Accrington Stanley came from a goal down at half-time to beat under par Town 2-1 at the Wham Stadium. Macauley Bonne gave the Blues the lead in the 38th minute with his eighth goal of the season but the home side netted through Colby Bishop and Harry Pell on 50 and 79 to deservedly claim the points.

Macauley Bonne’s eighth goal of the season has given the Blues a 1-0 half-time lead over Accrington Stanley at the Wham Stadium.

Town boss Paul Cook named the same team which thrashed Doncaster 6-0 on Tuesday, while Kyle Edwards and Toto Nsiala returned to the 18 after injury.

On a slippery pitch following morning rain, Stanley saw most of the ball in the early minutes but on five Bersant Celina threaded a ball through for Bonne but Accrington keeper Toby Savin was out quickly to clear.

The home side continued to have most of the possession but on nine Bonne chased a ball down the middle which Savin sent straight up in the air as he sought to clear. The striker got his head on the ball as the keeper tried to punch clear but it looped well over. At the other end, home skipper Sean McConville blazed well over from outside the box.

On 15, following the Blues’ first real spell of possession of the afternoon, Wes Burns intercepted an under-hit Stanley pass midway inside their half and fed Bonne to his right but the Zimbabwean international’s shot was blocked behind for a corner.

Chances had been non-existent at both ends but on 26 Evans played a ball through for Bonne which skipped off the surface through to Savin. On a drier pitch the striker would have reached it before the keeper.

The game continued in the same pattern with both sides having spells on the ball but without finding a way into the final third.

However, in the 38th minute, the Blues went ahead via the only serious chance of the first half.

Scott Fraser intercepted a David Morgan pass down the Accrington right and tried to find Bonne. The ball was stabbed back to the former MK Dons man by Michael Nottingham and the Scot turned it into Celina, who played into the path of Bonne on the left of the area and the on-loan QPR man confidently stroked past the advancing Savin to claim his eighth goal of the season.

The striker from Chantry wasn’t too far away from his ninth in the 40th minute when he was allowed to take down a long kick from Vaclav Hladky but his first touch took it just too far away from him and Savin was able to gather.

Bonne attempted to replicate his last-gasp goal against Sheffield Wednesday as the Stanley striker prepared to kick but Savin spotted him and the two shared laugh.

Neither side threatened again before a busy if not overly entertaining half was brought to a close.

Bonne’s well-crafted and confidently finished goal had been the only real chance during a half in which both sides had struggled to show the guile to find a way through the opposition.

The Blues weren’t far away from doubling their lead a minute after the restart. With rain again falling steadily, Morsy found Fraser on the left with a superb cross-field ball and the Scot crossed to Bonne at the near post but the striker met it at the same time as Savin, who was able to force it behind for a corner.

However, in the 50th minute, Stanley equalised. Following a throw on the right, a cross from Yeboah Amankwah was flocked on through a crowd of players by former Colchester man Pell and Bishop hit a shot on the turn across Hladky and into the corner of the net.

The Blues found themselves under some pressure as the hour mark approached, Janoi Donacien blocking brilliantly from Pell on the edge of the box before Nottingham shot over from 25 yards.

Town had been unable to play much football and had threatened little since half-time and it was little surprise when manager Cook, a former Accrington player and manager, made changes with Celina, who had been quiet since creating Town’s goal, and Fraser swapped for Rekeem Harper and Edwards.

But it was the home side who would create the next opportunity, Bishop turning and hitting a shot which Hladky was forced to turn over the bar. As Stanley prepared to take the corner, the Czech keeper and Pell clashed and referee Martin Coy spoke to them but kept his cards in his pocket.

Accrington continued to take the game to Town, as they had for much of the half with the Blues unable to get the ball down and string passes together, and in the 71st minute Lee Evans got in the way of a Pell shot from the edge of the area.

Moments later, Donacien was hit full in the face by a cross and required treatment before the corner was taken and then after Sam Sherring had headed wide from the flag-kick.

Stanley had been on top since the break and in the 79th minute they went in front. McConville sent over a cross from the right and Pell got in front of Donacien - perhaps feeling the effects of the blow to the head - to volley past Hladky from a couple of yards inside the penalty area. On the balance of the second half, Town could hardly complain.

Having conceded their second goal, and having made little headway prior to that, Town switched Evans for James Norwood.

The Blues huffed and puffed in the closing stages as they looked for an equaliser, Burns hitting an 88th-minute shot from a very tight angle high and wide with Savin out of his goal.

The game briefly boiled over soon afterwards after Town claimed Bonne had been fouled then Morsy made a strong challenge on an Accrington player. A confrontation involving members of both teams followed with Norwood and Conneely both booked.

Town were unable to threaten again before the end and once again left the Wham Stadium, which has become something of a bogey ground in recent seasons, having been defeated.

