In injury time Simpson took over from Sears, who will have been delighted to find the net having been given his chance down the middle after the break.

Town might have made it three in injury time when Dozzell broke forward and fed Bennetts to his right but the loanee’s effort was saved. Simpson cut the loose ball back to Dozzell, whose strike was blocked.

Town were much better after the break and once they had got their noses in front the win never looked in question with Edwards and Sears both taking their chances confidently.

The win sees the Blues stay top of League One having won five and drawn one of their first six league games for the first time since the famous 1980/81 campaign.

Town will be looking to continue their excellent early season form when they travel to seventh-placed Doncaster on Tuesday with another away trip, to Lincoln, who are third, next Saturday.

Town: Holy, Chambers (c), Nsiala, Wilson, Kenlock, Dozzell, Huws (Nolan 74), Bishop, Judge (Bennetts 84), Sears (Simpson 90), Edwards. Unused: Cornell, Woolfenden, McGuinness, Nolan, Lankester.

Accrington: Savin, Nottingham, Hughes, Burgess, Sykes, Butcher, Russell, Pritchard, Uwakwe, Bishop, Conneely (c) (Cassidy 74). Unused: Baxter, Allen, Barclay, Rodgers, Scully, Mohammed. Referee: Robert Lewis (Shrewsbury).


Photo: Matchday Images



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LWNR2013 added 17:01 - Oct 17
Good
4

LWNR2013 added 17:03 - Oct 17
Made hard work of 1sr half. More clinianl 2nd half 👍
7

LWNR2013 added 17:03 - Oct 17
clinical
1

Tractor_Boy_in_HK added 17:04 - Oct 17
Good win. Holy (on crosses) and Chambers (defensively and offensively) both played really well. Kenlock steadier than in the past. Switch of personal in the second half made the difference. Good win.
14

timkatieadamitfc added 17:05 - Oct 17
FINALLY beat a top 6 side so can put that to bed, well done all, really pleased for Sears to get off the mark in the league, enjoy your weekend top of the league everyone COYB.
13

DifferentGravy added 17:05 - Oct 17
Get in!

Ridiculous to start with Judge up top and thankfully it wasnt too late before he finally realised and changed it. Sears and Edwards were then more involved.....and both scored. Again, great work ethic from all. Chambers and Wilson were very solid again. Better passing from Andre in second half. Well done lads, another 3 points in the bag!!!

Enjoy your evening!!
14

DifferentGravy added 17:05 - Oct 17
Get in!

Ridiculous to start with Judge up top and thankfully it wasnt too late before he finally realised and changed it. Sears and Edwards were then more involved.....and both scored. Again, great work ethic from all. Chambers and Wilson were very solid again. Better passing from Andre in second half. Well done lads, another 3 points in the bag!!!

Enjoy your evening!!
2

cat added 17:06 - Oct 17
WTF is going on! lol.
Another home win with clean sheet and Lamberts win percentage is in the 30's.
Only negative is we can't witness it.
Get the beers in, another top Saturday night is here!
12

Buryblue78 added 17:06 - Oct 17
Well done boys
Once we had square pegs in square holes up top and kept the ball on the deck there was only one winner
A win against a top six side
Another happy weekend
7

Dolphinblue added 17:08 - Oct 17
Edwards is on fire! Chambers having his best season for years, Huws good second half, Judge brilliant and Wilson/Nsiala beasts! COYB
14

dangerous30 added 17:09 - Oct 17
Great 3 points well done lads 😀
7

slimjim added 17:11 - Oct 17
Another win and another clean sheet. Great end to my day after the Glasgow Rangers beat the Celtic earlier 🍻
3

EssexTractor added 17:12 - Oct 17
Two halves...first half very poor..no oomph at all...second half stepped it up with good and quicker movement ...
Holy handled well, Kenlock seems to stumble when the ball gets near him , but no one got past him
Wilson Nsiala much improved
Bishop in and out of game ..Huws improved as he pushed forward..Judge had moments.
.Dozzell looks so assured now
Sears set up nicely but scored with ease
Edwards yes now the player we wanted to see
But the captains overall play impressive in all areas ..MOTM ...
But we do need to show more strength as sides not as talented as ITFC on the ball may try to power through ..
Great start though ....
8

BlueandTruesince82 added 17:15 - Oct 17
Non footballer 1 Blubbers 0 (5 -0 Aggregate)

Ipswich 2 Accrington Stanley Who are They 0

COYB
2

DebsyAngel added 17:15 - Oct 17
Woeful first half and almost dozed off. Accrington were unlucky not to score. Second half a LOT better - Man of match Edwards and great goals from him and Sears. Wilson and Huws played well. Thought the Accrington goalkeeper had a decent game. Top of the league still and a good win. Well done lads!
6

TimmyH added 17:18 - Oct 17
Finally got across the line with a better second half and in the end probably deserved the win although the 1st half was not pretty. Edwards can't stop scoring at the moment and seems to have improved from last season and also great to see a forward at last score.

Good start to the campaign so well done all, a long way to go with lots of matches to cram in .
6

thechangingman added 17:18 - Oct 17
In these rather grim, challenging, and unpredictable times, I am coming to LOVE Saturday afternoons, when I can enjoy a brief moment of fulfilled hope, at the news of another Town win.

I can't be bothered with any 'ifs' or 'buts'; I just want to celebrate shard of pure happiness that my team keeps winning, and we're Top of the League!!

Onwards and upwards, you beautiful Blue Boys... #ITID #COYB
16

RobsonWark added 17:19 - Oct 17
Definitely a game of 2 HALFS today.

First half - our midfielders kept trying to beat 2 or 3 players and losing the ball. We never looked liked scoring.

Second half - our midfielders were playing one or two touch football and moving the ball quick. Looked like we could score on every attack.

If they play the simple ball we will keep on winning games. Play for the TEAM and stop trying to do to much.

6

BlueandTruesince82 added 17:21 - Oct 17
Sears down the middle and he scores🤔
7

Bluroo added 17:25 - Oct 17
Another 3 points in the bag. COYB.

The improvement in the 2nd half had far more to do with upping the intensity than any tactical changes. Though sears was better through the middle it had far more to do with the ball winning higher up and crisp passing in build up.

I've got a theory that we're intentionally cruising through the first half of games and upping the intensity in the second half. Every match has looked like this so far bar the one where we went down to 10 men. Probably a tactical plot by Lambert to manage the many games.

Shout out to both Chambers and Kenlock. For me Chambers is way better at FB than CB and Kenlock has been totally solid.

I can't watch Holy kicking the ball, my only gripe...
2

runaround added 17:28 - Oct 17
A welcome victory in the end. With all of our central strikers unavailable I was concerned we might struggle & first half we did struggle to keep possession and were being pushed back. Second half however we were much better & deservedly got the win.
Still top of the league but 2 very tough away matches coming up in the next 8 days so we desperately need Jackson and/or Hawkins to be available
8

martin587 added 17:29 - Oct 17
Another exceptional solid win without conceding once again.Whole team looks full of confidence and whoever comes in slips into the system well.Next two games will be a big test.Well done lads keep it up.👌🙈🙈
5

therein61 added 17:32 - Oct 17
Well done you blues 3 points in the bag although it took a while, we missed the big man up front and looked a bit lightweight, nevertheless onwards and upwards.
2

Cloddyseedbed added 17:34 - Oct 17
Admit I didn't fancy us in this with forward team selection but results keep coming in and the momentum is being kept going. Well done team and management.
1

runningout added 17:38 - Oct 17
Not sure we would have won this with us numpty fans moaning at nil nil. Got to get sharper and sharper. Onwards
2


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