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Ipswich Town 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers - Match Report Saturday, 5th Apr 2025 17:07
Town’s hopes of staying in the Premier League appear to be over after Wolverhampton Wanderers came from a goal down at half-time to beat the Blues 2-1 at Portman Road, stretching the gap to safety to 12 points with only seven games remaining. Liam Delap gave Town the lead with his 12th goal of the season in the 16th minute, but the visitors improved after the break and levelled through sub Pablo Sarabia on 72 before Jorgen Strand Larsen netted a deserved winner 12 minutes later.
Manager Kieran McKenna named the same side which beat Bournemouth 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday evening, the first time he had selected an unchanged side this season.
Alex Palmer, one of three ex-West Brom players in the XI, was in goal behind a back four of Axel Tuanzebe, Dara O’Shea, another former Baggie, Cameron Burgess and Conor Townsend, the other ex-Hawthorns favourite.
Skipper Sam Morsy, who started his career with hometown club Wolves, continued in central midfield alongside Jens Cajuste with the trio ahead of them, from the left, Julio Enciso, Nathan Broadhead and Ben Johnson. Liam Delap was the number nine.
Leif Davis, who missed Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Bournemouth with a leg injury, was on the bench in the league for the first time since the 1-0 win at Burton in August 2022, but Omari Hutchinson again missed out with his hamstring issue.
Wolves were also unchanged from their 1-0 victory at home to West Ham on Tuesday evening with star striker Matheus Cunha suspended and manager Vitor Pereira and his assistant Luis Miguel both serving touchline bans. In their absence, first-team coach Andre Monteiro ran things from the dugout.
Ahead of kick-off, both teams took a knee with the Premier League promoting its No Room For Racism campaign this weekend. There was widespread applause but with some boos audible.
Town started brightly, keeping Wolves pinned back in their half as they probed for an early opening.
On four, after Cajuste had won back possession on halfway, Townsend sent over a dangerous cross from the left but no one was able to profit from it.
Wolves threatened for the first time on six, Joao Gomes breaking down the middle before feeding Rayan Ait-Nouri, who was red-carded in the melee after the whistle in the corresponding game at Molineux, on the left from where the Algerian international cut back to Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who shot not too far over.
The visitors forced Palmer into his first save of the afternoon in the 11th minute, Strand Larsen shooting low at his near post having been played in on the right of the area and the keeper bundling it behind.
From the corner, Toti headed into the ground and the ball looked to be looping under the bar until Palmer flicked it over for another flag-kick. This time, Delap half-cleared to Gomes in space on the edge of the box, but his low strike deflected behind for a third corner which came to nothing.
Town immediately won two flag-kicks of their own, then kept the play at the other end of the field and in the 16th minute Cajuste cleverly tried to play in Enciso on the left of the box, but the ball was forced out for a corner.
And in the aftermath of that flag-kick, the Blues went in front. Tuanzebe crossed deep from the left, O’Shea nodded back into the middle from beyond the far post and Delap turned home his 12th goal of the season and second in two games from close range.
After what seemed an unnecessarily lengthy VAR check for offside against Delap, with the striker appearing well onside when O’Shea headed back across, the goal was confirmed, to big cheers from the Portman Road faithful.
Wolves looked to hit back straight away and in the 20th minute they weren’t too far away. A looping Ait-Nouri corner from the right avoided everyone and would have nestled inside the post had O’Shea not turned it away from in front of the line ahead of Toti.
Three minutes later, Bellegarde tried to catch Palmer out with a free-kick from the left which he shaped to cross into the area before hitting low towards the near post, the ball going into the side-netting and Toti failing to add a touch before it went out.
In the 29th minute, following a Town free-kick, O’Shea wildly lashed a shot at a right angle from the right of the box across the area and out for a throw on the far side.
Moments later, after the Blues had quickly won back possession, Morsy strode forward before hitting a shot which Jose Sa in the Wolves goal was able to stop and then claim at the second attempt.
