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Ipswich Town 2-4 Nottingham Forest - Match Report Saturday, 15th Mar 2025 17:09
Town appear to need a miracle to stay in the Premier League after losing 4-2 at home to Nottingham Forest, while Wolves extended the gap to safety to nine points after winning 2-1 at Southampton. After an even first half hour, three goals in six minutes gave Forest a 3-0 half-time lead, Nikola Milenkovic opening the scoring before Anthony Elanga netted twice. Jens Cajuste pulled one back on 82 with his first goal for the club, Jota Silva grabbed a fourth for the visitors on 87, prior to George Hirst bagging Town’s second in the dying moments.
Omari Hutchinson returned to an otherwise unchanged Town XI having been a sub at Crystal Palace last week.
The ex-Chelsea man came into the side as the number 10 with Julio Enciso on the left, Jaden Philogene again on the right and Jack Clarke dropping to the bench.
Forest were unchanged from the team which beat Manchester City 1-0 at the City Ground last week with former Blues loanee Chris Wood up front.
The visitors started on the front foot and on three Callum Hudson-Odoi worked his way into the area and would have been in on goal but for Jens Cajuste’s leg dispossessing him.
Town began to get more into it, however, and on four Hutchinson was tripped just outside the box to the right by Neco Williams. The England U21 international took the free-kick himself but hit the wall.
On 11, with the Blues seeing more of the ball than the Premier League’s tird-placed side, Leif Davis sent over a looping corner from the right and Liam Delap rose high at the back post but nodded into the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.
A minute later, a Forest cross from the left was half-headed away by Davis at a stretch at the far post and Ola Aina scuffed his volley wide and into the North Stand.
In the 14th minute, Elliot Anderson gifted the ball to Delap not far outside the area after Forest had got into a mess after a throw on their right and the striker took it forward before being dispossessed. The loose ball fell to Julio Enciso and his shot deflected behind for a corner.
The flag-kick was played to Hutchinson on the edge of the box by Davis and the forward took a touch before hitting a curling left-footed effort which flew just over Matz Sels’s crossbar.
Town continued to see most of the ball with Forest halting their progress forward by giving away tactical free-kicks on a couple of occasions.
However, on 21, following a corner, Hudson-Odoi wafted a cross from the left to the far post and Nicolas Dominguez turned the ball into Alex Palmer’s arms from a very tight angle.
A minute later, Forest threatened again after Davis’s clearance from the edge of the area was deflected into the path of Anderson in space, but his shot struck Wood and cannoned wide when Town might otherwise have been in trouble.
There was an even bigger scare for the Blues on 25 when Hudson-Odoi, the visitors’ main threat, burst past Town stand-in skipper Dara O’Shea on the Town left and got to the byline. As O’Shea and Luke Woolfenden both slid in, Hudson-Odoi sent over a low ball which flew past the two Blues defenders, perhaps clipping one of them, behind Palmer and across the face of goal a couple of inches from the line but without anyone being able to add a touch.
Soon after, Kalvin Phillips went to the sidelines due to a bleeding foot while play continued before returning to the game.
Forest were by now well in control and looking more and more dangerous with most of their attacks going through Hudson-Odoi down their left flank.
On 33, Wood got between Woolfenden and O’Shea to nod down a Morgan Gibbs-White cross from the right, but too close to Palmer, who blocked before claiming.
But the travelling Forest support didn’t have to wait too much longer for a goal. In the 34th minute, Palmer came out of his box to clear into the stand, but the ball smashed off Jacob Greaves and behind for a corner on the visitors’ right.
The flag-kick was half-cleared to Hudson-Odoi on the left by Greaves, the England forward clipped a cross to the far post to Dominguez, Delap was only able to get a weak head on the Argentina international’s nod back and the ball fell to Nikola Milenkovic, who gleefully slammed home.
Two minutes later, it was 2-0. Hutchinson lost the ball in the centre circle, Anderson swept a pass wide to Anthony Elanga, who took it on towards the Town box and with Greaves standing off him, the former Manchester United youngster shot across Palmer and just inside the post.
And on 41, Elanga made it 3-0 with his second of the game. Milenkovic played a long ball from the back, Woolfenden and Wood battled without either getting the ball and Elanga nodded between and beyond O’Shea and Greaves before slipping it past Palmer.
