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Ipswich Town 1-1 Cheltenham Town - Match Report
Saturday, 12th Nov 2022 17:09

Cheltenham Town frustrated Town to claim a draw at Portman Road for the second successive season, the game ending 1-1. Luke Woolfenden gave the Blues the lead in the eighth minute but Ryan Broom levelled for the Robins on 34 with the visitors only shot on target and Town dominated the second half without finding a second goal.

Luke Woolfenden gave the Blues the lead but Ryan Broom levelled for Cheltenham to leave the scoreline 1-1 at half-time at Portman Road.

Cameron Humphreys, Marcus Harness and Freddie Ladapo came into the Town team, Kieran McKenna having made three changes from the side which drew 4-4 at Charlton in the Blues’ last League One game a fortnight ago. Dominic Ball and Tyreece John-Jules dropped out of the 18 and Kayden Jackson to the bench.

John-Jules missed the FA Cup tie at Bracknell on Monday with a knock, while Ball also appears to be among those McKenna said was suffering from either injury or illness at yesterday’s press conference.

Humphreys joined skipper Sam Morsy in the centre of midfield with Harness alongside Conor Chaplin as one of the number 10s behind lone central striker Ladapo, while Panutche Camara was among the subs.

Cheltenham, who claimed a 0-0 draw when the teams met at Portman Road in February, made four changes with Charlie Raglan, Elliott Bonds, Daniel Nlundulu and Christian Norton in for Daniel Adshead and George Lloyd, who were on the bench, and Caleb Taylor and Ryan Jackson, who were injured.

Following the Last Post and a fly past with the match Town’s Remembrance Day fixture, the game got under way with Cheltenham setting out their stall early on with five at the back behind a four-man midfield.

Morsy shot wide from distance in the sixth minute but home fans, who included US owners Mark Detmer and Brett Johnson, didn’t have to wait too long for a goal.

From the first corner on the left, Leif Davis’s ball into the box was flicked on by Wes Burns and Woolfenden turned home at the far post from a couple of feet.

The centre-half, who became a father just over a week ago, celebrated his first goal of the season by sucking his thumb with the ball stuffed up his shirt in front of fans in the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.

Town thought they’d gone 2-0 in front in the 15th minute when, after Janoi Donacien had brought the ball forward from deep on the right, Harness smashed a shot from the edge of the box off the underside of the bar. The Blues claimed it crossed the line as it bounced down - and they appeared to have a decent case - but referee Geoff Eltringham felt otherwise.

In the aftermath Chaplin took a kick to the head inside the box but again referee Eltringham ruled against the Blues.

Town threatened again moments later, Davis crossing from the left and first Chaplin and then Burns saw strikes blocked.

The Blues were forced into a change in the 17th minute when Donacien made way for Kane Vincent-Young, the star man for Town in the FA Cup victory at Bracknell on Monday.

The former Colchester full-back wasn’t far away from scoring Town’s second of the afternoon in the 20th minute, forcing Robins keeper Luke Southwood into a save at his near post with a shot from the right of the area.

The Blues continued to win frequent corners and a minute later the ball ran loose in the box from a Davis flag-kick from the right but was cleared before a Town player could seize on it.

On 23 a Morsy shot was deflected over and from that corner Chaplin struck another effort, which was forced wide. From that flag-kick, George Edmundson stooped to flick across goal at the near post and Southwood did well to palm his header wide.

The game had resembled an attack-v-defence training exercise for the most part but in the 28th minute Cheltenham threatened for the first time, Broom crossing from the right and Vincent-Young nodding behind at the far post.


But normal service soon resumed and the Blues almost scored their second in the 32nd minute. Humphreys crossed from the left, Ladapo pressured Southwood into an error and Chaplin looked set to hook the loose ball home until Lewis Freestone hit it against the Blues forward and it ricocheted over.

Within a minute, Burns crossed from the right to Davis beyond the far post and the former Leeds man headed back but well over the bar.

A second Town goal had seemed only a matter of time but in the 34th minute Cheltenham equalised.

Broom was allowed acres of space on the right and James Olayinka played it into his path and the Welshman shot low from an angle between keeper Christian Walton and his post.

Having scored what had been an unlikely leveller, two minutes later Cheltenham weren’t too far away from going in front.

After Town had failed to clear their lines, Broom worked himself space on the right, Liam Sercombe helped his cross on only just too far in front of Daniel Nlundulu at the far post.

The Blues started to regain their composure following the shock of conceding and in the 39th minute Davis flicked a header wide from a Burns cross from the right.

Robins keeper Southwood took an age over taking the goal-kick and referee Eltringham acted decisively by showing the game’s first yellow card.

Town should have regained their lead in the 43rd minute. Harness took his time before crossing low into the box from the right. Southwood failed to gather it and the ball fell to Humphreys six yards out, but the youngster shot straight at the keeper, who somehow held on.

That was the last chance of a first half which had been dominated by the Blues as the 69-31 possession percentage indicates and in which Town had created more than enough opportunities to have put the game to bed.

However, they had never looked entirely comfortable on the rare occasions when Cheltenham had the ball in their final third with the visitors’ goal another bad one from a Town perspective.

After a scruffy first couple of minutes, the Blues quickly returned the game to the same pattern as the opening half.

On 51, Vincent-Young cut the ball back from the right and the ball was turned behind by a Cheltenham defender ahead of Harness.

Two minutes later, a corner was played short to Humphreys but his shot flew well over the bar.

Soon after, applause rang around Portman Road in tribute to Supporters Club chairman Martin Swallow, who died late last month.