Town were comfortable at 1-0 with Wolves presenting little threat but with both teams giving the ball away too often and too easily.
However, on 36 there was a huge scare for the Blues. O’Shea played the ball back to Palmer from 25 yards out, but the keeper somehow allowed it under his boot under no pressure whatsoever. To his credit, the former West Brom man showed superb reactions to dive across to his right to push it off the line, but referee Peter Bankes blew up and awarded an indirect free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box for the keeper handling a back-pass.
Palmer was subsequently booked for rushing out of the pack of Town players filling the goalmouth before Wolves had taken the free-kick. The ball was eventually laid off to Emmanuel Agbadou but Morsy was fastest off the line to block, the ball looping behind for a corner, to a huge cheer from a relieved North Stand.
After Town had cleared the corner, a Wolves player appeared to kick out at Enciso when he was on the ground, an incident missed by the officials.
The Blues saw out the remainder of the half to go in 1-0 up at the break having taken their one big chance.
Town had started very brightly but without creating an opportunity before Wolves came into it more and threatening from set pieces and Strand Larsen’s effort from the right of the box.
But the Blues were never under any serious pressure and were largely in control of the game, albeit while not carving out any serious chances in the latter stages and surviving the back-pass free-kick.
The visitors began the second half very strongly, skipper Nelson Semedo seeing a shot blocked three minutes after the restart, then Marshall Munetsi diverting a low left-sided cross wide, although the Zimbabwean may not have known an awful lot about it.
On 49 the Old Gold came within inches of levelling, Gomes bringing the ball forward towards the right before hitting a shot which slammed against Palmer’s left post from the edge of the box. The ball cannoned back to the Brazilian international and his follow-up deflected over for a corner.
Wolves kept up the pressure with a number of strikes blocked on the edge of the box before the Blues briefly began to get a foothold in the half, winning a corner on 56.
Town subsequently kept the ball at the Wanderers end of the field and two minutes later, after a long throw from Cajuste had been nodded out, Tuanzebe played it back to the Sweden international, who crossed and O’Shea headed well over with the Irishman and Burgess appearing to get in one another’s way.
But Wolves began to put the Blues back under pressure, O’Shea heading a cross from the right wide ahead of Strand Larsen, and on the hour mark the ball fell to Ait-Nouri inside he box but the full-back shanked his effort well wide of goal when it seemed easier to hit the target.
Both teams made their first changes in the 65th minute, Jack Taylor replacing Broadhead, who had had a quiet game on his 27th birthday birthday, for Town, while Wolves made a double change with Matt Doherty and Bellegarde making way for Rodrigo Gomes and Sarabia.
In the 71st minute, Town claimed a penalty after a bouncing ball following a long throw caught Andre on the arm. The Wolves midfielder was booked moments later for waving an imaginary yellow card after being fouled by O’Shea and VAR took a look at the penalty incident but decided against a spot-kick.
Wolves went back on the offensive, Palmer saving a low Ait-Nouri strike and in the 72nd minute they equalised.
Strand Larsen knocked back having run in behind on the left of the area, sub Sarabia’s first effort was blocked but his second beat Palmer to the keeper’s left to send the away fans wild.
VAR took a look at whether Strand Larsen had been offside when he made his run, and it appeared close, but quickly gave the goal.
Four minutes after the leveller, Norwegian international Strand Larsen wasn’t too far away from his side’s second of the game, looping a header from a Semendo cross over the bar.
Town were struggling to get into dangerous areas in the Wolves half and on 81 Joao Gomes shot low past Palmer’s right post.
The Blues made a quadruple change, swapping Townsend, Tuanzebe, Cajuste and Delap for Davis, Conor Chaplin, making his first appearance of 2025, Jaden Philogene and George Hirst.
Davis quickly got into the action, crossing low from the left but Wolves keeper Sa dived to save.
