Second-half goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter saw Brighton & Hove Albion to a 2-0 victory over the Blues at Portman Road. Town had grown into the first half and forced visitors keeper Bart Verbruggen into a number of saves, but in the second period, after Joao Pedro had been very lucky not to see red for charging into Town keeper Christian Walton, Mitoma netted on 59 and Rutter with nine minutes remaining with the Blues never looking like getting back in it once they were behind.

Boss Kieran McKenna made three changes from the team which drew 2-2 at Fulham 11 days ago with Omari Hutchinson a surprise starter and with Kalvin Phillips and Wes Burns also coming into the team, and captain Sam Morsy on the Blues bench for only the second time in a league match, the first at Oxford in March 2022.

Walton continued in goal against his old club with Burns wide on the right and Leif Davis on the left with McKenna sticking with the back three of Dara O’Shea, who skippered, Luke Woolfenden and Jacob Greaves, despite the signing of Ben Godfrey, who was among the subs.

Phillips, who is ineligible for Sunday’s game against his parent club Manchester City, partnered Jens Cajuste in the double pivot with Hutchinson, who had been out with a groin problem and was expected to be a sub at best, and Nathan Broadhead behind number nine Liam Delap.

In addition to Morsy and Godfrey, striker George Hirst was back on the bench in the league for the first time since November.

Brighton, who had former Town central defender Adam Webster captaining, made four changes from the team which won 4-0 in the FA Cup at Norwich at the weekend with Joao Pedro OK to start after an ankle injury, replacing Rutter, who was among the subs.

Verbruggen returned in goal for Jason Steele, while Matt O'Riley and Simon Adingra replaced Julio Enciso and Yankubah Minteh, with all three players dropping out on the bench, alongside club captain Lewis Dunk, ex-England international Danny Welbeck and Solly March.

The visitors saw most of the ball in the early stages but without causing any danger until the sixth minute when Joel Veltman looped a deep cross for Mitoma at the back post but O’Shea in front of him flicked a header past the Japanese international.

The game continued to be played uniformly in the Town half until the 12th minute when Phillips and Hutchinson exchanged passes on halfway before the ex-Chelsea man broke into Brighton territory and was dumped on the floor by Webster, who was fortunate not to be booked.

The free-kick came to nothing and moments later a Walton pass out from the back landed at a Brighton player’s feet, but Mitoma’s low shot to his left was easily gathered by the one-time Seagull in the Town goal.

Albion continued to dominate possession but with Hutchinson making another break into their half before being dispossessed by Pervis Estupinan.

On 22, there was a brief moment of panic after Walton’s clearance found Veltman, but Woolfenden headed his ball into the box behind.

Despite their possession, Brighton had failed to threaten and in the 23rd minute it was the Blues who would force the first serious save.

Broadhead brought the ball forward from not far over halfway, cutting his way past defenders before hitting a shot from the edge of the area, which Verbruggen did well to palm wide to his left.

Town made nothing of the corner but they were gaining belief, Hutchinson making another strong run forward from the right two minutes later but the England U21 international held onto it for too long and was tackled.

In the 28th minute, the Blues confidently played their way out from the back, Cajuste passing forward to Broadhead, who moved it on to Delap on the left, the striker cutting in and hitting a shot which Verbruggen again saved down to his left, the Dutch international holding on with Burns ready to pounce.

On 38, with Town now having an equal if not greater share of the ball, Hutchinson played in Burns in space on the right, the Welshman having been free in similar situations earlier but without having been spotted. Burns took the ball on, then cut back to the edge of the area where Hutchinson’s shot was blocked.

Two minutes later, Jan Paul van Hecke looped a cross in from the right and Estupinan looked to have headed wide ahead of O’Shea but referee Tony Harrington gave a corner. From the flag-kick, the ball flew just over Pedro’s head and out of play, a fortunate escape for the Blues.

Moments later, the Brazilian international went to ground and stayed there after minimal contact with Woolfenden, who had beaten him to the ball. Play continued and the Blues kept the ball in the Brighton half as they probed for an opening, before Hutchinson eventually hit a well-struck effort which Verbruggen saved down to his right. Pedro proved to be fine to continue.

After one minute of additional time, the half-time whistle was met by applause from the home fans, pleased with their side’s display, the Blues having grown into the half.

Brighton saw all the ball in the first 20 minutes or so but without ever forcing Walton into a taxing save with the backline maintaining the solidity seen in recent matches.

Broadhead struck the game’s first significant effort and the Blues gained confidence and control the longer the half progressed, Delap and Hutchinson also hitting efforts which required Verbruggen to make saves, albeit not necessarily the toughest stops the Dutchman will make.