Cook’s men got their noses in front in a first half in which there had been little between the sides but after the break struggled to make headway against a physical and determined Accrington team, who were worthy of their victory.

Aside from Bonne’s clinically taken goal, Town didn’t manage a shot on target, while at the other end the defensive frailties which appeared to becoming a thing of the past were again in evidence.

The Blues looked to have taken a big step forward with the 6-0 home win against Doncaster but today’s defeat to Accrington - the type of opponent they have struggled against ever since their relegation to League One - is a stumble in the other direction.

Town are next in action on Tuesday in the Papa John’s Trophy at Gillingham and then in League One at home to Shrewsbury next Saturday.

Accrington: Savin, Sherring, Hamilton, Butcher, Pell, Bishop, McConville, Nottingham, Conneely (c), Morgan, Amankwah. Unused: Trafford, O'Sullivan, Leigh, Mansell, Nolan, Clark, Malcolm.

Town: Hladky, Donacien, Edmundson, Burgess, Penney, Evans (Norwood 80), Morsy (c), Burns, Celina (Harper 64), Fraser (Edwards 64), Bonne. Unused: Holy, Nsiala, Aluko, Chaplin. Referee: Martin Coy (Durham). Att: 2,600 (Town: 846).

Photo: Pagepix

blueboy1981 added 17:26 - Oct 2 Didn't take long for the euphoria to subside did it ? - how can we justify losing to a team that we could virtually take any player from we wanted ?? If things don't improve soon, make no mistake relegation will continue to be a serious threat. Talk is not what counts - Points are, and need to be showing on that board. Not impressed - everyone knows we should be beating these teams. Full credit and respect to Accrington, the salt of the Game - but they are only minnows in comparison with ITFC - off the pitch, and should be on it too.

15

arc added 17:26 - Oct 2 What a truly dreadful performance. Made worse by Brenner and Mathie going on about our "quality" in the first half, and how if we could just get it going we'd win easily. That's the kind of talk that has bedevilled this club for a decade. Quality in football isn't an abstract–it's demonstrated by chances created, goals scored, and above all matches won. We are doing none of those things. (In fairness to Brenner, by the end he was calling himself an idiot for such talk.) I missed the 6—0 on Tuesday night, and now I worry that that result may be a curse–papering over the problems. In particular, Lee Evans. Another terrible performance today–how many times does he give the ball away with sloppy passing and silly fouls? I cannot see what he gives us. (And then in the match I miss he scores a hattrick!) Very hard to watch today. We are in trouble.

11

TB42 added 17:32 - Oct 2 I was disappointed with COOK's interview after the Doncaster win it was petulant to say the least - it will be interesting to see what the exchange is after today's game. The bottom line is we are now approaching a quarter of the way through the season and other teams put together over the summer are gelling, we are clearly not. This is a results driven game now with the new owners, I think Mr. COOK will be having to answer some very difficult questins before very long ........

11

inghamspur added 17:33 - Oct 2 FFS!! Awful result. Hopeless. Cook out. Promotion will not be possible with this manager.
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SickParrot added 17:34 - Oct 2 Didn't see the game but the report suggests we lost the physical battle as usual and were on the back foot throughout the 2nd half and the BBC stats say we only had 2 shots and none in second half. We were really good on Tuesday, so how can we be so poor today? Were Doncaster just deadful? Was it a fluke? After 10 games we have 2 wins and 10 points and are only justcoutside the bottom 4. The 6 nil win on Tuesday buys PC a little more time but how long should he be given to prove that he can mould all the good playets we've signed into a successful team?

4

Blue_badge added 17:36 - Oct 2 Is it coaching, tactics on the day or the players running from adversity? We used to be a side who's players would dig deep to get something from a game, 2nd half of this one looked as if they'd accepted it.
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DaGremloid added 17:38 - Oct 2 And to think I was nearly sucked in by our midweek performance. Did our players not take ANY confidence from that? Instead it's back to the same garbage we've been dished up since the start of this season - or to be blunt, since Cook took over last season. Be worried folks. Be very worried.
12