But in the 84th minute, Wolves went in front. Andre crossed deep from the left, Sarabia knocked back into the middle and Strand Larsen turned home from close range while falling. After another lengthy VAR check for offside, the goal was given, while the Norwegian striker was booked for his celebration.
Ahead of the restart, Wanderers swapped the excellent Ait-Nouri for Santiago Bueno, then as the game moved into its final scheduled minute, ahead of seven added on, Enciso was booked for a dive, illustrating the Blues’ frustrations in attack during the second half.
With Wolves looking more likely to score their third than Town their second, the Midlanders switched Strand Larsen for Yacouba Nasser Djiga two minutes before referee Bankes’s whistle.
A result which almost certainly ends the Blues’ hopes of staying in the Premier League. Twelve points, plus Wolves’ significantly superior goal difference, looks far, far too much to make up in the seven remaining matches.
Town were worth their lead at the break, even if they had to some extent ridden their luck on the back-pass incident.
But Wolves began the second half on the front foot and the Blues were never really able to impose themselves on the game, the effects of Wednesday’s tough game at Bournemouth perhaps having an impact. O’Shea’s header the only real chance Town had after the break.
A Wolves goal seemed only a matter of time, despite the Town backline defending in their usual heroic manner and, having got on terms, Wolves continued to present the greater threat.
A disappointing way to end a week in which the win at Bournemouth and today’s half-time lead had restored a glimmer of hope that the Blues might somehow drag themselves out of trouble.
But ultimately, while the management and players will continue to strive for a miracle, starting at Chelsea next Sunday, a return to the Championship next season seems all but certain.
Well hopefully we all support ITFC and wish them well wherever, and of course this is a forum for different viewpoints , opinions. But there have been exchanges that veer towards the untoward on here. Enough of that . Sadly today for those who even have different viewpoints we should agree that we were not good enough for continuing Premier League Football, and proven by the only team who we might have caught up with. It was disappointing in that we had taken the lead ,the sun was out the crowd was in rampant voice, but whatever happened as the second half commenced. In a word Nothing… Had we run out of steam after Bournemouth ? Was the Wolves manager realising that ? Certainly so , their players increased their pace ,moved the ball smartly and unsurprisingly like so many before them this season quite easily brushed us aside and deservedly won . I have no criticisms of the last two seasons , we had excitement we won and won and won again Enough to make us think we would do well this season …but wow what a difference between top championship and entering the luxury of the Premier League. We had to try to improve our squad and our owners made cash available. And here in my view is the crux of the situation .Recruitment . Did we buy too many and not necessarily improving ? And purchased from where ? Look at ther Premier league clubs where there has been substantial overseas recruitment and not necessarily spending more than the £20 millions we have spent . Speedy ,,athletic , powerful players. I cannot guess who of this years squad will stay or go , we have not seen their contracts , but to return without too much delay to The Premier League I hope that the “:recruitment team “will have learned from this season that it isn’t easy to be down we go but back we will come without serious changes , and more than anywhere in midfield, to take possession , ownership of the ball and giving forwards the passes that will give the forwards goalscoring chances, which have been so few this season .
Well all I can say is thank goodness it's over. Least enjoyable season of my lifetime supporting Town. And that includes 1994-95 where, terrible as we were, you could still cling to the rationale it was our own fault and maybe we could bounce back to be Blackburn in a future season. No longer - this has felt about as fair a fight as Fabio going 38 rounds with a four year old.
Well done everyone at the club for making a good stab of it and not embarrassing us. And make sure we finish above at least Soton, if not Leicester too, as that is an achievement in itself given where we've come from. Altho the ten years of legal wrangling to get compensation from Man City if we do get 18th will be just as dispiriting as the knowledge that the best we are allowed to do in the modern game is maybe finish tenth one day if we're lucky.
