Macauley Bonne was the hero once again as Town recorded back-to-back wins for the first time under Paul Cook by beating Shrewsbury 2-1 at Portman Road. Conor Chaplin gave the Blues the lead in the 23rd minute, but Shaun Whalley levelled for Shrewsbury on 28, however, 10 minutes in the second half Bonne flicked home his ninth goal of the season from a Lee Evans corner to seal a deserved three points.

Chaplin replaced Bersant Celina as the number 10 in a Town side otherwise unchanged from the one which thrashed Doncaster 6-0 and was beaten 2-1 at Accrington.

Celina is currently away with Kosovo, who play Sweden in a World Cup qualifier in Stockholm at 5pm.

Shrewsbury were unchanged from the team which lost 2-1 in their last league game at Bolton last weekend. Elliott Bennett, whose father died earlier in the week, was handed the captaincy, while former Blues loanee Matthew Pennington was on the right of their back three.

Ahead of kick-off both teams took a knee to warm applause from around Portman Road.

There was an early minor scare for the Blues when keeper Vaclav Hladky kicked against Daniel Udoh but George Edmundson and then Janoi Donacien cleared the potential for danger.

Town, unusually shooting towards the Sir Bobby Robson Stand in the first half, struck the first effort of the game in the third minute, Lee Evans, a hat-trick scorer in his last game at Portman Road, curling a free-kick not too far wide of Shrews keeper Marko Marosi’s left post after skipper Sam Morsy had been fouled just outside the area to the left.

The Blues had the ball in the net in the eighth minute in a familiar fashion but with the linesman’s flag raised. Evans played in Wes Burns on the right and the Welshman crossed low for Macauley Bonne to tap home what would have been his ninth of the campaign but for the on-loan QPR man having strayed offside.

Town were dominating the early stages, moving the ball around swiftly with Shrewsbury struggling to get out of their half.

On 16 Burns headed into the side-netting at the far post from a Scott Fraser free-kick on the right - which had been delayed by jostling in the area - won after the former Fleetwood man had been fouled by George Nurse.

The game continued in the same manner and on 18 Matt Penney wasn’t too far away from his first goal at Portman Road and his second of the season when Fraser played a corner to him 25 yards out and the ex-Sheffield Wednesday man struck a powerful shot only just beyond Marosi’s left post with several of his team-mates making lunges towards it to add a final touch.

Ryan Bowman headed Shrewsbury’s first effort on goal weakly to Hladky in the 20th minute but aside from that it had been all Town and three minutes later they took the lead.

Morsy played a half-cleared ball wide to Penney, who crossed towards Bonne at the far post. Town’s top scorer headed across goal, Marosi saved but Chaplin was on hand to net his second goal in two games and his third of the season, all in his last four appearances.

But the lead lasted only five minutes. Shrewsbury started to show some attacking threat and on 28 Shaun Whalley brushed aside Morsy as they battled for a loose ball and unleashed a 25-yard left-foot shot which flew past Hladky to his right and into the net.

The Blues, in total control up until their goal, started to show nervy signs and Shrewsbury might have gone ahead on the half hour when Udoh crossed from the left and Bowman turned over at the near post when he will feel he should have found the target.

The Shrews were forced into a change on 35 when Bowman suffered a knock with on-loan Birmingham striker Sam Cosgrove taking over.

Cameron Burgess got his name in referee Will Finnie’s book in the 39th minute for dragging back Cosgrove as the sub escaped down the right.

In the penultimate scheduled minute Shrews goalscorer Whalley scraped an effort from the edge of the box to the right well wide with the Blues ending the half scrappily.

During three minutes of injury time, the Blues finally seemed to regain some composure, passing the ball around with their earlier confidence until Bonne was flagged offside.

It had been half of two halves from Town, who had completely dominated and fully deserved their goal when it came, Chaplin continuing his recent good form in front of goal.

But from there the Blues allowed Shrewsbury, who had looked every bit a side second-bottom of the table, back into the match.

Morsy will feel he ought to have been stronger as he battled with Whalley for the ball ahead of the Shrews forward’s strike which gave Hladky no chance.

The Blues were scruffy, nervy and hesitant from there, only seeming to regain their composure in the closing moments.