Having been in the game, if on the back foot, at the half-hour mark, the shell-shocked Blues were suddenly all but out of it via three goals in six minutes, all of which Town should have defended much, much better.
As the half moved into two additional minutes, Phillips struck a shot which flew over Sels’s bar.
At the whistle, there were muted boos from some sections of Portman Road after another half which had begun promisingly but with the Blues going in at the break behind and on this occasion with the opposition having an unassailable lead.
As in the previous two games against Forest, the opening 20 minutes or so had been an even contest but as the half-hour approached, the visitors began to threaten more and they had had a couple of chances before the opening goal.
That goal seemed to rock the Blues, who collapsed in the manner they did in a similar spell before half-time against Manchester City earlier in the year.
There was further bad news for the Blues elsewhere with 17th-placed Wolves leading 1-0 at Southampton.
Town made a change at the break, Cameron Burgess taking over from Greaves, while the trio behind Delap switched roles, Enciso, who had had his quietest half for the Blues, going to the centre, Philogene to the left and Hutchinson to the right.
It was Hutchinson who struck the second half’s first effort. A corner was cleared to the ex-Chelsea man, who cut inside a defender but hit his shot too close to Sels, who snaffled with comfort.
On 50, Delap should have pulled a goal back for the Blues. Davis forced another corner on the left and sent over a deep ball to the far post where Town’s 10-goal top scorer had been inexplicably left unmarked. Delap rose high but powered his header well wide, much to his clear frustration.
Four minutes later, Phillips was harshly shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Elanga. It had been a foul but there had been worse challenges which had gone unpunished.
In the 55th minute, Wood had his first sight at goal from a cross from the left, but the New Zealand international’s effort was too close to Palmer, who blocked. There was a moment of panic as Davis inadvertently touched before the keeper could pounce on it and the former West Brom man was forced to clear hurriedly.
Soon after, Palmer was off his line quickly to claim a Gibbs-White through ball at Elanga’s feet.
Dominguez joined Phillips in the referee’s book for a foul on Cajuste, the Forest player bizarrely claiming he’d been fouled and protesting at a length which probably wasn’t sensible.
In the aftermath of the free-kick, after Cajuste claimed he’d been fouled by Milenkovic, a number of Town players sought to work themselves space on the edge of the box, unsuccessfully until Davis shot wide. VAR upheld referee Michael Salisbury’s decision not to award a penalty.
As Forest prepared to take the goal-kick, the Midlanders swapped Dominguez, who had repeatedly taken to the turf since his booking while continuing to protest to referee Salisbury. Yates took over, while Elanga made way for Morato, the Sweden international having already done his job for the day very successfully.
Delap had his second opportunity of the half on 69, albeit a much harder one than the first. The strike chased a long ball down the left, Sels sold himself by coming out too far and Delap looped it over him but Milenkovic was able to nod wide before the ball reached the goal.
Four minutes later, Williams shot across the face of goal for Forest, then on 79 Phillips sold Cajuste short with a pass, Yates broke forward and fed Gibbs-White, whose low cross-shot went wide.
Town swapped Delap, Enciso and Philogene for George Hirst, Nathan Broadhead and Clarke, while Forest replaced Williams and Hudson-Odoi with Taiwo Awoniyi and Jota Silva.
Clarke was quickly into the action, playing a part as Cajuste pulled a goal back for the Blues. Hutchinson played it in from the right to Clarke, who moved it on to Cajuste ahead of him and the Swedish international tricked his way past Yates before shooting beyond Sels from just outside the box.
The goal, the on-loan Napoli man’s first for the club, briefly gave the home fans something to cheer about after another long afternoon at Portman Road.
On 40, Palmer was quickly off his line to claim at Gibbs-White’s feet, before Jack Taylor took over from Phillips.
Town went looking for another goal but in the 87th minute were caught with only Burgess back as Gibbs-White and Jota broke forward, the ex-Arsenal man playing inside from the left to the Portuguese international, who stroked past Palmer.
Ahead of the restart, Gibbs-White, left out of the England squad named yesterday, was replaced by Danilo and was given a huge ovation by the travelling fans.
In the third of four minutes of injury time, Hirst netted a second consolation goal for the Blues, rising above Jota to plant a header in the corner of the net to Sels’s right from an excellent O’Shea cross from the right.