Cannot wait to be back in a proper league with proper teams where the bottom three can still take points off the top 3 today, and Norwich can lose to the basement club!
jack Clarke is a good player who's showed more than philogene and Hutchinson but because he's not a fan or managers favourite gets alot of stick I can tell you now he's better than Hutchinson and philogene just never been given a chance
I'd agree Jack Clarke is a good player and would hope to keep him next year. Will be a shame to see Delap go...but honestly I've thought Hutchinson flatters to deceive...and Philogene not lived up to expectations(I thought he was ace at Hull)
So many questions for next year...hoping Hurst, Clarke, Cajuste (if he can be convinced to stay?), Tuanzebe can form a back bone of sorts? Lots of gaps though
Everyone heard of the GREAT ESCAPE we will be still in premiership next season , Ouch Mrs just kicked me in the blues What a dream I was dreaming Prefer championship more games to play and more success down there :)
Our downfall this season was wasting £130 million on very poor players. Spending on the likes of Muric and Philogene is disgraceful. Signing Championship players could only mean one thing - back to the Championship. We didn't need to spend all that money on 12 or 13 players. We should have used the money to buy quality not quantity.
I do not understand why people are going on at Phillogene, he has hardly played and when he has its been out of position and same with Hutchinson. Phillogene, J Clarke, Hutchinson, Muric.
Fans telling me in Championship they would rather have Walton H Clarke Woolfenden Burgess Davis Burns Morsy Taylor Chaplin Harness Hirst
Instead of Muric Tunazabe O'Shea Greaves Townsend Cajuste Johnson Hutchinson Phillogene J Clarke Szmodicks With new signings
Bit no brainer for me the 2nd team in Championship have around 80 goals between them. I think some need reminding how good Phillogene is when played in right position and he is our player
Pretty good front 4 I'd say wouldn't you all, and some want them sold? New midfield hopefully with Cajuste, another striker and all is good, need fresh start let them signings play together
Considering the importance of the game, that second half was the poorest 45 mins in the last 3 seasons, if the reason was tired legs, why weren’t thresh legs brought on sooner?
Th facts are we just aren’t good enough and our finishing position will reflect the facts! Recruitment has not been good enough! Hindsight is a wonderful thing, mistakes have been made from which we will learn.
One thing that needs to change for the Club to achieve and sustain Prem’ level again, is the all too prevalent accepting of LOSING by some Supporters. Denial and Truth is obviously so applicable to far too many followers of this Club. Accepting losers never achieve success in any Sport, Football is no different. Dreamboats talk about an ‘instant’ return ? - we’ll see how easy / difficult that is won’t we ? - it will be TOUGH. In fact tougher than staying up should have been after splashing little short of £150million !!! Denial of this wasted opportunity to stay and stabilise in the Prem’ will have ‘hurt’ the Club and Owners far, far more than many of you choose to admit. Who knows what lies ahead NOW ? - don’t be surprised at ANYTHING at all. Things will not stay as they are, that’s for sure ! Head in the Sand if you prefer - but that will not change TRUTH !!
I think they did the best with who they could get and had to have relegation in mind but too much compassion to players from start of the 'journey' every fan, every pundit could see it but our manager couldn't, again today Davis out of position, Taylor on wing, Morsy on pitch and we got Phillips and J Clarke on bench, crazy. Think Kmk may be gone before end of season, great coach, not great manager, too soft
Leejames99 added 21:05 - Apr 5 "I do not understand why people are going on at Phillogene, he has hardly played and when he has its been out of position and same with Hutchinson. Phillogene, J Clarke, Hutchinson, Muric".
Yes Leejames, I agree with you that Muric was played out of position. He should have been left back for us and not goalkeeper. Left back in the changing room.
Well LeeJames you've excelled yourself. That's the most ridiculous post . I really don't know where to start. Blueboy , so what are u saying ? The owners will pull out now ? You like to talk in riddles don't you
The truth of the matter, as one poster likes to call it, is not what fans think or say about their team and its chances but how a team performs. If a plant grows too quickly it will not have developed in time to survive. That was our problem to overcome as we burst unexpectedly into the PL and nothing to do with fans views whatsoever.