The second half started much like the early period of the first with the Blues dominating and Shrewsbury unable to find a way out of their own territory.

And in the 55th minute, they restored their lead. Evans whipped over a corner from the left which had been won by Penney and Bonne flicked his ninth goal of the season - his eighth in his last seven matches - past Marosi and into the net. The goal had been coming with Town having started the half very strongly.

On 67, with neither side having threatened since the Blues’ goal, Nurse was booked for a foul on Burns as the winger looked to get on a return pass down the right.

Three minutes later, Bonne was inches away from making it 3-1 and claiming his 10th of the season when Penney picked up a loose ball on the left and sent a powerful low ball across the edge of the six-yard box which both the striker and keeper Marosi were just unable to reach.

Town swapped Burns for Kyle Edwards in the 73rd minute with the former West Brom man moving to left wing and Fraser to the right. Shrewsbury made a double change with Nathanael Ogbeta replacing Aaron Pierre and Tom Bloxham taking over from Udoh.

The Blues claimed a penalty a minute later as Ethan Ebanks-Landell’s hand appeared to divert a long ball down the middle away from Bonne. The Town striker was convinced but referee Finnie and his assistant were both unmoved.

Shrewsbury protested they should have been awarded a penalty a minute later when, after some miscommunication in the Town defence, Bloxham fed in Luke Leahy inside the area where he ended up on the turf before Edmundson played it out for a corner. Again referee Finnie was unmoved and there looked to have been little contact despite the vociferous protests.

Penney underwent treatment for a knock and in the 80th minute was replaced by former Shrew Toto Nsiala with Burgess moving to left-back as he did at Lincoln when Hayden Coulson suffered an injury from which the on-loan Boro man is close to returning.

Town were well in control and looking for a third as the game moved into its final five minutes.

On 88 Bonne was replaced by Joe Pigott to a standing ovation from the home support having won another game for his boyhood club.

The Blues again thought they should have been awarded a penalty in injury time when Fraser looked to be tripped by David Davis but referee Finnie adjudged the Town man to have dived and, much to the Scot’s frustration, yellow-carded the ex-MK Dons man. Moments later, Edmundson joined him in the book for a foul on Cosgrove.

A third Town goal looked a more likely prospect in injury time than a second Shrewsbury equaliser but given the Blues’ season up to now there was still some edginess around the ground until referee Finnie blew his whistle.

Having got their noses deservedly in front in the first half, the Blues made heavy weather of the first half from there allowing Shrewsbury back into the game.

However, in the later stages of the first period and after the restart Town regained their dominance and Bonne once again was the man on the spot to score the goal.

Another goal would have made the closing stages more comfortable but other than the penalty incident, the Shrews never looked like getting back on terms.

The Blues are up to 14th in the table, six points from the play-offs and 10 from the top two. Bonne's nine goals make him the joint-top scorer in League One along with Morecambe's Cole Stockton.

Following Tuesday’s Papa John’s Trophy win at Gillingham, the Blues have won back-to-back games for the first time under manager Cook, while they have lost only one of their last six in all competitions going into next week’s trip to Cambridge United.

Town: Hladky, Donacien, Edmundson, Burgess, Penney (Nsiala 80), Morsy (c), Evans, Burns (Edwards 73), Chaplin, Fraser, Bonne (Pigott 81). Unused: Holy, El Mizouni, Harper, Aluko.

Shrewsbury: Marosi, Leahy, Ebanks-Landell, Pennington, Pierre (Ogbeta 73), Whalley, Udoh (Bloxham 73), Bowman (Cosgrove 35), Davis, Bennett (c), Nurse. Unused: Burgoyne, Pyke, Caton, Lashabela. Att: 19,256 (Shrewsbury: 202).

Photo: Matchday Images

bonamassablue added 18:19 - Oct 9 The most important thing today was to get 3 points. We looked good apart from the last 30 minutes of the first half when our concentration wandered again. Bonne is exceptional, the defence played solidly (their goal was something special) but the balance in the midfield is not there yet. Having said that I come away from Portman Road now a lot more satisfied having watched attacking football. We are slowly getting there.

