| Ipswich Town 1 v 2 AFC Bournemouth FA Premier League Sunday, 8th December 2024 Kick-off 14:00 |  |
Chaplin: Really Tough to Take Sunday, 8th Dec 2024 20:31 by Russell Claydon Ipswich Town forward Conor Chaplin felt seeing the Blues’ first Premier League home win evaporate late on in the 2-1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth was about as tough to take as the players have experienced in their time at the club. The 27-year-old had fired them ahead for the first time since they took the lead in their solitary top-flight victory this season, away at Tottenham Hotspur on November 11th. But despite still carrying the advantage from his 21st minute sweeping finish from Cameron Burgess’s composed pass into his path heading into the 87th minute, the excitement of being in touching distance of a Portman Road victory soon turned to despair with two Cherries goals inside eight minutes. Enes Unal’s stooping headed finish off Burgess, who was unable to keep it out on the line, followed on the fifth minute of stoppage time by Dango Ouattara’s far-post close-range finish after Aro Muric had kept out a David Brooks shot. Asked where that collapse, which left his side 18th in the table but four points from safety after 15 matches, Chaplin said: “That's right up there. Tough to take. I don't feel like it was justified. “Yes, it hurts a lot. The lads are gutted in the changing room. I think this is the game that we felt like we could have won. “I don't know the time of the first goal but it felt like we were the better side, creating the better chances. “We defended really well in shape and counter-attacked really well in the second half as well. Yes, it’s tough to take, really tough to take.” Put to him it must have been harder to take knowing they had played well enough to deserve their first home win, the former Portsmouth player said: “Yes, I felt like we had. Probably in a lot of the draws that we've had we felt that as well, in terms of playing enough to earn the home win. But it hurts obviously extra when you don't get any points from it as well. “There are individual moments and things that we need to look at. But yes, there were so many good things today as well in 80-odd minutes. “Even after that as well, I thought we looked a threat after their first goal when it was a bit of a hellfire game like I probably said in the press on Friday, and it panned out in a similar sort of way. I think we've shown again that we can compete with anyone in any sort of game.” Being the only side in the division still to taste a home victory, Chaplin knows it is something they must quickly change if they are to achieve their survival goal. “Yes, we have to,” he said, “our home form is going to be huge if we want to be where we want to be in this division at the end of the season. “We know we need to pick up points here. We need to get wins here when we can. And Chaplin knows they can ruminate on their latest home defeat with another huge-looking game, away at a Wolverhampton Wanderers side that can move above the Tractor Boys in the table if they can pick up a result away at West Ham United tomorrow (8pm). “Yes, no other way, just back on it tomorrow, recovery and get better,” he said. “Get better on the details, get better as a squad. Yes, that's the only recipe.” Asked if the players had rallied around goalkeeper Aro Muric for his error of judgement in the equaliser, having rushed out to the edge of his box before seeing Ouattara lift the ball over his head towards Unal, Chaplin said: “No, not too much. Look, I can't remember too much, I was just running back. “I'm not too sure [what happened] on the goals. I haven't watched anything back, so I couldn't say. “But look, no matter what happens in any individual action, we're all helping each other and supporting each other.” Chaplin’s first-half finish ensured he has now scored in each of England’s top four divisions in what was put to him as a proud moment on a personal level. Asked how it finally felt, he said: “Not so great now. I also said it'd be good if it meant something, so it was close to being that. “It would have probably been an incredible feeling if it meant we would have won the game. “It wasn't to be, but I don't want to discredit it too much because it's what I've dreamed of my whole life. But it's hard to see that as a massive positive at the end of that game.” Chaplin has now followed skipper Sam Morsy, Leif Davis and George Hirst in joining Ted Phillips, John Elsworthy and Jimmy Leadbetter from the team which won the Third Division South, Second and First Division titles under Sir Alf Ramsey in scoring for the club in the top three divisions. Chaplin has also now scored in the top four leagues for his various clubs. Reflecting on the significance of that, he added: “Yes, it’s been a long journey. I don't want to go into that too much now, but yes, obviously something I’ll be proud to look back on, definitely. A journey that I'm super proud of.” Asked about the assist from Burgess, who he was keen to involve in the celebrations, Chaplin said: “It was brilliant. I thought he was colossal again. A credit to himself and the way that he performs. “Yes, I expect that [composure] of him. He's a clean player on the ball. He's got a lovely left foot. “He was going to shoot, definitely. I could tell he was going to shoot, so I tried to scream even louder than I normally would to make him change his mind. “And yeah, he heard me, he said he wouldn't have passed if he didn't hear me, so he heard me screaming for it and he trusted me. I was usually where I am and it's the finish that he won.”
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