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Ipswich Town 2-1 Port Vale - Match Report
Tuesday, 18th Apr 2023 21:56

Nathan Broadhead netted twice, the second a penalty, as Town came from a goal down at half-time to beat Port Vale 2-1 at Portman Road to stay second in the League One table. Mal Benning’s goal against the run of play moments before half-time gave the visitors the lead but Broadhead netted eight minutes after half-time and from the spot on 84 to claim a crucial three points.

Town made one change from the team which beat Charlton 6-0 with Freddie Ladapo coming into the XI for George Hirst, who dropped to the bench.

Port Vale, under interim-boss Andy Crosby following Monday’s sacking of Darrell Clarke, made two changes from the team which lost 3-2 at Lincoln on Saturday with James Plant, who was making his first league start, and Gavin Massey replacing Matty Taylor, who was among the subs, and Tom Pett. Former Blues striker Ellis Harrison was on the bench.

Town started brightly, 25-goal top scorer clipping a cross into the area from the right and Ladapo rising highest to flick a header not far beyond the far post.

The pattern of the game was established quickly with the Blues dominating and the visitors sitting back in numbers looking to frustrate.

And the Valiants made a decent fist of doing so and in the 14th minute they managed a shot of their own, Benning cutting a ball across from the left and Plant hitting an effort against Cameron Burgess.

The visitors briefly kept the ball at the Town end but the Blues subsequently broke quickly, skipper Sam Morsy sending Nathan Broadhead away into the area but the Wales international had the ball stabbed away from him by Plant just as he was about to shoot.

Vale weren’t too far away from the opening goal in the 19th minute when a long ball from keeper Aidan Stone was allowed through to David Worrall, who stabbed wide of the advancing Walton and also the post before colliding with the Town keeper.

A number of Vale players appealed for a penalty but referee Robert Lewis showed no interest and the official was probably right.

On 24, Massimo Luongo shot through to Stone from just outside the area after a slick interchange by the Blues on the right, however, referee Lewis had already awarded a free-kick for a foul.

Stone was warned about time-wasting as he took his time over the restart, not the first time the Valiants had been in less than a hurry. Moments later, Chaplin shot over the bar.

In the 35th minute, Morsy won the ball inside the Vale half, brought it forward and fed Broadhead, whose shot deflected wide.

Two minutes later, Wes Burns played the ball to Chaplin inside the area on the right. The forward took it past Nathan Smith, who forced him away from the ball as it went out of play, legally according to the referee, otherwise according to the Town players. A penalty might have been harsh but elsewhere on the field the referee might well have deemed it obstruction and awarded an indirect free-kick.

Stone finally tried the referee’s patience too far and was shown a yellow card having again taken an age over the resultant goal-kick.

The Blues were beginning to build up a head of steam as the half was drawing to a close and moments after the fourth official’s board had announced two additional minutes, Morsy looked to find Harry Clarke breaking on the right of the box but sent the ball slightly too long for the former Arsenal man.

However, seconds before the whistle, the visitors took front. Worrall, whose crosses caused the Blues plenty of problems at Vale Park in October, crossed from the right, Clarke headed out to the edge of the box and Benning took a touch before hitting a low shot across the turf and into the corner of the net to stun Portman Road.


The Blues found themselves going in behind at the break for the first time since the Sheffield Wednesday game at the start of February.

Town had started positively but found themselves up against a dogged Vale side and the Blues struggled to create clear-cut chances.

As the break approached they began to put the Valiants under more pressure but without testing Stone.

The goal came very much against the run of play but it wasn’t the first time the visitors had threatened during the half.

It had been the type of half which became all too familiar earlier in the season when the Blues had struggled to find their way past opposition taking a similar approach.

Three minutes after the restart, Davis played a corner from the left low to Chaplin, whose shot was blocked. The ball was sent back beyond the far post but Ladapo lost his footing as he tried an awkward volley.

The early stages of the half had been all Town with the Blues winning a succession of early corners and Vale pinned back in their area.

And eight minutes after the restart, the Blues levelled. Burns crossed low from the right and Broadhead got ahead of his man and hit a low effort across Stone and into the corner of the net to the delight and relief of Portman Road.

Town began looking for a second goal and on 57 Ladapo did well on the right of the box and found Luongo, but the Australian international scuffed to Stone’s near post and the keeper was able to claim.

The Valiants made the first change of the game on the hour, swapping Dan Butterworth for ex-Blue Harrison. Two minutes later, Town switched Ladapo for Hirst.

Moments after the change, Luongo crossed from the left and Broadhead looped a header well over.

After a rare Vale attack had led to a corner, which the Blues dealt with confidently, Chaplin volleyed a Burns cross from the right over the bar when the Town top scorer will feel he might have done better.