Moments before the whistle, Jota smashed a shot over from not far outside the box before referee Salisbury brought another frustrating afternoon to an end.
Once again, for the first 30 minutes or so there was little in the game but the Blues again gave away a poor goal to give Forest the lead, then allowed two similarly badly defended goals to put the game out of their reach.
Delap netting his header might have given the crowd something to hold onto and Town to build on in the second half, but when Cajuste’s goal finally came it was too late to put the visitors under any serious pressure.
That they avoided the game going in the same direction of the Manchester City match was little consolation with Forest largely happy to contain the Blues and break in the second half.
Wolves’ 2-1 win at Southampton was further bad news for the Blues who go into the final international break of the season nine points plus a goal difference of 16 behind the Molineux club with only nine to play.
Even the most optimistic of Town supporters will now admit it will take a miracle for Town to retain their place in the Premier League.
That's four of our attackers who play for our team nd the talent they have when played in the right positions, add Broadhead, Delap, Hirst, Ogbene into mix and are forward threat is formidable!
We don't need Davis to get down flanks and cross we have that in abundance on left he is a left back defender and needs to stay there and defend and get the ball up to Phillogene or Clarke and not go past halfway line it's pretty basic and if not play Townsend who will! That is the level of players you will see growing as a team and Championship teams will be quaking at whatever frontline starts and if we stay up what exciting talent we have, they just need to be played in their natural positions, we can't keep adjusting team to suit Leif Davis unfortunately, 3 more goals due to him being out of position yesterday but kept on for 90 mins, he has had 1 goal and 2 assists this season that is all, last season 2 goals 18 assists so it shows the difference in pace on flanks between the 2 league's. Leif could gey back in Championship but in Prem the likes of Elanga, Son, Doku, Gakpo, diallo, Rogers etc they all lightening quick and just exploit the gaps, we need a left back to be a left back and let our wingers do what they were bought for and Mck must make that call.
Lee James you know I agree with most of your comments but does anyone listen to Mick Mills on Radio Suffolk after the game. Despite our results the Club is in good shape and now is the time to plan for the future. Despite being runners up we were the best side in the Championship last season and we’ve got a better team now. IMO the Premier League is a horrible league full of foreign players which is why the top teams are doing so well in Europe. Personally I’m sick of the play acting and poor referees who have given us nothing all season. It might sound negative but I won’t be too sorry to go down, continue with my season ticket and play Saturday afternoons at 3 pm.
@gazelle I'm quite happy to go down because I think it will give the new signings a chance to be welcomed by some fans and get a winning mentality and winning feeling and I've no doubt we will have one of if not the best squad in the league and hopefully the experience and talent to go straight back up but with 2 seasons together and new additions and we all want to see us winning some games again but on flipside if we were to stay up by catching Wolves or Many City downfall then I think with the money we would get some experienced players in and we would keep Cajuste, I have strong feeling City going down so should still fight to catch Wolves but at the very least stay third bottom just in case and if we down we down and continue the evolution. Your right re refs too
Oh dear! After two successful years it is time to turn on Kieran McKenna. His only mistake is getting to the Premier League too soon. Despite spending a lot of money we do not have enough premier league quality players. This is particularly evident at centre back, which is the backbone of the team and where we are sadly lacking in quality. Despite being successful at Championship level, Mr McKenna is not yet ready for the Premier League and a return to the Championship to gain more experience will do him no harm.
Think to many deluded fans on here, talking about going down to championship like it's piece of cake. Good chance this year that only one of last terms relegated teams will bounce straight back, with only likely getting relegated. Think we were very lucky last season with the promotion bounce and feel good factor plus some never say die moments. Next season we might be lucky Leicester and Southampton are weakened even more. But like of Sunderland, Coventry and Middlesbrough all not far off. Either Burnley or Sheffield utd both be good again plus Birmingham will continue to spend big and even wrexham could be an outsider. I think playoffs most likely but not a walk in the park like some suggests. Sadly most on here seem to have only started following since league 1 promotion push and can't remember 2cl decades of getting putbthe championship
I was really hopeful against Forest but sadly yet again we failed.Opinion and talk of the future is mounting. I like the Blue Monday team - all good guys but to be credible they must grasp the nettle and openly discus this seasons performance of the manager and his future prospects. I await with interest.