Hutchinson, Delap, Broadhead and Burns had all caused the visitors problems, particularly on the counter-attack.

The early period of the second half was surprisingly open with Broadhead having the ball taken off his feet just as he was getting inti a dangerous area on the edge of the box.

Five minutes after the restart, Delap was yellow-carded for an off the ball shove on Van Hecke, the pair, who had also clashed earlier, exchanging views after the card had been shown.

Within a minute, Estupinan got into a decent position on the left and crossed to Adingra, whose shot on the turn was blocked.

Moments later, Pedro went down very easily as he went past O’Shea on the left of the box, referee Harrington waving away the protests.

Pedro already had the Portman Road faithful on his back for the dive and taking to the turf in the first half, but in the 53rd minute they were calling for his dismissal, and with good reason.

Greaves played a back pass to Walton and the Brazilian deliberately jumped into the keeper well after the ball had gone, catching him in the face with his shoulder. The Town players surrounded referee Harrington, who eventually showed only a yellow card, much to the anger of the home support. VAR appeared to uphold the decision and Pedro stayed on, while Walton was deemed OK to continue after treatment.

Four minutes later, the Blues weren’t far away from going in front, Burns hitting a first-time shot across the face and wide after a long throw had fallen to him in the box.

However, it was the visitors who would take the lead in the 59th minute. Greaves was only able to help a ball into the path of Yasin Ayari on the right of the box and the Swedish international cut back to O’Riley, who moved it on to Mitoma, whose low shot beat O’Shea and went under Walton, who may have been unsighted and perhaps still affected by Pedro’s challenge.

The goal was harsh on the Blues, who had been the better side for the period either side of the break, although with Brighton starting to look more of a threat.

Going in front gave the Seagulls a significant boost of confidence and on 62 Woolfenden was booked for a foul on Pedro as the forward broke midway inside the Town half.

Moments later, Albion made a triple change, Dunk, Rutter and Minteh replacing Webster, O’Riley and Adingra.

In the 67th minute, Pedro was found in the Town area and hit a shot on the turn which Walton brilliantly tipped wide with the ball otherwise destined for the top corner.

The Blues were struggling to get out of their final third for the first time since the early stages and on 69 Rutter hit an effort from a tight angle into the side-netting off a defender.

Town made their first changes a minute later, Burns and Cajuste making way for Jack Taylor and Morsy.

Eight minutes later, with the Blues having made little further headway and Brighton in control, Pedro was booed off by the Town support as he was replaced by Welbeck.

The game was effectively settled in the 81st minute when a free-kick from just outside the area on the left was sent low into the area, Burns appeared to have a chance to clear as it ran loose but Rutter was able to stroke into the corner of the net. VAR took a look as Dunk may have been in front of Walton in an offside position but eventually gave the goal.

Town swapped Phillips and Delap for Jack Clarke and Hirst for the final few minutes but with the match already looking beyond McKenna’s men.

As the game moved into six additional minutes, Veltman was booked for a foul on Clarke, to sarcastic cheers from the Town support, frustrated by the referee’s decision-making and reluctance to show cards to Brighton players throughout.

The Blues were unable to launch a late comeback and referee Harrington’s whistle ended a disappointing night for home supporters.

Town had grown into the second half and may feel they should have made more of their opportunities in the opening period, although none were clear-cut chances.

Pedro’s challenge on Walton will be the game’s main talking point with the ball well gone and it appearing a deliberate jump shoulder first into the keeper’s face.

But once the visitors had gone in front, the Blues never looked like getting back into it with Albion, who previously hadn’t won in eight in the league, regaining their confidence and controlling the game with Town not creating an opportunity.

The Blues drop back into the bottom three, level on goal difference with Wolves but with the Old Gold having scored more goals, with Manchester City at Portman Road on Sunday.

Town: Walton, O’Shea (c), Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Phillips (J Clarke 84), Cajuste (Morsy 70), Burns (Taylor 70), Hutchinson, Broadhead, Delap (Hirst 84). Unused: Muric, Johnson, Godfrey, Townsend, Luongo. 

Brighton: Verbruggen, Webster (c) (Dunk 63), Pedro (Welbeck 78), Adingra (Minteh 63), Baleba, Mitoma, Ayari (Moder 94), Van Hecke, Estupinan, O’Riley (Rutter 63), Veltman. Unused: Steele, Lamptey, March, Enciso. Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland). VAR: Michael Salisbury. Att: 29,403 (Brighton: 2,977).