Visitors skipper Tom Conlon headed a Vale corner from the right to Walton on 68, Will Forrester deliberately colliding with the keeper as he looked to get the ball out quickly and picking up a yellow card from referee Lewis when play stopped.

Two minutes later, Burns crossed from the right and Luongo flicked a near-post header over the bar.

Vale subsequently replaced James Wilson with Rory Holden, then on 73 Plant was booked for pulling back Broadhead as Town looked to break.

Two minutes later, Luke Woolfenden, who was spending a lot of time in the Valiants’ half, struck a 25-yard shot over the bar.

Town were beginning to up the pressure and in the 79th minute Davis was swapped for Kyle Edwards, while a number of Port Vale players took to the turf to waste time. On 80, before play had restarted, Taylor took over from Massey for the visitors.

Edwards immediately got into the action, twice crossing from the left as Town continued prodding a probing for an opening.

And in the 82nd minute, the Blues were awarded a penalty. Clarke twice crossed from the right inside the box and twice the ball appeared to hit Benning’s hand and the second time referee Lewis pointed straight to the spot.

The Vale players made sure there was a long wait for Broadhead to take the kick, Chaplin picking up a yellow card for shoving one of the visitors off the spot.

Eventually, after the referee had made the Wales international respot the ball, Broadhead slammed the ball to his left as the keeper dived the other way to send Portman Road into raptures.

Two minutes after Broadhead’s sixth goal for Town, the former Everton man was switched for Janoi Donacien, who went to right-back with Clarke moving to the left and Edwards into the role vacated by the Welshman.

In the penultimate scheduled minute, Clarke sent over a teasing right-foot cross from the left and Hirst headed wide when the on-loan Leicester man will feel he should have done better.

The fourth official’s board indicated six additional minutes with the Blues having been well in control since their second goal.

And the Blues saw out the final minutes without any worries to seal a vital victory against committed, difficult and disruptive opposition.

Town hadn’t been at their best in the first half but even so the Vale goal was still very much against the run of play.

Broadhead scoring the early second-half goal was crucial and, particularly after the introductions of Hirst and Edwards, the Blues put the visitors under pressure and a goal seemed only a matter of time.

The Welsh international showed great composure and character to score the penalty and after that the win was never in any real doubt.

It was a game that might not have won before the January additions were added to the squad with Broadhead grabbing tonight's headlines but with Luongo, Clarke and Hirst all also playing a part.

The Blues have now won 10 of their last 11 matches and have been victorious in their last seven at home.

Town stay second with Plymouth netting in the 96th minute goal to win 2-1 at Shrewsbury, while Sheffield Wednesday won by the same scoreline at Bristol Rovers. Barnsley in fourth lost ground after drawing 0-0 at Lincoln.

The Blues, only four games away from automatic promotion back to the Championship, are next in action away at Peterborough, who won 2-1 at Accrington this evening, on Saturday afternoon.

Town: Walton, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns, Morsy (c), Luongo, Davis (Edwards 79), Chaplin, Broadhead (Donacien , Ladapo (Hirst 62). Unused: Hladky, Ball, Harness, Jackson.

Port Vale: Stone, Forrester, Smith, Donnelly, Benning, Worrall, Butterworth (Harrison 60), Conlon (c), Massey (Taylor 80), Plant, Wilson (Holden 70). Unused: Stevens, McDermott, Proctor. Referee: Robert Lewis (Shrewsbury). Att: 27,696 (Vale: 296).


Photo: Matchday Images



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Miaow added 21:59 - Apr 18
Get. In. There.
7

itfckenty added 22:01 - Apr 18
Hard graft win that, kudos to vale for keeping us at bay for a good amount of time, their strategy worked well. But, with hard work and a good clear strategy has won us the game. Well done lads and KM, sets us up nicey for these next two games, these sort of wins can be seen as a promotion team. Let's hope! COYB
14

IpswichT62OldBoy added 22:01 - Apr 18
Did well to dig that one out.
8

Reuser_Who added 22:02 - Apr 18
Blatant time wasting. A low block closer to row Z of the Bobby Robson stand than the half-way line. Antics around the box before the penalty. Get in. Well deserved!
2

Saxonblue74 added 22:03 - Apr 18
Phew! In many respects a better result than the Charlton drubbing. Port vale set to spoil from the start so patience was key, on the pitch and in the stands! They're the results that gain promotions. I really thought Chappers had a good penalty shout in the first half, anywhere else on the pitch and a free kick would have been given without hesitation. Anyway, we're still winning game after game and that's all we can do. A good solid, professional performance which we now seem capable of as well as the odd thrashing. 4 more cup finals and we're home and dry!
9

blueboy1981 added 22:03 - Apr 18
A tough one that - but another crucial 3 points in the end, which essentially is what matters with tougher opposition heading our way.
Starting to leak a bit after a clean sheet run, but as long as we score more than - I'm happy with that !
Now the Big Tests ahead.
Need to be on your mettle Boys for these - no slacking now, and we'll be THERE !!
Well Done All.
12

