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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.
@Tractorboy1985 What does that mean? This is an opinion forum for debate, what does needs the fermoy mean. Oh and we weren't the tractor boys in 1985 you are 15 years too early! There is no right or wrong answer on here, only opinions, right or wrong we are going down, who picks the team, decides on formation, tells Ashton what players he wants, Mckenna does. Is the current squad good enough to come straight back up, or more so what is point of going back up with the league 1 lads we know apart from Burgess, Broadhead and Woolfeden plus H Clarke the rest are no good or we be staying up. Blaming new signings, a keeper who made 5 mistakes and was blamed and a winger who has only played 9 games most as a sub. Who are these big premier players we should of bought? Leicester bought Coady, Winks,Skipp, have Vardy, Saints have Ward Prowse, and others, it is about the team and the 3 who go up have to sell the best to try get back up, what's point no incentive for players or fans. It should be in contract if relegated they stay for 1 season in order to assist getting back up, why do fans have to buy season tickets to watch 1 home win all season and 1 seasons in a hopeful promotion push. Managers get sacked based on performance Mckenna stayed and league 1 players deserved the chance but it never worked, its time for them to move on with Mckenna and bring in an experienced coach with Premier League knowledge who is old school and will take the new signings and the young ones who have stepped up and move on to phase 2, sign Burgess, Cajuste and Tunazabe, get a good midfielder with experience (maybe Phillips will stay and a top striker and we won't be far off. If Mckenna stays he needs to thank the Burns and Davis and Morsys and carry on his project with the knew signings that he made which were obviously made to be strong in Championship and keep building, too many front players, Chaplin, Al Hamadi, Harness all need to go for their own careers and for the club. We have world title boxing, Ed Sheeran, American owners so a big global reach so we need to de clutter and be the Liverpool of the Championship and stroll through next year and we need to get our business done as soon as window opens, get out who is going, get in what we need and have them all in a pre season. On paper we have the best players from Championship so with some additional experience should walk it but Mckenna needs to know what players he sees as a starting 11 when all fit and get an identity and a team tgat can form into a team that know what they all doing. MOTD highlighted Davis again as soon as he comes on the defence goes to bits. If Mckenna should not be saying my players were tired that's unacceptable. If you are going to just write Lee James needs a whatever, what does that have to do with football? Or the club we support?
Why are people being abusive on here saying needs this and calling fans morons, with no explanation just oh Mckenna and lads done their best, they will learn and come back stronger? Learn what? How to defend, how to attack, we got relegated because you can't expect players who were playing against Morecame only 18 months ago or so to all of a sudden be able to compeye week in week out against football superstars and World Cup winners, Mck saying they tired because we played Wednesday well its lucky we arent in Europe. Football is a business, they got to the Prem but it wasnt meant to be a jolly boys outing to all the Prem clubs. It's embarrassing that a huge game like today we came out started great, went ahead and then the tired ones come back out and we look like we couldnt be bothered and once the tinkerman started we exploded in minutes , 25 points lost from winning positions always when subs come on. The manager could of shut shop even at 1-0 bought on Woolfeden and Phillips and gone 5-4-1 or done something, in what world is Taylor a winger. I dont mindarked down its always same people but abuse and threats and name calling is not okay, if you don't like someone's post just block so you don't see them. We all support the same team half of us want to keep the league 1 lads and Mckenna and half want us to try and get to being an established prem team and evolve. It's football we all have a right to opinion but none of us have any impact on anything, at the end of the day players and managers will come and go that's how football works but the common ground is we will still be here sipporting them and having heroes and Villians, its no different when England play, Tuchel squad was bizarre but they won but every manager picks their favourites to a point buy whether its Messi, Kane, Delap or Hirst the managers job is to do whats right for the club to get success and we will always debate on howcwe achieve that. I leave it there today, Happy Sunday
It's all been said in the above posts - but personally I'm struggling to see why McKenna 1) plays Ben Johnson at all, let alone 90 mins - he looks like a lower league player to me, no where near EPL standard; and 2) why Jack Taylor is our first choice sub, I can't see what he offers in a positive way at either end of the park. When he came on against Bournemouth he constantly gave them the ball back, less so today as he barely touched the ball....
With a gap of 12 points shows me that even if we had picked up the lost points. For example Leicester Everton & Brentford we aren't good enough. We defended well yesterday, but yet again without a decent midfield Wolves were able to relentlessly keep attacking Morsey has been an excellent captain but this season has been a step too far. It has also been said that we aren't physical enough. In our first game I recall we had 5 bookings before 70 mins for minor offences
Going to be tougher and tougher for newly promoted sides, unless they have a spare £200 million and can attract proven PL quality players. If the promoted three go down again nextt season that’s three seasons of PL money the ones staying in the PL have had to improve squads etc. Frightening.
We started very strongly then faded but scored a decent goal to put us in a good position. The second half was the same as the majority of our second half performances this season in that we didn’t compete. Wolves toyed with us and demonstrated the huge difference in class between the two teams. Defensively we were very average Burgess and Palmer too often playing the ball back and forth to each other then Palmer kicking long to concede possession. We either play out or go long it was embarrassing to watch. Midfield Cajuste again was decent but poor Sam hadn’t got the legs and was not quick enough. He was fine in possession. Hutchinson is a big miss as he keeps the ball high up the field. I’m not sure this team would win the Championship. Lack of pace and lack of fighting spirit.
I think the realists among us knew it was all over well before the Wolves game. Even if we had won, it would still almost certainly have been several steps too far to close the gap. McK knows this too, and he was, as always, calm and objective in his post-match comments: Wherever we are in the table, we must try to play our best and get results. The team owe this to the supporters and to the other teams in the league, and I'm sure we will do as McK says. Let's enjoy the remaining matches with the pressure now off from the supporters' point of view at least. We are in such a better place now than when McK joined us, and I, like many others, am optimistic we will have a good season next time round given the foundations we have built. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and some like to criticise the manager and certain players, albeit no doubt in the desire for improvement. Personally, I think the team and the manager have given their all and have simply fallen a bit short in the face of very difficult odds. The reaction at the end of the match wasn't really negative generally, although I'll never understand fans leaving with 7 minutes of extra time still to play. This seems to happen at other stadiums too, and ours is certainly not the most "toxic," but what about showing a bit of solidarity with the team, win or lose?
Thanks to club for getting us there and competing this season. However, we have looked naive at times, and have lacked a plan B when things go wrong. Continually playing out from the back, with Delap striving away alone up front. Never trying two up front to change the style of play, even with Hurst sitting on the bench. Sorry to say we lack threat down the flanks despite recent additions. Huge gaps left down our left side. Midfield needs a hard man who can break up attacks. Disappointing end to our skirmish into the Premier League, but well done for the experience. One thing has been obvious throughout the season is that you must have players who are quick, or you will get left behind in their wake. Onward to next season, we are still better off than our neighbours up the road.
I would like McKenna to explain a few things to us all. What is the team's identity, a buzz word used in football these days? What has been his tactical philosophy with the team, why do we still play out from the back when it clearly hasn't merited continuing? How does he gauge when to make substitutions, what are the criteria? What influence does he have on recruitment, is he just presented with options? Why did it take so long to drop Muric? Does he really believe that relegation has been factored by 'fine margins'? Why did he never play the same team twice (until Saturday)? There's a lot of blah blah in his press conferences which sounds very smart and plausible but the outcome is we are relegated, not good enough. The football world has changed dramatically since Bobby Robson signed Frank Clarke and Jimmy Robertson to prevent us being relegated, but it worked. This management haven't achieved survival in the top league, however difficult that might be, so sadly, they have failed. In a bizarre way what sums up the failure for me is looking across from the West stand and seeing all those away fans sitting in premium seats on the half-way line, having taken the place of season ticket holders who have been kicked into touch. Name a Premier League ground where that happens? That's how good our club management is.
@virginblue bless you not something I'd be shouting from the rooftops bless you. Firstly it's my opinion if you are so knowledgeable about football and think Ipswich could survive with league 1/championship players past their prime or been released from top clubs in the Premiership and a manager who can't see that and are okay with 1 home win and want to slate new players ho are obviously rated and valued higher then that's your opinion so why feel the need to use foul language or be abusive?, I can only imagine that's why your an @virginblue brains before braun fellow fan. Secondly I mentioned Adam Llanna not Ward prowse, tge point I was making is getting in experienced Prem players makes no difference it seems. And why the biggest insult referring to me as a Budgie? I'm from Ipswich and a loyal fan like everyone else and am grateful for all the players done to get us out of League 1 and up to Prem to give new signings experience and hunger to return but whilst those players deserved a go in the Prem they clearly aren't good enough so it's time to move on, if you knew about football you would know that's football, we can't keep Burns and Chaplin and Walton and Mckenna forever and there is no point keeping them next season because while they can compete in Championship we know they can't in Prem and are too old to improve so what's the point we need to keep strengthening in my opinion so why does that opinion warrant abuse, if you disagree just do what DoublePivot, Ipswichbusiness, 99laces and a couple others do and if you want to give reasoning to your opinion great, ve happy to read, be a pointless forum if we all agreed. I understand you maybe frustrated being an @virginblue but just like Ipswich Town oneday getting in the Champions league their is a first time for everything. Calling an Ipswich fan a Budgie is the worst insult just because you disagree. I don't even know your opinion to comment so I only have the abuse and the fact your an @virginblue which can only mean 1 of two things, 1 your very frustrated or 2 it's your first season watching Ipswich Town so but either way let me say this is a forum for comments and opinions and yes there is banter and of course disagreements but no need for abuse or use of foul words like talking ###£### if you don't like my views block me or down mark me or give your thoughts, I'm happy to be proved wrong. Enjoy the ride @virginblue it will all come good in the end!
Let long forward to seeing all of the plastic fans disappear again into the background and let the real fans have their stadium back. As for the comments on the first page, please get a grip of yourselves and think about where we were two seasons ago when half of you probably didn’t come to games. To suggest KM is not up to it shows how little you know about football. He is still regarded as one of the very best young coaches in the game and for now we are certainly blessed to have him. It’s a five year plan not a three year plan, so let’s see where we are after the five years shall we, I’d much rather watch close single goal loses in the top flight than I would draws in n League One under coaches who couldn’t even lace KM’s boots.
So to those plastic fans who moan and quote such drivel, jog on please.
Wooly74, you'd rather watch us lose every week would you? You must have enjoyed this season enormously. Go and support Millwall if you can't bear plastic fans, as you arrogantly call them. Every pound they spend is the same as yours, and the fact we have so many wanting to come to Portman road means they have helped provide money to waste on poor recruitment. Their opinions are as important as yours, it's just that you have a falsely high estimation of your knowledge. McKenna has not been up to it, he has managed relegation, if you hadn't noticed? Where would you put his statue?
@wooly74 You was watching close 1-1, 0-0, 2-1 1-0 games until he was dropped (aside Southampton) Ipswich had 12 points, goal difference of -17 were on 3 points off Wolves, 4 off Palace and 5 off but already 10 from next best Utd but very much in touching distance of the rest Arsenal had 5 shots on target and Muric saved 4 of them, we then beat Chelsea and were on 15 points with minus 15 goal difference only 3 behind West Ham and 4 behind Wolves. So remember when Muric dropped we were 15 points and - 15 goal difference tgat was Dec 2024 now we are all but relegated having taken only 5 more points with a goal difference of - 34 so conceeded more than double with Walton and Palmer in sticks, Phillogene has only made appearences most as sub with 3 goals and Muric has only played 1 game all year so who is to blame for that huge drop in goals conceeded and points obtained? Mckenna made 5 changes from Arsenal game for Chelsea win and then more changes from a win foe the draw at Fulham that we should of won but were then on 16 points we have only taken FOUR points since that game, how does anyone explain that, I would say that's on the tinkerman and having to play his favourites and playing new signings out of position so Davis could play. We were right in mix at that point on 8 points off 11th so what went wrong? Does Mckenna gey 6 million a year and unlimited chances just because we got promoted?
After all said and done - the Manager managed Relegation over the course of the season in the Premiership. Denial is Futile - but will occur ! Blotted his Copybook CV somewhat at the Top Level of the EFL in so doing. Let’s hope it doesn’t take another 22 years for us to return, shall we ? Don’t pre-empt or discount anything between now and August - I’m sure much debate at high level within the Club will be going on from this point onwards.
You are right blueboy1981, the owners/investors will want to know why their money hasn't guaranteed Premier League survival, no doubt they were told it would. And to those who say we were always planning for relegation - how do you think the conversation went? 'Will you sanction spending £130-150m but we will probably get relegated.'
Leejames you do tell so many lies. All your posts need to be fact checked! Walton was in goal when we beat Chelsea 2-0 at Portman Road. Muric had nothing to do with it. He will never play for us again - so get over it. £23,000+ fine for motoring offences. Not a good look for Ipswich Town. I said when we signed him that he looked a wrong 'un and I have been proved right. I said at the time that the miserable looking guy does not fit the type of player that we would sign. Ashton has always signed good characters with good happy personalities. Bad character and even worse goalkeeper. He'll be at Colchester next season.
@Robsonwark You need some specs I never said Muric was in goal vs Chelsea, read it properly, we were on 12 points with - 17 after Arsenal then we got 3 points vs Chelsea and Fulham with Walton with minus - 17 And since then we have doubled goal difference and only got 5 points. I dont think a driving offence for a young man in a foreign country getting a driving offence is too bad, how many footballers get speeding fines. Muric will be in goal next season rotating with Palmer, I think you might just see your mate Walton at Colchester! Good chat!