Photo: Matchday Images

blueboy1981 added 21:35 - Jan 17 Dirtydingus’ - you are right, I am sure I actual say what many others think ! I never make excuses for failure, and after achieving consecutive promotions I expected us to finish this season reasonably comfortably in the lower third of the Premiership, not like some Hissy Fits (long since quiet) predicting a top six finish ! - my expectations I feel are / were realistic for good reason of all. I am fearful of what relegation could so easily do to our Club, it took a long, long time to reach the Promised Land again - and not at all accepting of paltry performances against teams that we should have expected to get points from - we all know who those teams / games were and are. Whatever anyone calls me, there is no one, above no one, who wants success more than I do for ITFC - that is FACT ! I just cannot stomach excuses for failure to get points from teams that are there for the taking, with dire performances like against Brighton last night. It has to change - or the fear is real, as to what relegation will unfold for out beloved Club. Mark me down usuals - as some of you compulsory do. But, start to expect to WIN when we should at least expect such - and we may still save the day / season.

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Carberry added 22:42 - Jan 17 I think a lot of people are ignoring the fact that if we get relegated the squad won't look anything like it does now. The loan players will go back, the likes of Delap, Hutchinson and Davis will be tempted away and even Philogene will have had a relegation buy out clause in his contract. And worst of all the manager will be up for grabs again. That's what makes our recruitment this season so poor, because it was meant to keep us in the Prem. Instead we have a goalkeeper who has been dropped, attacking players such as Szmodics and Taylor who haven't looked the part and Johnson who does not look anywhere near ready. Greaves and O'Shea have put in decent performances when picked but wouldn't get in anyone else's team. That's been our weakness, naïve recruitment without the processes to make informed decisions on potential targets. Matz Sels the excellent Forest keeper was bought for just under £6M from Strasbourg, Muric cost £8.5M from Burnley. We seem to be way behind the abilities of clubs like Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth and Forest to find foreign players to make the jump. Of course Delap has been a success but he's an exception. I'm guessing we will have spent about £180M in these 2 windows and still look an even bet to go down.

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:47 - Jan 17 RobsonWark - yes I said it was deflected. Deflected isn't an own goal. Surely u know this ?
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Leejames99 added 22:48 - Jan 17 I hope we stay up but people are presuming that all our good players will be sold if we go down, not the case unless for huge amounts of money and only if the club wants to sell them, all new signings have long term contracts and mostly definately with relegation in mind and the long term future, we won't need to buy many players aside a new midfield completely if we don't stay up, although Cajuste may stay if settled, we have obligation to buy him if we stay up. It's time to accept the heroes of yesterday have had their time served us well but ultimately have cost us, in particular Sam Morsy, just because he is a fan fave in this division he is a liability and VAR catches him out to easy. These players want to play here and will be aware they we could go down but Ashton and Mckenna have a plan that we will sustain Premier League long term but may have to go down with these new players to do that. With the team being assembled we will be unbelievable in Championship, look at Bburnley go, we have made brilliant and intelligent signings. If anyone thinks we just taking a punt, chucking 120 million away and after one season in Prem we back in the doldrums is not looking at the bigger picture. Our club is not one to gamble, Mckenna will also stay, again a new long contract. All is good!

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Leejames99 added 23:30 - Jan 17 @Carberry was you joking? Our players nor manager be going anywhere they all on long term contracts now, they will only go if huge offers came in. As if Phillogene would have a relagation clause when we are in bottom 3 with less than half season to go, we wouldn't pay 20 million plus. This team is being built for the long term not just to be put in shop window for other clubs to pitch, if a huge offer came in where we make a nice profit fine but aside that they are town players for the long term. The club is financially stable, if we go down we will have parachute payments etc and we will storm the Championship with the new team if relegated. Ipswich Town is a business and a football club, we will not be a one season pony like Luton. Or do ypu suggest we just sell them all now then keep the money, send loans back. Your right the club is doomed if we don't beat City, Liverpool etc - unbelievable. If some fans were picking the team it would be Walton H Clarke Woolf Burgess Davis Morsy Luongo Burns Chaplin Broadhead Hirst Only 3 of them are good enough for our team now and Walton is debatable. Forest found a gem yes, but Muric is a good keeper, of course he is but if you were getting abuse at work you would lose confidence, he was given a chance, now fans turning on Omari, just a joke. If that's your opinion fine but I am very happy how Mckenna and Ashton are sticking to their plan, we came up a season early but that has helped us massively. Delap is great but is being over hyped at the moment he is still so young, not yet prolific and is in best club for him, and has a Dad who stayed with same club and turned down Man Utd so he will have level head. You are right team will look different next year, no Burns, Morsy etc, great servants but time to move on. COYB