Stato added 17:38 - Oct 2 Where are all the Cook fanboys tonight ?
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blueboy1981 added 17:39 - Oct 2 Question marks just have to be placed against the Manager - his first attempt at success without his sidekick of long standing. Mr Richardson - it seems Mr Cook is missing you being beside him. Reality has to eventually kick in ... !!!
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dirtydingusmagee added 17:39 - Oct 2 no doubt some will make excuses. Fact is we were crap, just nothing to show we are getting better ,no grit, no desire , Cook said this wouldnt happen once we got Morsey in, sadly he didnt show anything either. Its the same old story ''next week we go again'' NOT GOOD ENOUGH .
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surgery added 17:41 - Oct 2 Come on Cook. Just get on this site and admit “sorry I am a total charlatan” “I've managed to convince the owners and the supporters that I am the special one but finally I've been found wanton “
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EssexTractor added 17:41 - Oct 2 Midweek Ipswich score 6 v Doncaster Accrington let in 5 Saturday Accrington beat Ipswich Doncaster but Mk Dons Oh and leaders Sunderland thrashed ! League One football Does it make you laugh or cry
2

cat added 17:42 - Oct 2 What goes up must come down, pretty much sums up this weeks emotions, but a little to quickly imo. Has cook shot his bolt? I hope not, but we must improve and get more consistency. This team on ‘paper' should breeze this league.
8

confederateblue added 17:43 - Oct 2 We're trending upwards that's all that matters. Now 19th not 21st. We need to get behind Cookie and the boys and push for a mid table finish. All this negative talk is not conducive to the ‘Gamechanger' mentality.
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norfolkbluey added 17:43 - Oct 2 I just saw a swallow fly off over the horizon. This is as bad as it gets for me. What on earth would we be without Bonne?! Was last week just a dream albeit at home to the bottom club? There must be serious questions being asked of Cook now. Supposedly one of the best squads in this league that cannot hold on to a winning position! So glad I wasn't at the game as some who had risked not getting enough fuel to get back home or getting to work on Monday. It's getting sickening losing or drawing so many games against opponents at the weaker end of the table. Twelve points adrift and only goal difference between us and a relegation position! Wake up everyone this cannot continue or its League two next year and at best mid table if if we start winning some games. Yes it's still early days but ten points from thirty says a great deal about Cook's record since taking over. My tank with Mr. Cook is showing red!

9

Stato added 17:45 - Oct 2 We just sent a message to the rest of the league
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bluemay77 added 17:45 - Oct 2 Right back to square one. Terrible performance overall. We've failed to build on momentum yet again. We seem to let the opposition dictate how we play in every game.That worked on Tuesday because they gave us so much space. Today we just sat back on a one goal lead and let them slowly take over. This was supposed to be the launch pad. I'm not happy, and that's an understatement. It has to reflect badly on our manager, who I so want to get behind, but then we get another debacle like this afternoon. We cannot continue to misfire our way through the season. If gelling was the issue then Tuesday should have meant the end of it. Surely our wonderful new owners can see that the issues are more deep seated and, if it doesn't improve soon, very sadly we are going to have to make an unpleasant change. I truly hope that won't be necessary.

9

barrystedmunds added 17:46 - Oct 2 I saw nothing today that gives me any confidence that we're a team on the up. Awful!! Talented individuals who just cannot get it together as a team. Well pi@&ed of! 😡😡
8

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 17:47 - Oct 2 Poor! Reverted to hoofball against a team of giants. Why?
4

blues1 added 17:48 - Oct 2 Running out. Early commenting again having not been at the game. No , wasn't good enough and credit to accrington. They did a job on us, preve ting us from playing. But outclassed? Get a grip.
3

DaGremloid added 17:48 - Oct 2 confederateblue - please tell me your post was a joke. I have a horrible feeling it wasn't.
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blues1 added 17:49 - Oct 2 Runningout. * Clearly not early
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Orraman added 17:50 - Oct 2 It has been regularly stated by many people that we should not be judgemental until 10 games have been played. Well that milestone has been reached and it is surely obvious to anyone we are displaying relegation form. If you think playing in League 1 is bad, can you imagine what it must be like in League 2? Before he came here Paul Cook meant nothing to us, so I do not understand why so many people are being so loyal to him. He is taking us game by game towards the ultimate humiliation of probably next season taking us to defeats at places like Barrow, Hartlepool and Salford. No disrespect to these teams but really - is this what the once proud Ipswich Town is coming to? I cannot even bear to listen to either his pre-match or post match ramblings. Get this charlatan out of our club now and ensure he takes his incompetent and equally clueless coaching staff with him

11

OldFart71 added 17:51 - Oct 2 I predicted a win at Stanley. I'm Sorry Oli. That's another fine mess you gotten Me into Mr. Cook. Bullied by Acryington. Not enough muck and bullets players when the going gets tough. Morsy has stiffened the midfield and we will probably be o.k. when firmer pitches return. But that may be to late.
3

richardpaul added 17:55 - Oct 2 Essex Tractor You echo my thoughts This is a topsy turvy league It seems to me that any team that can put a solid run together would walk this As we see all teams are hitting their own potholes and dropping points Up to todays result over the last 5 games as shown on the BBC form table Ipswich would have been 5th equal with Rotherham with 8 points The players have proved that they can perform but if it is a confidence issue or a collective off day surely they can secure a safe position this season

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