Ipswich Town 1-1 Southampton - Half-Time Saturday, 1st Feb 2025 16:02 Liam Delap’s ninth goal of the season levelled Southampton midfielder Joe Aribo’s opener to leave the scoreline 1-1 at Portman Road at half-time. Town made four changes from the team which lost 4-1 at Liverpool last week with Aro Muric, Jens Cajuste and Nathan Broadhead returning to the XI and Julio Enciso making his full debut. Muric took over in goal from Christian Walton, who suffered a groin injury at Anfield last week having started the last five matches, with Cieran Slicker the sub keeper. Cajuste came back into central midfield alongside skipper Sam Morsy, who was making his 150th start for the club, with Kalvin Phillips on the bench. Ensico, who came off the bench at Liverpool last week and whose corner led to Jacob Greaves’s late goal, was in the centre of the three behind Liam Delap with Omari Hutchinson on the right and Nathan Broadhead on the left. Ben Johnson and Jaden Philogene were among the subs having started last week, while Wes Burns is out for the season having suffered an ACL injury. Southampton gave debuts to January signings Welington, a Brazilian left-back, and Danish international midfielder Albert Gronbaek, while England keeper Aaron Ramsdale was back in goal with ex-Blues loanee Alex McCarthy dropping to the bench. Another former loanee, James Bree, started for the Saints, but there was no place for Flynn Downes in the squad. Jack Stephens, Tyler Dibling and Kamaldeen Sulemana were all on the bench after returning from injury. The Blues started on the front foot with Enciso and Delap both involved and on five the Paraguayan international won a corner on the left with a shot which deflected wide. The on-loan Brighton man took the flag-kick himself, Dara O’Shea heading back from deep but Saints keeper Ramsdale claimed the looping ball. Town continued to see all the ball with the visitors struggling to get out of their half, Taylor Harwood-Bellis passing twice passing straight out of play under no pressure. On 10, the busy Enciso shot low to Ramsdale’s left after winning the ball back not far outside the area but the keeper was able to save with little fanfare. The Blues had maintained their dominance and Southampton had shown virtually nothing as an attacking force but on 21 the visitors went in front. Kyle Walker-Peters was given space on the right and played a ball ahead for Mateus Fernandes. Greaves’s heel diverted Fernandes’s cross to Joe Aribo on the penalty spot and the Nigeria international hit a shot towards goal which Muric bundled into the net with his right hand. That the keeper felt he should have done better was clear from his reaction. Town set about getting back on terms, Hutchinson making a burst towards the area before being felled by Harwood-Bellis only for referee Michael Oliver to wave away the protests, much to the annoyance of the home support. On 24, Hutchinson sent over a ball from the right, Broadhead nodded down and Delap hooked the ball only just over. As the game approached the half hour, Enciso broke past a number of Southampton players before feeding Leif Davis, whose cross clearly struck Walker-Peters on an outstretched arm. Referee Oliver again irked the Town fans by waving away protests and VAR evidently agreed with him. But the Blues support didn’t have to wait too much longer for an equaliser. In the 31st minute, Broadhead dug out a pass on halfway, Delap’s pace saw him beat Saints skipper Jan Bednarek to the ball and through one-on-one with Ramsdale, who he confidently beat to his left. Delap’s ninth goal for the Blues lifted the roof off a previously nervous and frustrated Portman Road, but was well deserved on the balance of the game. Two minutes after levelling, Town should have gone in front. Delap sent Broadhead away towards the left and the Wales international took it on into the area before attempting to chip Ramsdale, who saved with his chest. The loose ball fell back to Broadhead at a tight angle but he was unable to make anything of the second opportunity. Southampton created a chance in the 36th minute, Welington crossing and 6ft 7in tall striker Paul Onuachu nodded straight at Muric, who claimed. Four minutes later, there was a huge cheer from the Town support after referee Oliver showed the game’s first yellow card to Welington for a foul on Axel Tuanzebe not far outside the area, a number of earlier caution-worthy challenges from Saints players having gone unpunished. Enciso took the free-kick and sent a low effort past the wall to the right but into the side-netting. On 44, Cajuste did well to clear the danger with Fernandes threatening to find a way through the Town backline. A minute later, Morsy sent Hutchinson away on the right, the former Chelsea man cutting in but shooting straight at Ramsdale. Two minutes into three additional minutes, the Blues should have taken the lead. Hutchinson crossed from the right, the ball reached Broadhead, who took too many touches before hitting a shot which was blocked. A first-time strike would probably have seen the Wales international, who was only eight yards out, celebrating his first Premier League goal. That was the last action of a half which the Blues had controlled throughout aside from a couple of Southampton attacks. Town had started positively, with the enthusiastic Enciso causing the visitors plenty of problems, although without creating any serious chances, before the Saints scored via their first attack, a goal which the Blues defence and keeper Muric won’t want to watch back. As has so often been the case under Kieran McKenna’s management, going behind didn’t appear to impact Town too much and it took only 10 minutes for the equaliser, created well by Broadhead and finished confidently by Delap. From there, the Broadhead had had two chances to put his side in front but perhaps showed his lack of recent goals with his finishes. However, Town look well-placed to claim all three points in the second half. Town: Muric, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (c), Cajuste, Hutchinson, Enciso, Broadhead, Delap. Subs: Slicker, Johnson, Godfrey, Townsend, Phillips, Taylor, J. Clarke, Philogene, Hirst. Southampton: Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Aribo, Bree, Fernandes, Ugochukwu, Gronbaek, Onuachu, Welington, Bednarek (c). Subs: McCarthy, Stephens, Smallbone, Armstrong, Lallana, Sugawara, Sulemana, Dibling, Bella-Kotchap. Referee: Michael Oliver (Ashington). VAR: Jarred Gillett.
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