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Carberry added 23:37 - Jan 17 Sorry Leejames99 but length of contract has no bearing on whether players or staff stay, it's just a way of getting better financial compensation should they go. If a player wants to go they will go. Gone are the days when clubs could call the shots. The best will have relegation clauses in their contracts, why did Philogene take so long to get over the line?
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Carberry added 23:41 - Jan 17 Leejames99, glad you're enjoying the ride.
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Leejames99 added 01:04 - Jan 18 @carberry That's not right, contracts would be pointless, it doesn't make sense, teams who go up would just be putting their players in a shop window. If that was case why would we sign Phillogene, 15 games to go, so if he knew he could leave if relegated they would hardly be bothered if we went down or not. Have a read, Levy wouldn't let Kane go to Man City because he was under contract, our new players all signed long healthy contracts and are sold on the long term project. I think it was more us not giving Philogene agent a release clause, would be waste of time, effort and money especially when J Clarke and Broadhead and even Szmodicks can play on left. The future is right, the future is blue lol COYB https://www.google.com/search?q=can+a+player+just+leave+if+another+club+wants+th

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eddiespearitt03 added 01:46 - Jan 18 McKenna will have to realise that a new strategy is needed. I agree with others in the forum , maybe we should steady the ship with a 4-4-2 formation and win games by attacking. We now have players with pace so let's use them. Davis on left, Hutchinson on right and Philogene and Delap down the middle. Let the defenders defend .
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Carberry added 08:30 - Jan 18 Just ask yourself, Leejames99, why would an ambitious player come to a club which may well be heading for relegation with no release clause? Like your optimism!
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Linkboy13 added 08:46 - Jan 18 Brilliant post Carberry someone who is in the real world and can tell the difference between championship and Premier league sounds like you have played the game before.
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Carberry added 10:09 - Jan 18 Thanks Linkboy13. Wish I had played the game, I'd have shown 'em!
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budgieplucker added 08:48 - Jan 20 Clearly we caught Man City on a very good day for them. It ‘s impossible to match the class and experience of a team that can show what it takes to be European Champions. Yes for 25 minutes we looked like we could give them a game but the reality is we eventually didn’t help ourselves and made life a little easier for them to be able to shake of their recent poor run of form. I don’t like to single out players but for me Johnson was the catalyst of our woes, not necessarily the lads fault but just an exposure of his limitations, I presume he was being asked to play a wing back role, at times he was too high up the pitch and looked uncertain as to what his role was and how to play it. Mind you I don’t think many players would want to try and help mark Doku in that form. I am not sure we were actually trying to play 5 at the back, perhaps Kieron realised its limitations at home when we played Brighton and wanted to get at City more to try and test some of the defensive frailties they have displayed of late. Our speed of thought is light years behind the likes of City and Liverpool let alone our speed of action. When Foden opened the scoring in addition to Walton we had 5 defenders in and around the six yard box, it was almost like we froze when he brought the ball down with his thigh and players were awaiting to see if he was going to control before attempting any blocking action. De Bruyne time and again was allowed to make the same run to the bye line on the edge of the box without being picked up. Many older fans like me will remember the days when we were establishing ourselves during the Robson years and facing some of the great sides of the time with excitement but also with some levels trepidation (well perhaps the fans were, I had sweaty palms many a time), most will only remember Roger Osbourne from the great game he had at Wembley in our F A Cup final victory, but for me Roger’s finest game was in one of our home matches against Barcelona in the UEFA cup, Cruyff and Neeskens in their lineup, Cruyff arguably the finest player on the planet at the time. Roger was asked to man mark Cruyff and boy what a job he did, Cruyff was completely neutralised that night by Roger. Was it Kieron who failed to respond quick enough after goal number 2? If we had gone in only 2-0 down at halftime we might have been able to regroup make 3 subs and seriously limit the damage!!! For me I would have brought on Tuanzebe earlier ( for Johnson) to try and deal with the threat of Doku. Go to a flat back four move Godfrey into midfield to man mark De Bruyne, bring on Townsend for Clarke to man mark Foden and push Davis forward into left midfield to push forward in a 4-4-2 formation. Bring on Hirst for Cajuste or Morsy and drop Omari into the right side of the 4-4-2. Unfortunately 4-4-2 and two physical strikers in Delap and Hirst does not fit Kieron’s playbook and patterns of play. But I felt we just needed to try and neutralise the threat of City’s key architects of play De Bruyne, Foden and Doku. To some extent Pep allieviated our pain by making a number of changes when the game was well won and perhaps avoided us a further humiliation.

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