Someone help me, if Man city get massive points deduction then presumably they go into the Championship, so them and two others to come up next season?
We've played Forest twice away this season and not that much between the sides (yes penalty/penalties making the difference) - a side that is 3rd in the Premiership) BUT we play them at Portman Road and they're 3-0 at half-time, that should tell you a lot about us this season at home. McKenna I fear has been a bit too naive in his tactics and unable to adapt playing a largely too expansive 4-2-3-1 too get Davis into games which has by and large failed, yes quality of players that we have signed hasn't been good enough but exacerbated by the manager I feel once on the field...
@bluewhiteboy You are right that Championship is no walkover absolutely. I think 2 of the 3 that came down go up in Burnley and Sheff Utd plus Leeds via play offs they are starting to look nervy but long way to go. I think we would have one of the best squads in league if not the best and top 2 should be realistic with new additions, I think Luton should of kept their manager but hey ho, we are a completely different entity to them. Birmingham will buy but they never seem to attract top end players although Stansfield is good. Wrexham will definately sign Championship level players and I think our very own Chaplin and Burns might go there. Boro are following our strategy but since Doak injury and Latte gone they not great. Coventry got a new manager bounce but we took them apart in cup Sunderland will lose the likes of Bellingham. So I think we can safely say we be in there for promotion after a year in Prem BUT We still do have a chance to stay up, we can still catch Wolves, they will lose games but we need to win, if we beat them and Leicester we only 3 behind at present our last 4 games are winnable. So have to try while possible and even then we have to cement third bottom in case of the Man City situation as their demise could end up helping our growth so staying above Leicester and Southampton at the very least is crucial. People now saying our central defence is weak, i disagree we are just out of whack to accomodate Davis, the whole team is, we have a hugely experienced RB in Ben Godfrey, people blamed him for Spurs but again that was because whole team shifts because of Davis and Spurs played the gaps, Doku did for City, they all do it. Godfrey played 100's games for Everton, called up for England and we aren't using that experience it's crazy. Palmer Godfrey O'Shea Burgess Townsend Is a solid back four who will stay as a back 4, Phillips, and Cajuste protecting them, Encisco in 10, 2 wingers and Delap It just isn't rocket science. Davis 1 goal and 2 assists all season and endless mistakes for goals but Mckenna still playing him. Davis on bench you would see a very different Ipswich team. Forest in cup with Townsend we held them to penalties, Davis back in and 3-0 down at halftime. If we had played first 11 in cup and not give league 1 lads day out we would have gone through but that's past, you get the point. We have Johnson and Godfrey who are right backs and Townsend a left back who stay back and defend, Davis does not.
So a verdict is expected in Easter and a deduction of at least 60 points given based on Evertons 10 points if they get 60 point deduction at present they be relegated and we would be safe in 4th bottom but Leicester are on same points so we have to really get behind the team now and chase down Wolves and get ahead of Leicester because Man City relegation is most probable. Before you think it won't happen all experts think it will and if you know football you will know Rangers were plunged down the leagues in Scotland, Juventus were in Italy and the FA need to make an example of them as it will get worse. Man City will appeal but that will be whilst serving punishment just like sentences given in court are appealled. So not only can we still catch Wolves but we could stay up if Man City go down so the fight is still on with Wolves and Leicester and we have to play them both, we beat Wolves and should of had the points vs Leicester so we can do it. I think maybe on here we need to put opinions aside now (me included) and support Mckenna and the team as one, we can't pick the team so we just have to hope Mckenna gets it right. Whether you rate the new signings or not our club picked them as assets, youth, potential and they are here for the next step of the journey so let's just encourage them win or lose, up or down and they might just come good, stay up and Cajuste stays, we add more quality and go again, go down we have a great team of talent who are the best of Championship level and some not yet Premiership players but they could be and most importantly from Muric to Walton, Delap to Hirst, Phillogene to Broadhead they all have a squad number and are all we have so I will stop berating the players I think not great and if we all try and do that for last 9 games you just never know! Opinions is different, if I was picking the team tomorrow with players who are fit now I would pick
I think Broadhead plays with Hutchinson well and as Godfrey is a RB with all tgat experience should get a chance again, he might just be missing link at back, I think Davis needs rested and see how we go with Townsend as left back. We need solid backing but potent attack.
