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

bernie added 09:53 - Oct 3 What a load of wet wipes, two nights in a hotel to help them be fresh and then training at Man Utd , how spoilt are they !! They all on good money , have the facilities and support, at least the top two in the league !! have a thought for the 845 fans who traveled they probably didn't have a two night stay in a nice hotel and so well look after. They need to start getting their hands dirty and do some hard graft like most normal people do . So bloody frustrating

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Lightningboy added 10:26 - Oct 3 We are going nowhere until we get in a manager AND coaching team with more than a couple of brain cells between them. To think what a Burley or Lyall could get from this set of players is quite depressing. Cook minus Liam Richardson is not working...if our owners cannot see that then this season will be another wasted season.
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MickMillsTash added 10:32 - Oct 3 Discounting Doncaster who were the worst team at Portman Road since Ipswich against Northampton last season, we have been very ordinary and massively underperforming. In the first half we looked comfortable although without any creation, imagination or talent (Bonne worked hard). I felt like getting the man on the tannoy to ask for someone who could entertain to let themselves be known to the nearest steward. I did not want to be at the game it was dull but you sort of accept it at 1-0. Looking at the stats we concede in the second half (fitness ? Tactics? Both?) and sure enough we wilted again- they had shown no form to be worried about. But... Cook with a squad of Championship players failed against players on year long contracts who were prepared to work harder and knew their job. There are problems with the way we are set up - the '3' do not get on the ball -STILL ! I do not think their movement is great but they could be brought into the game more by Bonne who is not central enough to drop in and play one-twos and ask the centre backs positional questions Evans looks a problem- Morsy plays and who ever plays alongside him must have some creation, Evans too quickly loses confidence and is not athletic enough. I'd play Harper. Right Back is a key position to attacks and Donacien is not good enough on the ball, everything slows down and dies once Donacien is passed to- Can Wolfy play right back? The keeper - well its hard to criticise but will he start making the saves he is paid to make ? Cook - at 1-1 the game was crying out for Norwood to come on and occupy a centre back - give a different forward option. We were playing long balls by then - Bonne was dominated with the hopeless punts aimed at him. I saw it, my son saw it. Cook reacted once the game was gone. He's paid to do better. Anyway - 'You won't get that performance with Sam Morsy in the team!' Well done Accrington.

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Linkboy13 added 12:05 - Oct 3 Looking extremely unlikely we are going to get promoted this season. Some of the players don't seem that motivated playing in this league. Cook needs to sort out which players are up for the fight even if they are of lower ability than the others. Watching match of the day last night what stood out apart from the skill and the pace of the team's was the tremendous work rate and closing down of the teams. Im not seeing this at Ipswich at the moment.

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Theipswich added 12:48 - Oct 3 It is now or never...from now we have to win all our games or the season is over. There are no more excuses and yesterday was a lesson in getting back to basics and working hard and not presuming a God given right to win.We are hopeless really and possibly after Doncaster, too many thought they just had to turn up..hopeless, simply hopeless
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istanblue added 12:49 - Oct 3 Lose to Accrington Stanley (Who Are They?): tick 2 wins in 10 league games in the third tier of English football: tick 1 point above the relegation zone: tick New era, same old Ipswich
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ChrisR added 16:00 - Oct 3 6 wins in 31 Games says it all . PC unable to get best out of this new squad . Presumably he knew what they could do before signing ? We should copy Watford and ditch this guy before the Yanks ditch us!
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Linkboy13 added 16:06 - Oct 3 Really feel for the fans who went all the way to Accrington to watch that gutless performance. After watching the highlights or lowlights what ever way you look at it Paul Cook must take a lot of the blame he seems incapable of changing the tactics when things are obviously not working out. Yesterday we needed to go two up front and gone route one with a more physical approach against a team like Accrington.

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OldFart71 added 16:10 - Oct 3 Sadly the common denominator in all our woes over the last 14 years is Marcus Evans. Even though he's gone he picked PC. But then money doesn't ensure success. Man Utd struggle like you wouldn't believe and look at the money they have spent. They played Everton who struggled to find a team, but couldn't beat them and did a Town by talking the lead. Many successful teams of the past have had a few prepared to put the boot in and until Town get a few nasty players in their team they will struggle in this muck and bullets league.

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Westy added 20:54 - Oct 3 Accrington won because they wanted it more.
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Bluroo added 10:09 - Oct 4 Rubbish manager tactically. It's a certainty Cook will be sacked eventually, part of me hopes we lose a few more games so we can get on with a future sooner rather than later. Just got to hope Gamechanger are better at picking managers than Evans was.
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Razor added 10:26 - Oct 4 I did not take to this guy when he first joined the club and after his yobbish and abnoxious interview on Quest last Wednesday night I like him even less. We are going nowhere with him and I am amazed that confederate blue seems happy with mid table this year, I am certainly not!! Ithink the club is in good hands but certainly not the team and if Mr Ashton is as passionate and caring as he would make us believe then he must take appropriate action now and get a gentleman in who plays football the Ipswich way----break the bank and get EDDIE HOWE in. This wound can not be allowed to fester.

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FrankMarshall added 12:15 - Oct 4 Think confederate blue is happy with mid-table as the alternative is a battle against relegation. Don't think our owners will be happy one bit. They are used to seeing success and have seen it in all their other football endeavours. They've invested a little in the Tractor Girls and look how well they are doing! Wonder if Paul Cook is wishing he had kept James Wilson right now. Really bad mistake IMO. Clear player of the season and a stalwart in defence. And we gave him away and now look at Plymouth! Should have built that defence around already existing solidity. The longer the season goes on, the more obvious the error.

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