Ipswich Town goalscorer Nathan Broadhead believes claiming a point in stoppage time against West Bromwich Albion in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Portman Road could prove to be a key moment in their season.

The Blues were heading for back-to-back Sky Bet Championship defeats in the televised lunchtime kick-off, until substitute Omari Hutchinson came up with a 93rd-minute equaliser.

It came after Tom Fellows’s 18th-minute opener had eventually been levelled by Broadhead’s close-range volley within 44 seconds of the second half getting under way.

The Baggies retook the lead through substitute John Swift’s near-30-yard strike in the 76th minute after Town were caught playing out from the back.

But Hutchinson’s stoppage-time strike, following Sam Morsy’s shot deflecting into his path following a corner, saw the Blues end with a point.

Asked how the squad were reflecting on the game, Broadhead said: “No-one’s really said anything but it’s a good draw at the end of the day, going down 2-1 after 80 minutes.

“I think we’ll take the draw, obviously we wanted to win, I think we had a few more chances than them but it was one of those days.”

With Town once again coming from behind he said the character they showed to gain another result far from surprised him.

“To be fair we’ve done it all season, it just shows the togetherness and the character that we’re willing to keep on going and play football to the end,” he said.

On the frustration of having to claw their way back into a game again, he said: “I think every team goes through it in the season, a ball just drops randomly to their player who scores, it happens more often in the last few games but we’ve kept on going and got a draw in the end.”

Broadhead’s goal, his ninth of the season, all coming in the league, saw him end an eight-game wait to hit the back of the net. However, it was not a run that had overly worried him.

“Obviously other players have the same, not scoring for a few months or whatever but yes, I’m happy to score today,” he said.

“Not scoring makes me frustrated but I’ve worked myself hard in training, working on finishing every day and thankfully today it’s paid off.

“It was a tough finish, to be fair, I didn’t know whether to head it or whatever, it was that kind of height but thankfully it went in.”

Asked if McKenna had put an arm round him to assure him a goal was coming, he said: “It was probably self-belief really that a chance can come.

“You can get dropped from the team and thankfully I came in today and scored. With the fixtures coming up everyone needs to come in and make an impact.”

Broadhead was also delighted for Hutchinson and believes the point they took is a big one as they continue their promotion quest, staying 11 points above their fifth-placed opponents.

“For sure, he smashed it and it was a great goal,” he said of the 93rd-minute equaliser from the Chelsea loanee. “To get a point at the end of the day is massive and fair play to him, he did well.”

The Wales international was also impressed with the performance of January signing Kieffer Moore on what was his first start for the club over two spells at Portman Road.

“Today, he held the ball up well,” he said. “He gives us an option when teams press us, rather than playing short we can go long. I thought he played well today holding people off and laying it off.”

Put to him that Town’s one win in nine league games does not tell the story of recent performances, he replied: “No, not really. Obviously we’ve conceded first in the last few games but yes, we just need to keep on going.

“We know everything happens for a reason and we’re happy to get a draw at the end of the day and keep on going.”

Asked if McKenna had spoken to them about conceding early goals, having now done so for a fifth game on the spin, he said: “No, not really. I think the way that we play obviously leaves us a bit exposed sometimes at the back but the manager wants us to play that way and I love playing that way.

“For the forwards it’s great, we get chances but today, I don’t know how many shots they had on target but we just need to keep on going.”

Although he says he is not focusing on it, he believes Town, who remain fourth, can still make the top two.

Speaking ahead of both Southampton (5-3 at home to Huddersfield Town) and Leeds United (3-0 at home to Rotherham United) extending the gap above them to four and three points, he said: “Yes, probably, I think everyone wants to win really, to get three points on the board is the main thing for the next game and hopefully we can do that.”

Broadhead believes their four recruits in January - Moore having been joined by Jeremy Sarmiento, Ali Al-Hamadi and Lewis Travis - have fitted in well already.

“Amazing,” he said, “The manager tells them what to do and we have a style of play that we need to buy into. They’ve come in straight away and have done that.

“I thought Ali could have come in and scored today, it was a great save from the goalie and on another day that could have gone in. All the lads have been great and we’ve welcomed them.”

Photos: TWTD/Matchday Images

pablo123 added 19:36 - Feb 10 Not really nathan , yes it's better than nothing, but yet more ground lost pal
-16

Gilesy added 20:12 - Feb 10 More ground lost on where we were in December. Another point gained in what would be a remarkable achievement if we get a top 6 place.
8

E_I_E_I_E_I_O added 22:19 - Feb 10 Just a horrible generic answer most footballers give these days….its massive. Especially in this case no a point certainly is not massive.
0

Blue_In_Boston added 23:52 - Feb 10 So they haven't spoken about all the early goals we concede? Why the hell not?
0

bobble added 02:20 - Feb 11 if we were a 4th division team perhaps..
-2

Dissboyitfc added 07:32 - Feb 11 He is not saying that a point was the aim before the game started, more like it was massive to get something salvaged from a game where we were IMO by far the better team, and keep the 11 point gap. I think its fair to say the missing goals will soon be returning and just like last year our fortunes will change mid February onwards! Keep the faith and remember that should 4th be the position we finish in, it will still be amazing and about right, its fair to say there 3 better teams than us in the championship and they all have Premier league squads and parachute payments! So much more to enjoy from this season!

