Ipswich Town 2-0 Hull City - Half-Time
Tuesday, 3rd Oct 2023 20:45

Goals from Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin have given Town a 2-0 half-time lead against Hull City at Portman Road.

Boss Kieran McKenna made four changes with skipper Sam Morsy coming back into his usual central midfield role for Lee Evans, who was absent from the 20-man squad having suffered a knee injury at Huddersfield on Saturday.

Brandon Williams took over from Harry Clarke at right-back with the former Arsenal man dropping to the bench.

George Edmundson’s first league start of the season came for Cameron Burgess, who was missing from the squad, presumably having picked up a knock.

Marcus Harness was on the left of the trio behind the striker with Omari Hutchinson, starter on Saturday and against Wolves last Tuesday, among the subs.

Also on the bench was Christian Walton, for the first time in the league since joining Town in the summer of 2021, returning to the squad for the first time this campaign having suffered a plantar fascia injury in pre-season, along with Nathan Broadhead, who missed the trip to the John Smith’s Stadium with a minor thigh problem.

Hull, who had won their last six at Portman Road and were unbeaten in seven on Suffolk soil, made three changes from the team which drew 1-1 with Plymouth Argyle at the weekend.

Lewie Coyle came in for Ruben Vinagre and Jacob Greaves for Sean McLoughlin with the two men out of the XI on the bench, while Liam Delap took over from Regan Slater, who is out with a hamstring injury.

Town, with sponsor Ed Sheeran watching from his box having appeared on Town TV and behind one of the Portman Road bars prior to kick-off, took the lead via the game’s first serious attack in the fifth minute.

Leif Davis played a cross-field ball from the left, Chaplin allowed it to reach Burns in space behind him on the other flank and the Wales international took a touch before smashing a brilliant strike past Hull keeper Ryan Allsop to his right and into the net, his second Championship goal and his first since January 2016.

In the 11th minute, Davis exchanged passes with Harness and cut the ball back from the byline on the left, sending it across the six-yard box but with no Town player on hand to add the final touch.

Town were well on top with Hull, who went into the match unbeaten in their last eight, giving the ball away far too easily whenever they won it back.

On 13, George Hirst almost played in Chaplin with a clever pass, which was just cut out, then a minute later Burns crossed from the right and Hirst was just unable to get a clean attempt at goal under pressure from Greaves.

There was a scare for the Blues in the 16th minute when Delap was sent away on the right. Edmundson did well to put his body between the on-loan Manchester City man and the ball but as Town looked to allow Vaclav Hladky to claim the ball, Aaron Connolly was able to get a toe on it but fortunately scuffed it wide.

But aside from that, it was all Town, Harness cutting past Jean Michael Seri inside the box before hitting a well-struck right-foot shot which Allsop batted away.

On 20, Harness had another go from distance, Hirst laying it back to the former Pompey man after good work from Chaplin, but this time his effort drifted wide of Allsop’s left post.

As the game moved towards the half-hour mark, the Tigers had their first spell of sustained possession, Jaden Philogene hitting a shot through to Hladky, which the Town keeper juggled then claimed, from the edge of the box following a corner.

However, the Blues threatened again in the 32nd minute, Burns cutting inside from the right to Harness, who appeared to have the ball stabbed away from him by Seri, but referee Matt Donohue awarded a goal-kick.

Three minutes later, Luongo won a bouncing ball back on the edge of the Hull box before hitting a low shot only just wide of Allsop’s right post.

In the 38th minute, Davis was fouled on the left and took a low free-kick in to Chaplin, whose first-time shot deflected into the path of Harness but his effort from a tight angle hit the side-netting.

Town had got themselves firmly back in control and in the 41st minute they doubled their lead via a brilliant team goal.

Edmundson played back to Hladky, who under pressure from two Hull attackers feinted past one before playing a pass beyond the other back to Edmundson, to cheers from the home support and applause from team-mate Sone Aluko with the analysts on the gantry in front of the press box.

Edmundson moved it on to Harness, who rode a tackle before feeding Davis, who was breaking down the left. Rather than crossing into the box, the former Leeds man played a pass to Chaplin who was breaking towards the area and the former Barnsley man took a touch before curling a superb strike into the top corner of Allsop’s net to the keeper’s right.

Having gone two in front, the Blues went looking for more, Chaplin taking a half-clearance from a Burns cross down on his chest but allowing it to bounce just too far in front of him in order to get in his shot.

As the half moved into three minutes of injury time, Town went close again, Harness turning Burns’s pass from the right into the path of Chaplin, whose shot deflected wide.

That was the last chance of an excellent half which had been dominated by the Blues aside from a brief spell midway through the half.

Burns’s excellent early strike set Town on their way and the Blues had had a number of other chances to increase their lead before Chaplin’s superbly-worked second.

Town had played as well as at any time this season, controlling the game, passing patiently and methodically, then upping the tempo when required with Davis on one flank and Burns on the other both causing problems all half.

No game is over at 2-0 but another Town goal in the second half - which looks far more likely than Hull pulling one back - would seal another three points.

Town: Hladky, Williams, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo, Burns, Chaplin, Harness, Hirst. Subs: Walton, Clarke, Ladapo, Ball, Taylor, Jackson, Hutchinson, Scarlett, Broadhead.

Hull City: Allsop, Coyle (c), Jones, Greaves, Christie, Seri, Morton, Philogene, Traore, Delap, Connolly. Subs: Ingram, Vinagre, McLoughlin, Docherty, Furlong, A Smith, Twine, Sinik, Sellars-Fleming. Referee: Matt Donohue (Manchester).

Photo: Matchday Images

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