Southampton 0-1 Ipswich Town - Half-Time Tuesday, 19th Sep 2023 20:47 Omari Hutchinson’s first goal for the Blues has given Town a 1-0 half-time lead against Southampton at St Mary’s. Boss Kieran McKenna made four changes from the team which beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at the weekend with Brandon Williams, Jack Taylor and Hutchinson making their full league debuts for the Blues and George Hirst coming back into the XI. Wes Burns was OK to continue in his wide right role despite feeling his hamstring at Hillsborough, while Nathan Broadhead, Massimo Luongo and Freddie Ladapo dropped to the bench. As expected, Leif Davis missed out with the ankle problem he suffered on Saturday, while Kayden Jackson was also absent from the 20-man squad. For the Saints, former Blues midfielder Flynn Downes wasn’t included having picked up a knock in Friday’s 4-1 home defeat to Leicester and was replaced by Joe Aribo. With rain swirling in the wind, the Saints started on top with the Blues giving the ball away all too easily whenever they got hold of it. On five, Southampton skipper Adam Armstrong shot from the edge of the box into the side-netting with some home fans initially believing it had gone the other side of the post. Two minutes later, Town had the ball in the net from a corner but referee Josh Smith ruled it out for a foul. Hutchinson’s flag-kick appeared to divert into the roof of the net off Saints striker Che Adams but Smith blew for a foul, perhaps on keeper Gavin Bazunu, although there seemed nothing untoward. The Blues began to see more of the ball and won another corner, then on 12 Hutchinson crossed from the left for Hirst but the striker was unable to get enough power on his header under pressure. Three minutes later, Hutchinson was found unmarked midway inside the Southampton half by a long throw and took the ball on before hitting a shot which deflected up in the air through to Bazunu. In the 17th minute, Kyle Walker-Peters fed in Adams on the right of the box but Luke Woolfenden was able to divert his effort wide. Four minutes later, Town struggled to get the ball out of their box following a looping Adams ball from the right. The Saints were looking a threat when in and around the Town area and on 27 Shea Charles flicked a header just wide of Vaclav Hladky’s right post. The Blues were largely in control, however, and were taking the game to the relegated former Premier League side. On 29, Burns crossed from the right and Williams looped a header over from the penalty spot with the on-loan Manchester United man clearly felt he should have done better. And a minute later the Blues went in front. Hutchinson slid in to dispossess the dawdling Charles midway inside the Saints half, Chaplin picked up the loose ball and fed in the Chelsea loan forward, who shot across Bazunu and into the net off the inside of the post. Hutchinson celebrated his first goal for the Blues - and first in senior football aside from goals for U23s sides in the Papa Johns Trophy - with a impressive somersault. Town went about looking for a second goal and on 33 Hutchinson, full of confidence after his goal, brought the ball forward down the middle before Williams’s dangerous cross was headed behind by Taylor Harwood-Bellis. The Blues went within a whisker of going 2-0 up in the 36th minute when Aribo was caught in possession midway inside his side’s half by Chaplin and the Blues’ forward chipped Bazunu only for the ball to bounce back off the bar. Hirst was first to the rebound but Harwood-Bellis was somehow able to squeeze his goalbound effort wide. Two minutes later, Williams was shown the game’s first yellow card for a late challenge on Adams. Town continued to control the game with the Saints looking ever more nervous at the back, keeper Bazunu finding touch with a pass to Walker-Peters, much to the frustration of the home support and amusement of the travelling fans. The Blues again went close to a second goal in the 40th minute when Hutchinson broke from the centre circle and fed Burns on the right. The Wales international cut inside before hitting a right-foot shot just past Bazunu’s right post. Despite Town being on top, Southampton were still having dangerous moments, former Blues loan winger Fraser forcing Harry Clarke into a sliding block. Following the resultant corner, Sam Edozie’s dive fooled no one, least of all referee Smith. The Saints saw most of the ball in two minutes of added-on time but without further threatening and boos rang around St Mary’s at the whistle. Town could be more than happy with their first 45 minutes and the lead. The Saints had started the stronger but the Blues had grown into the game and made the most of Southampton sloppiness in their own half, which was hardly a rare occurrence. In fact, Town will feel they probably should have been at least another goal in front Chaplin having hit the woodwork following another Southampton error, while the early own goal didn’t appear to have too much wrong with it. The home side had had threatening moments but without managing a shot on target. A long way to go still, but the Blues have put themselves in a great position to claim their sixth win in seven this season and their fourth victory on the road in four. Southampton: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Charles, Manning, Smallbone, Aribo, Fraser, Edozie, Adams, A Armstrong. Subs: McCarthy, Bree, S Armstrong, Mara, Sulemana, Alcaraz, Amo-Ameyaw, Bednarek. Town: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns, Morsy (c), Taylor, Williams, Chaplin, Hutchinson, Hirst. Subs: Slicker, Ball, Humphreys, Evans, Luongo, Harness, Broadhead, Scarlett, Ladapo. Referee: Josh Smith (Peterborough).
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