Sadly we were not good enough for the Prem but i'm sure all at the club will have learned a lot about what it takes at this level. we have a young team with a lot of promise and the future is bright if we now look at what is required at this level. hopefully we can keep most of these players and come back in 2 seasons time stronger and wiser. No matter what i'm still proud of the players and MY club for what has been achieved in such short time and i am sure we will prosper in the future. COYB.
@robsonwark What are you 5? I meant making our keeper play as a sweeper, you need to look at stats with Muric. Funny nobody mentioning Palmer Calamity or Davis again at fault for goal but blaming a sub who hardly aplayed and a keeper who has been out for weeks @dozzellsbobblehat What's ridiculous? so you would rather have a midfielder on wing while 2 actual wingers on bench,a 33 year old midfielder making himself dizzy while a Man City player on bench, you think our managervisnt soft and he is right to say his Premiership players were all a little bit tired and it was fine margins yet again. Over 100 million of players on bench and about 3 million worth get om. The biggest waste money was 6 mill plus a year to Kmk, good coach for lower league, even prem not got the backbone for management, tip toes around, talking about journeys, fine margins, loving days out to away grounds and there no doubt about anything, hardly Fergie Moyes, Mouriniho, Pep, Arteta I think the foreign managers get more out of players because they go nuts and are passionate and make tough choices. Muric stats and saves say Muric is our best keeper fact. 12 points low goal difference with him, since him 5 points letting in average of 3 a game. No argument and Nuric still in t3th for most saves which obviously says he was saving the shots that Walter and Palmer did not and Phillogenev3 goals in 9 appearences playing out of position is good. Take off the twelve points with Muric we would have 8 below Southampton. Sorry to say but in football managers get sacked ask every other owner from the bottom 8 clubs or so and players come and go and new heroes are made. Time for a reset.
It was effectively the last 10 minutes of the season and McKenna took our leading goalscorer off. He may have been exhausted but he was the one likely to do something. This is football coaching by numbers from the manager, you can set your watch by his substitutions.
The league position does not lie. Very poor performance today. After the first 5 minutes we looked like we would batter them but after that we struggled to string any passes together. I'm now accepting relegation, it was fun whilst it lasted. We've been here before and we'll be back.
What a sad pack of morons on here. Slagging players and the management off for doing their best. What have you lot ever achieved?????? Get behind the club and the team ffs and grow up. This was always going to be a tough season and big learning curve for all and just look at the table 3 up 3 down again shows the size of the gap to the premier league.
Outplayed, outthought and outmaneuvered. They were the better team and you can't dispute the result. 1 win in April from all games at Portman Road this season tells it's own sorry ass story. It's all well and good the 30,000 who attend pretty much each time for it but they haven't exactly had value for money this season.
McKenna can't coach at top level league, that's the simple truth of it. Performed wonders at Championship and League One, he did great and then some, but a fish out of water for EPL standard. There's no need to bring in a new manager as whoever is in place from August we simply won't be able to replicate the success of last year i.e. McKenna or not there won't be no automatic promotion next time around.
We tried to run before we could walk back at top league level and it fell to pieces. There's a whole list of factors as to why we're destined to drop back at first attempt including McKenna knows no other way than 4-2-3-1 to start games, too defense minded, makes bizarre or lousy substitutions, the purchase and fielding of Muric was an epic blunder, the defense throughout has been sub-standard, and not to overly condemn, but the team loses focus at critical moments and perhaps above all else, just hasn't been good enough to compete back at top level.
Today just encapsulated a poor ineffective season. Some can or will brush the excuses under the rug but there's no real getting away (from that) we have been, and are, simply not of the quality to once again be part of the EPL set-up.