Subs Walton Johnson Woolfenden Greaves Enciso J Clarke G Hirst Davis J Taylor
What would other people's starting 11 be with players available at the moment?
It's what most right minded fans expected to go straight back down but prayed we might stay up. Only criticism is Mck doesn't seem to know who is best team is .
@londontractorboy57 Also if you were right minded fan you would keep supporting, we aren't relegated, 9 games is 27 points to play for, we have to play Wolves, Leicester and others that we performed well against so until we mathematically relegated we should keep going, giving up with 27 points still to play for is deluded, it's football anything can happen! It's fact we can still catch Wolves and it's fact that Man City could be relegated. If we go down we go down, I know we prepared for that outcome but imagine if coach and players just gave up. I'm not saying we will stay up but while we still can with 2 outcomes we should try.
Some really good and very relevant comments on here plus the usual nutters. Questions: how many of our players would start regularly in any other PL team? How many would be good squad players in any other PL team? Quite.
@atty O'Shea - Already has Burnley Muric - Already has Burnley and Wolves wanted him Johnson- Already has West Ham Phillips - Already has Man City, Leeds, West Ham Godfrey - Already has Everton Hutchinson - Already has Chelsea Phillogene - Already has Villa Delap - Already has Man City Broadhead - Already has Everton Hirst - Already has Leicester Connor Townsend - Already has West Brom Davis - Already has Leeds Tunazabe - Already has Man Utd & Villa J Clarke - Already has Spurs Ogbene - Already has Luton Town Greaves - yes other clubs including Everton wanted him
Cajuste - yes Brentford and Wolves wanted him
Szmodicks - yes Fulham and Brentford (and Celtic) wanted him
Encisco - Already has Brighton
Woolfeden & Burgess - would get in lower in division squads H Clarke would get in squad also Palmer - Yes
Luongo - No Morsy - No Burns - No Taylor - doubt it Chaplin - unlikely Walton - No Al Hamadi - No
Think that's it, we have plenty players with Prem experience or who were wanted by Prem clubs or been at Prem clubs whether teams got relegated or not.
So answer to question is yes the majority of our squad would get in Prem squads in middle/bottom half of Prem. On behalf of 'the nutters' Quite!.
Its just a bit woeful for us bottom three at the moment. Watched the Leicester game last night, they were shocking and fans were walking out etc. Sad to see. The gap is just immense. Even worse next season as the 17 teams above will have yet another Premier season under their belt, along with players who are experienced of playing in that league, plus more money. For us to stay up would take a minor miracle. Not impossible, but a massive ask. If we lose against Bournemouth and Wolves win again, the gap will be 12 points. We HAVE to stick together as fans and the club has to keep fighting. Strange things happen sometimes in football. We cant keep calling out the manager and players. They are doing their best in the most difficult league in the world. COYB.
Town are the second biggest spenders in Premier League this season and are team that has made the most team changes apart from one-----answer to both is Man City. This must say something notwithstanding the fact we have had a lot of injuries. Think K Mck has been found out and we just seem to run with it-----not sure what the Americans who run the club are thinking. Yeah Delap is off the boil and looks fed up and why wouldnt he be---he gets no help up front and runs his socks off.
@cheshireblue Yes and how many would be good enough SQUAD PLAYERS in Pem league and I answered it of players who have. For clarity players that get in a starting 11 in Prem Palmer Tunazabe O'Shea Greaves Townsend Phillips Cajuste Encisco Hutchinson Phillogene/J Clarke Delap Would all get in a Leicester, Southampton, Everton, Wolves Sheff Utd, Burnley teams Some would get in Palace, West Ham etc We have the players to do really well we have shown that, only issue is playing Davis, if Mckenna swapped him for Townsend it would be a different team and all would be in their best positions. The main problem aside Davis is with injuries our bench is too weak. When Davis plays we can't attack as forwards are defending, that's why he only had 2 assists.
I understand that some of us fans are frustrated etc I am sure it has been said on here many a time but look at where we were just two seasons ago, KMK has done an amazing job, and most of players put in a proper shift every game I am sure, I cannot believe some people are so quick to criticize? We have some quality players albeit probably not quite all there in terms of premiership standard, maybe we did need another season or two in the championship but I am sure Kieran and the guys have learnt a lot this season, and I am sure we will bounce back stronger as long as we are able to keep most of the team together.