Saxonblue74 added 22:04 - Apr 18
……and when are we going to see a 2nd yellow brandished for serial time wasters???
6

martin587 added 22:04 - Apr 18
Well that played havoc with my ticker.Well done lads not at your very best tonight but still done the business.Roll on Saturday.
12

LimerickTractorBoy added 22:05 - Apr 18
Tough night at the office, had a terrible feeling we weren't gonna get a winner. Well done Town. Such an important 3 pts.
11

Saxonblue74 added 22:06 - Apr 18
Sorry itfckenty but I can't offer kudos to Vale for any of that. People pay to watch football, not ball in hand.
1

Lightningboy added 22:07 - Apr 18
Phew!

Plymouth are getting right on my t1ts.
18

chopra777 added 22:09 - Apr 18
Our topsy turvy fight for promotion continues. The slippery pitch did not help. We grew we found a way and we won. Three points in the bag. Posh will be an easier game compared tonite. Well done lads.
3

Miaow added 22:11 - Apr 18
That's a club record for the most points scored in a league season - our previous best was 87 in 1999/2000.
11

itfckenty added 22:12 - Apr 18
Absolutely fair comment Saxon, I don't mean fair play in terms of the clear time wasting they were doing, but Purley on a defensive note, the low block and tight line. More white shirts in the box than anywhere else. Their game plan of slowing the game down worked, but... We broke them down.
4

chepstowblue added 22:12 - Apr 18
An unbearably tense evening, and it(the drama)ain't even started yet. Real character shown to turn this around. I just wanna say to the a**holes....stop singing "We are top of the league". Within two mins Cheltenham equalised against us, and within 20 seconds tonight Plymouth scored at Shrewsbury. Shut your mouths until the jobs done and for Christ sake learn !!
18

dangerous30 added 22:12 - Apr 18
I am glad we found away of winning this match well done lads
3

TractorBeezer added 22:14 - Apr 18
Well done boys!

We were favourites going into the game but PV proved that there aren't many easy ones.
Ref slow to punish time wasting. What a great signing Broadfoot!

Looking forward to Peterborough already.
3

BobbyBell added 22:14 - Apr 18
I kept wanting Wolfy to shoot or just run at them because he was getting so much space. Sometimes a 25 yarder hit low and hard can get deflected or spilled by the keeper.
3

Suffolkboy added 22:15 - Apr 18
These are the sort of trials we need to overcome ; pity we weren't quite so clinical tonight but very very well done one and all for finding a way !
COYB
5

planetblue_2011 added 22:21 - Apr 18
Wow what a different game to Saturday, but what a win in the end!!
A crucial penalty to win it & probably the most important goal of the season.
Well done Broadhead & the team, COYB⚽️⚽️😀😀
12

LonE17Blue added 22:32 - Apr 18
chepstowblue; No need the call supporters a**holes, even though that chant does seem to jinx us.
Show some repect, we need to remain as one until this season is over.
11

EssexTractor added 22:33 - Apr 18
Port Vale gave us the most difficult match, with their time wasting, their ability to defend soundly but if a team has no desire to win then no sympathy for them going home defeated.
The teams patience won the day.
Tonight aside from Broadheads winning brace , another 9/10 for Luongo. And good to see Edwards cameo.
5

Europablue added 22:35 - Apr 18
That was a very stressful one. Barnsley too far behind now. They were never really in it considering that one draw would leave them with too much to do. It's good that they dropped points before they play us. Hopefully they don't have anything to play for when we meet them! Wednesday are still very fragile even though they have dug out a couple of wins and Plymouth's luck will run out eventually.
1

Help added 22:37 - Apr 18
Not as much fun as Saturday, but probably a better result. The hard fought tough games especially coming from 1 down are equally satisfying. Port Vale came with a plan that was working, frustrating the players and the fans. But quality will overcome and we are quality. Massimo and Morsy are unbelievable in midfield, how they take the ball from opposition players feet and start attacks. This was a patience game. Back line playing so high they were nearly always on the halfway line. Broadhead is another quality player who obviously like so many of our players can play at a much higher level.

Plymouth are really starting to get on my tit. Peterborough should be a proper football game and we know we can win those. We now can also win the sort of thing Port Fail and other teams have tried to use against us.

Another 3 points are more important than clean sheets.

Well done Kieran and every player on that pitch today.

Move on to the next one.
6

beeringo added 22:39 - Apr 18
And with that win we did it lads… out of ALL clubs in the top three tiers of football in the 5 biggest leagues in Europe, Ipswich are top of the form table (league games, last 10 games). Whichever way you look at it we deserve promotion!!
6


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