11

Edmundo added 07:37 - Feb 11 We looked like we had a plan b today with Moore. So close to snatching 3 deserved points but the keeper got lucky with Ali's piledriver
4

Suffolkboy added 08:11 - Feb 11 Tremendous spirit and undying efforts epitomise this ITFC squad ; it’s a shame the goals aren’t going in ,but the determination and commitment from this team simply cannot be faulted ! COYB
6

bobble added 09:04 - Feb 11 Dissboyitfc ...as we have a game in hand on one of those teams, and could move ahead of them if we win it,at the moment its not fair to say there 3 better teams than us in the championship and they all have Premier league squads and parachute payments!
-4

Ipswichbusiness added 10:35 - Feb 11 I thought that it was a very well taken goal.
1

Dissboyitfc added 11:44 - Feb 11 But Bobble they do have parachute payments and better squads/ premier league players! Just stating facts!
0

groundhog added 11:47 - Feb 11 Let's hope that this was the Sheffield wednesday game of last year, which ended our sticky patch by coming back to draw 2-2 and then went on to finish with a near faultless run in. And while comparing this season to last remember our sticky patch started when we threw away the win with Charlton and this one started when we threw away a win with Norwich. He's hoping we repay Norwich like we did Charlton last year.

2

blueboy1981 added 18:17 - Feb 11 Playing out from the Back all the time is so predictable and one dimensional - it can and does work, as we know, with higher skill level players - but we do not have them to be able to do so successfully ! We give the Ball away too easily, and thus invariably concede. Several of our players are nowhere near Premiership Skill levels, as we’d find IF we did go up with this Squad. All it takes from the opposition, in us persisting with this, is for them to push up high and close down tight. When we bring ‘attack with menace’ into our game, normally late on and trailing, by Subs’ coming on, we then become a totally Different Animal to be Feared !! Just ask West Brom ? - they’ll confirm !

3

keighleyblue added 20:18 - Feb 11 Embarrassed by the negative comments here. Clearly none of these so called supporters go to the games.
0

bobble added 23:05 - Feb 11 Dissboyitfc..but with our game in hand there may only be 2 teams better than us at this stage...
0

cressi added 07:02 - Feb 12 What helped us was when they lost Bartley big centre half they became disorganised. I have no problem with the way we plan from the back we just need to move the ball much quicker and if the ball is not on play into Moore get players around him to support him. To be be fair whoever said we go up we won't be good enough who will those 3 above us came down because they wasn't good enough. If you go up you have to recruit exceptionally and have a bit of luck to stay up first couple of seasons.

0

Dissboyitfc added 08:07 - Feb 12 Bobble if we win our game in hand we stay 4th! Really not sure what your point is? The 3 teams above have better squads. We are largely still a league one squad, especially when you consider we will be relying heavily on our loanees to keep us in 4th. Its looking more and more likely that we are to end up in the playoffs, and if that proves to be the case i would rather be in 4th.

0

blueboy1981 added 08:44 - Feb 12 …. we are what we are, and where we are - no more than that !!
0

Linkboy13 added 11:05 - Feb 12 The team is going through a slight rebuild at the moment the squad looks much stronger on paper just needs time to settle in Al Hamadi looks like he could be a massive signing didn't look out of place in the few minutes i saw of him Saturday nearly scored and created a chance. We are still lacking a quality centre back and right back though most of oppositions threats come down our right side.

1

BobbyBell added 12:15 - Feb 12 Some of the negative comments on here are mind blowing. What the hell do people expect? The top 3 were in the premier league last season and we were league 1. The bottom 3 in the prem (excluding Everton's point deduction) were the 3 promoted sides. We are mixing it with those teams on restricted funds and the premier league is a huge step up. We should all be thrilled with where we are and enjoying this season. If we did go up, and that's a big IF, then the chances are that we would struggle and some clowns on here would be calling for McKenna's head. Just get real folks. Financially going up and coming back down is lucrative but if it doesn't happen we are still so much better off than 2 years ago.

0

blueboy1981 added 13:50 - Feb 12 …… BobbyBell - but why Rest on Laurels ? - if you don’t continuously ‘raise the bar’ you achieve little, and others leave you behind again. We had 10 YEARS of that …. !!! It’s what we are going to do that matters - this is a New Era - don’t keep harping ‘on what we’ve done’, it’s GONE - just LOOK and AIM AHEAD !!
1

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls