| Bristol City 1 v 1 Ipswich Town EFL Championship Tuesday, 30th September 2025 Kick-off 19:45 |  |
Bristol City 1-1 Ipswich Town - Match Report Tuesday, 30th Sep 2025 21:54 Jack Clarke’s second penalty of the season secured the Blues a 1-1 draw at Bristol City. Rob Atkinson gave the home side the lead against the run of play in the 18th minute before Chuba Akpom was tripped by Ross McCrorie, who was fortunate not to have already been dismissed, in the area seven minutes after the restart and Clarke found the net from the spot. Both sides had chances to win it, George Hirst heading over late on for the Blues. Town made six changes from the team which beat Portsmouth 2-1 on Saturday with Marcelino Nunez and Ivan Azon handed their full Blues debut. Jacob Greaves returned to the centre of the defence following his one-match ban with Cedric Kipre dropping to the bench. Nunez started in midfield with Jens Cajuste also among the subs, while manager Kieran McKenna swapped all four of his attackers. Sindre Walle Egeli, Sammie Szmodics, Jaden Philogene and Hirst all switched to the bench with Kasey McAteer, Akpom and Clarke returning to the XI and Azon making his first start for the club as the number nine. Bristol City made two changes from the team which drew 0-0 at Preston at the weekend with key midfielder and one-time Town target Jason Knight missing out having suffered a groin injury against the Lilywhites and Mark Sykes dropping to the bench. George Tanner and Neto Borges came into the XI. Town began the game on the front foot and struck the first shot of the game in the ninth minute, however, Clarke’s effort from 25 yards which flew well into the stand behind the goal was no more than speculative. A minute later at the other end, Emil Riis hit a similarly hopeful effort well wide from the left. On 12, good work on the right involving Azor Matusiwa and McAteer sent Darnell Furlong away in space but his cross was plucked from the air by home keeper Radek Vitek ahead of Azon, who had had a positive opening to his first Championship start. Three minutes later, Clarke twisted and turned into a promising area on the left of the box with teammates inside him, but his shot was blocked and Azon was forced off the loose ball. Town continued to control the game and keep the Robins pinned in their final third, Nunez hitting a strike from 25 yards which was deflected out to the right. However, despite the Blues having been well in charge, the home side went in front in the 18th minute via their first attack. An under-hit Nunez pass gave away possession on halfway and McAteer eventually conceded a corner on the left. Anis Mehmeti whipped over a corner to the near post and Atkinson flicked a header into the net. It was a poor goal from a Town perspective and completely against the early run of play. Going in front gave the home side a boost and soon after play restarted Mehmeti chased a ball down the middle and claimed he’d been fouled by Furlong, who in turn felt he’d been caught in the face by the Robins winger. Referee John Busby gave a free-kick to the Blues. On 24, City played another ball down the middle, this time for Riis, who was held up by Greaves and then Leif Davis with the Dane’s shot blocked. Town made heavy weather of getting the ball away and Scott Twine, always a danger when getting a sight at goal, scuffed an effort wide from the right of the box. Two minutes later, the Blues again struggled to clear their lines, Adam Randell and Zak Vyner both mis-hitting efforts that Town failed to get properly away. The home side had been on top since the goal but the Blues began to restore their early control as the half hour approached. On 28, Azon went to ground in the area after appearing to be caught on the back of the head by a stray arm but after treatment was able to continue. Four minutes later, the Spaniard, on loan with the Blues for the season from Como in Italy, shot over on the turn from the left of the box, then on 33 Furlong headed well over at the near post from a corner, also from the left. In the 39th minute, Nunez wafted a free-kick from the right, deep into the area where Greaves nodded it down but no Town player was able to get onto it. Two minutes later, Bristol City went closer. A long throw from the left was flicked on and Ross McCrorie headed straight into Alex Palmer’s arms. Town looked to counter-attack quickly, but McCrorie fouled Clarke, who then challenged Atkinson for the loose ball, angering McCrorie, who made his thoughts to the Blues forward known in no uncertain terms. Referee Busby restored order while Atkinson received treatment. As the half moved into five additional minutes, McCrorie was booked following a foul on Nunez on halfway, although the caution may have been for something he said. Three minutes into added time, Vitek was all at sea as a corner came in from the left but with no Blues player able to get a touch. The keeper was in any case given a somewhat generous free-kick by referee Busby. The official upset the home support a minute later when he gave a free-kick against Vyner for a foul on O’Shea as the Town skipper sought to bring the ball out of the box. Mehmeti’s vehement protests talked his way into referee Busby’s book. The Oxfordshire-based whistler was in danger of losing control of the game as the half came to an end, the already booked McCrorie pulling back Davis after the ball had gone, an incident he missed, instead awarding a free-kick against Clarke for a subsequent challenge. At the whistle, the home fans booed the referee off, despite being fortunate to end the half with 11 men following the late incident involving McCrorie. Town had started the game positively but without creating a serious chance before a series of mistakes led to the Robins taking the lead. The home side got on top for a spell after going in front, but the Blues began to see most of the ball again, however, still without carving out a significant opening. Bristol City had looked more of a threat on the break, particularly when finding space on the left or playing balls down the middle. Town continued to dominate the ball after the restart but without creating any danger until the 51st minute when they were awarded a penalty. Clarke played a ball into McAteer’s feet on the edge of the box and the Irish international turned it first tiime into the path of Akpom, who had found space on the left of the area, where McCrorie clipped his heels and brought him down. Referee Busby pointed straight at the spot but once again was reluctant to show the defender a second yellow card, much to the frustration of the Town players. Clarke took the kick and hit it down to the middle to level, the former Sunderland man’s second penalty and third goal of the season. Town’s frustration with the lack of a second booking for McCrorie was piqued further when Matusiwa was yellow-carded for his first foul of the game. Robins boss Gerhard Struber made the sensible decision to withdraw McCrorie on 57 with referee Busby’s lenience having presumably been taken to its furthest extent. Sykes took over. Having got back on terms, the Blues began to look a more confident and more threatening side. On 61, Clarke sent an overlapping Davis away on the left and the full-back sent over a superb cross which Borges did very well to head behind ahead of Azon and Akpom. A minute later, Davis broke into the left of the area and cut across, Atkinson almost netting for the second time, on this occasion past his own keeper, but the ball struck the outside of the post and went behind. Davis was booked for a foul on Sykes as the Robins broke on 65, before the home side made a double change, swapping Twine and Riis for Yu Hirakawa and Sinclair Armstrong. Town made their first changes in the 73rd minute, swapping Azon, who had faded after a bright start although not for a lack of putting himself about, Clarke, the pick of the Blues’ attacking players, and Nunez, who had been a little untidy at times, for Hirst, Philogene and Cajuste. Bristol City made another change, Haydon Roberts taking over from goalscorer Atkinson, who had picked up a knock. The Robins were suddenly on the front foot, Greaves sliding in to make a superb goal-saving challenge with Armstrong otherwise able to turn a cross from the left into the net. Following the resultant corner, Akpom inadvertently gifted the ball to Mehmeti inside his own area but fortunately the Albania international blazed over. Ahead of the goal-kick, Town switched Akpom for Szmodics. There was a big scare for the Blues in the 80th minute, Armstrong, who had caused Town plenty of problems, as he previously did during his time with QPR, getting behind O’Shea, who seemed oblivious to the Irish international’s presence, but fortunately Palmer was quickly out to block and save his skipper’s blushes. On 84, Walle Egeli replaced McAteer. Town wrested back the initiative as the game moved towards its final five minutes and on 85 Hirst should have scored his third goal in three games. Philogene sent over a corner from the right and Hirst managed to escape his marker but his header was too high. In the penultimate scheduled minute, Szmodics was found not far outside the area in space but tried to chip the keeper when he might have been better off looking for Hirst in the area. Moments before six additional minutes were announced, a loose ball fell to Vyner on the edge of area but the defender’s shot arced well over. On 94, Walle Egeli wasted a free-kick in a promising position on the right, sending the ball well beyond his teammates. Within a minute, the Blues had another opportunity, Vyner having been booked for a foul on Matusiwa, albeit from deeper, but this time Furlong’s ball was straight into Vitek’s arms. Moments before the whistle, there was a late claim for a penalty by the home fans when Roberts ran into Walle Egeli in the area but referee Busby showed no interest in what was a hopeful late call. Busby was booed off by the Robins support as he left the field, perhaps overlooking the official’s failure to dismiss McCrorie either just before half-time or for the foul which led to the penalty. Town won’t be too disappointed with an away point against a side fourth in the table and who took the lead, albeit after the Blues had started strongly. However, it was Town who for the most part looked to take the game to the Robins but without looking threatening enough in in the final third, while also making too many sloppy errors, perhaps unsurprisingly for a team still very much in development and with so many changes from Saturday. Hirst's header was the big opportunity to win it for the Blues, while Bristol City will feel they had chances to claim the three points as well, Armstrong having forced Palmer into a vital late save. Town drop a place to 13th, but still three points off the play-offs and four from the top two ahead of Sunday’s East Anglian derby against Norwich City at Portman Road. Bristol City: Vitek, Vyner, Dickie (c), Atkinson (Roberts 76), Tanner, McCrorie (Sykes 57), Randell, Borges, Twine (Hirakawa 65), Mehmeti, Riis (Armstrong 65). Unused: Lumley, Morrison, Pecover, Cornick, Mayulu. Town: Palmer, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Davis, Matusiwa, Nunez (Cajuste 73), McAteer (Walle Egeli 84), Akpom (Szmodics 79), J Clarke (Philogene 73), Azon (Hirst 73). Unused: Walton, Kipre, Young, Taylor. Referee: John Busby (Oxfordshire). Att: 23,329.
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