1

Karlosfandangal added 18:22 - Oct 9 Why do people on here think we should win every game 5-0 and play brilliantly. Not every game the great Sir Bobby teams played were brilliant games they had to work hard for some of the wins Town ground out a win today so we'll done.
6

Bluroo added 18:24 - Oct 9 Not very impressive at all.
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ringwoodblue added 18:30 - Oct 9 The performance deserved a more convincing score line but can't complain it's another 3 points and we are moving up the table. As others have already said, securing the permanent transfer of Bonne must now be Ashton's top priority.
5

confederateblue added 18:32 - Oct 9 Ashton needs to break the bank to secure the services of ‘Bonne Corleone'. He's got something of an ‘Ian Marshall' glint in his eye, reminiscent of Micky Stockwell on the rampage.
1

Orraman added 18:33 - Oct 9 My worry about Macauley's goals is that each one is making it more likely QPR will want him back or his transfer value is going up and other clubs will be sniffing around. Can we not make an offer now, pay a deposit and finalise the deal in January or is that wishful thinking?
5

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 18:33 - Oct 9 Happy with the win, but still not sure we have the right formula for L1. I'd keep the back four we ended with. You've got to have a bit of brute strength in this league and we still look vulnerable to the hoofball. Donacien MoM for me, closely followed by Bonne. Crowd could have done a bit more during our weak period first half, but British crowds tend to go silent when things aren't going well. All credit, however, to our great away support who will make Cambridge seem like a home match. A win there and we can begin to look up not down.

0

cat added 18:37 - Oct 9 Commanding and domineering performance and a score line which doesn't do that justice. Switched off after our first goal for a period but didn't really give them a sniff second half. It's coming together now and things are beginning to shape up nicely.
0

OldTractor added 18:46 - Oct 9 Please read this Mr Cook. Edwards of left, Bonne and Pigott up front together, Evans on the right. Morsy in front of defence. You can pick anyone you want for remaining 6 places. We will then smash this league. Thank you.
-4

Nobbysnuts added 18:52 - Oct 9 Well it's a win but I'm not convinced. We should be wiping the floor against these teams and we're not. A long way off a promotion team...a long long way. Sorry but that's the truth.
1

inghamspur added 18:52 - Oct 9 Unconvincing win. Made hard work of that against a very poor side. Not sure what I've learned from that today, other than we're way off where we should be.
3

SpiritOfJohn added 18:59 - Oct 9 We put together some nice passages of play today, but still looked a bit vulnerable to a fast counter - luckily Shrewsbury weren't able to exploit that like Bolton did. Well played Janoi, Chaplin and of course the amazing Macauley Bonne, with a nice cameo from Edwards. Room for improvement, but a step in the right direction.
2

Orraman added 19:04 - Oct 9 Macauley Bonne was featured on Look East last week when he went to Portman Rd to meet a young girl with cerebral palsy who had had her new shirt cut open by surgeons for an emergency operation. Macauley had a good chat, gave her 2 new shirts and got her to take him to where she sits in Sir Alf stand. He promised her that when he scored today he would run over and give her a wave. I watched him after he scored and he did just that. Not just a top scorer but a gentleman as well and now someone's hero

27

Westy added 19:28 - Oct 9 Wasn't at the game today but a hugely valuable three points that has moved us up the table significantly. Just hope we can build on this a put a string of victories together
2

midastouch added 19:41 - Oct 9 @ Orraman, thanks for explaining that. What a lovely story to read, warms the heart that does! Very fitting and classy from Bonne indeed! :-)
2

midastouch added 19:46 - Oct 9 Further to Orraman's post above please see here: 💙 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒂 & 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒚 Macauley Bonne surprised a 13-year-old supporter, who has cerebral palsy, with a brand new Town shirt this afternoon.#itfc pic.twitter.com/9QWOC28khG — Ipswich Town FC (@IpswichTown) October 4, 2021
5

Facefacts added 20:46 - Oct 9 Steve ITFC Sweden, the Cambridge match was totally sold out home and away about a week ago, so both teams will be fully backed from the stands/terraces.
0

Stato added 21:23 - Oct 9 Only 3 shots on target against a side 2nd bottom is disappointing. 17th placed Lincoln only team out if the bottom 2 we have beaten so far with. Some tricky fixtures coming up after Cambridge.
4

runaround added 21:39 - Oct 9 A deserved win in the end although why we became so sloppy after scoring the first goal I don't know. Up until the first goal we had been excellent then went rubbish for no reason. Second half was mainly us but not emphatic I'm sure we have more gears to go up & hopefully that will come Donacien MOM again for me today. How good does he look right now?!
0

DaGremloid added 21:43 - Oct 9 OzzyBlue - 'Told you whingers so.' Really? So you think I should wet my bed tonight because we've now beaten the bottom two sides, along with Lincoln? Whoopi-do. The sterner tests are to come and I'm still not confident or convinced by Paul Cook. Unlike your PC-tinted outlook, however, I am actually willing to change my mind, but not yet. Anyway, far better than today's result is the video of Macauley Bonne giving the young lady with cerebral palsy two new Ipswich shirts. Heart-warming and a touch of class. Well done Macauley.

2

KiwiTractor added 21:47 - Oct 9 First of all, well done lads - great to get the 3 points and sounds like plenty of positives to take from the game. Been talking to a QPR mate of mine, and he doesn't think that Warburton will recall Bonne in January, given the current attacking players they have (Austin, Dykes, Gray, Adomah, Willock, Chair) - although an injury or two could always change that. However, as someone has already mentioned, every time Macca scores his value is probably going up. I do think QPR would be willing to sell him, to strengthen in other areas, especially is they are still sniffing around promotion (I'm cheering for them to win every week). Other clubs will definitely be sniffing around him, but by all accounts he looks like he really wants to be here...

0

Dissboyitfc added 22:03 - Oct 9 pure class from Bonne on so many levels, i hope we can keep him! Not overly impressed by todays performance, yes started well, scored then conceded and turned to crap! At times today it reminded me of watching a paul lambert performance, passing it around the defenders then back to the keeper as we looked clueless and without a plan! But thankfully we did find A very welcome 3 points!!!

2

delias_cheesy_flaps added 22:23 - Oct 9 3 points always welcome, but… Tawdry stuff, tedious to watch, didn't see any sustained attacking intent. The best thing PC could do for his and the players benefit and more importantly the fans! is to sit the lot down in front of the TV and watch the reruns of the Big Match and then ask the players can you match or better the attacking intent of 40 years ago??

-1

Fat_Boy_Tim added 23:44 - Oct 9 Brenner Woolley has to go I don't know if it's the scars of the last 15 — 20 years or the fact that he really doesn't support the team but for me Woolley's time as the commentator of Ipswich matches has to end and end soon. I live abroad and so watch and listen to every game through Ifollow. Today was a classic case where anyone who only heard the radio commentary would think we didn't just dominate almost the whole game. There were basically 20 mins where they got a goal (Which was a clear trip on Moresy who Wooley bizarrely said was him being weak) and put us under some pressure until half time. Before that we played some great football and didn't give them a sniff. In the second half we dominated from start to finish but it was all doom and gloom on the radio. Every time a town pass goes astray it's described as ‘awful' or ‘terrible from…' and he absolutely relishes every opportunity to point out if it's ‘Very quiet at Portman Road'. Last week at Acrington, the whole ‘How stupid was I' routing saying ‘same old Ipswich' etc was cringe worthy and stank of sticking the boot in. It just puts a negative spin on everything and you can tell from the comments on here exactly who was listening but not watching. We've just won 4 and drawn 1 out of 6. We've scored in every league game this season. I'm sick of him, I think he's been tainted by all those long years of dross and mediocrity and I think it's past time for a change to someone who isn't working so chuffing hard to be impartial and get someone in who actually supports the team. Brenner out.

-4

Minneapolis_ITFC added 00:36 - Oct 10 Can't always understand why some feel the need to bitch and moan when the team wins. Today was just the right kind of game to trip us up and how many times have we fallen when faced with what seems a winnable fixture home or away trips. The team got it right today, may not have been pretty or of 1980 standards but from what have read the team were value for the win, there can be little argument from the beaten opponents. People may not like Cook, I don't always favor his formations but despite any and all claims for his departure up until today you got to see below the surface in that this is a league where no team has any divine right for promotion. It was always going to be tough with a number of pitfalls along the way - even with all the changes we made in the summer.

1

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