Town continued to win corners and on 56, the ball was cleared to Vincent-Young, who made a direct dribble into the left of the box before hitting a shot which deflected through to Southwood, the Blues claiming that the keeper had taken the ball out of play, a view different to that of referee Eltringham.

The Blues maintained their pressure. A Humphreys cross from the left was stopped and was briefly loose in the area before being cleared, then a Davis ball in from the same flank somehow avoided everyone.

Right on the hour, Chaplin’s cross from the right of the box struck a Cheltenham player on the hand, according the the forward, but again referee Eltringham’s opinion differed.

On 63, Burns was fed in on the right of the box and crossed low to Harness, whose effort was blocked by Broom, then a Morsy effort from the edge of the area was similarly stopped by Freestone.

Two minutes later, Chaplin stood up a cross from the right and Harness rose high to win the ball but headed wide.

Cheltenham defender Ben Williams took the turf ahead of the goal-kick, must to the annoyance of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand with Robins players having started to pick up apparent injuries with increasing regularity. Williams did appear to have a knock, however, and was replaced by Reece Hutchinson, while Norton was swapped for Lloyd.

As the match moved into its final 20 minutes, a ball in from the right just wouldn’t fall for Harness and then Humphreys and it was bundled behind. From the corner, Edmundson’s flick almost led to an own goal but the ball flew the wrong side of the post from a Town perspective.

The Blues really should have gone back in front from the resultant flag-kick, Ladapo’s first header finding Woolfenden at the far post but the earlier scorer nodded over much to his evident frustration.

Town made their first two changes in the 74th minute, Burns and Harness making way for Jackson and Kyle Edwards.

The Blues were left scratching their heads how the ball hadn’t gone in in the 77th minute. Davis crossed from the left and first Southwood saved Ladapo’s header, then the ball fell to Chaplin and his powerful follow-up was stopped by a combination of the keeper and two defenders sliding in.

Inevitably play was held up while the keeper required treatment with the Town crowd again expressing their frustration with the time-wasting.

The Blues kept up the pressure and on 83 Davis lashed over a cross from the left but Jackson was unable to get anything on it as he threw himself towards goal.

On 86 Robins sub Daniel Adshead was booked for pulling Edwards back on the Town left, then three minutes later Jackson was played in on the right of the area but his cross was blocked. Chaplin had been fouled in the build-up and Freestone was yellow-carded when play stopped.

As the game moved into its final scheduled minute, the Blues switched Chaplin and Humphreys for Camara and Cameron Burgess, who went up front. Moments later, the fourth official indicated seven additional minutes.

Town were inches from a winner in the fourth minute of injury time, a corner from the left falling to Camara, who struck a powerful shot which hit the inside of the post and bounced across goal without finding a blue shirt. The ball was hooked back into the box and again Town appealed in vain for a penalty for handball.

With time starting to run out, Edwards superbly checked one way and went the other before sending over a superb ball to the far post from the left but just too far in front of Camara.

Moments later, the whistle went to muted applause from a frustrated home support. The Blues had battered the Robins from start to finish in the second half but without finding the winning goal, the game having followed much the same pattern as the corresponding fixture last season which ended 0-0.

Crosses flashed across the Cheltenham area, shots were blocked and keeper Southwood made important saves when he had to, although Town will feel he should have been forced to make more serious stops than he was.

Overall Town had 74 per cent of the possession, struck 29 shots but only four on target, while they won 15 corners.

While the Robins defended stoically, there were a number of chances Town will feel should have been taken and for the second league game running the Blues have dropped points from a winning position.

Against a side like Cheltenham scoring the first goal should have been the hardest task and put the Blues in a winning position but once again they conceded and allowed the opposition back into the match.

Town remain second in the table still four points behind Plymouth, who drew at Lincoln, while Sheffield Wednesday are now only a point behind the Blues having won 1-0 at Accrington.

Town: Walton, Donacien (Vincent-Young 17), Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burns (Jackson 74), Humphreys (Camara 90), Morsy (c), Davis, Chaplin (Burgess 90), Harness (Edwards 74), Ladapo. Unused: Hladky, Keogh.

Cheltenham: Southwood, Long (c), Williams (Hutchinson 67), Raglan, Freestone, Sercombe, Nlundulu (Chapman 85), Bonds, Norton (Lloyd 67), Broom, Olayinka (Adshead 72). Unused: MacDonald, Bradbury, Brown. Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham). Att: 25,400 (Cheltenham: 175).


Photo: Matchday Images



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KMcBlue added 17:11 - Nov 12
For all the numpties who say we score plenty of goals; that we don't spurn loads of chances and need better finishers; that we don't need a decent no.9 who can get in front of his man and arrive in the box on the end of crosses- what have you got to say tonight??
10

tobymeadz91 added 17:11 - Nov 12
No excuses, absolute shower of sss

We need a striker or we ain't going up …

Cheltenham town 175 attendance pub team what a joke
4

tobymeadz91 added 17:11 - Nov 12
No excuses, absolute shower of sss

We need a striker or we ain't going up …

Cheltenham town 175 attendance pub team what a joke
-4

tobymeadz91 added 17:12 - Nov 12
No excuses, absolute shower of sss

We need a striker or we ain't going up …

Cheltenham town 175 attendance pub team what a joke
-6

bixleyboy added 17:13 - Nov 12
When will we learn to kill off games. Cheltenham were one of the worst teams I've seen at PR. Still looking for that poacher in the box who would've scored two hat tricks today.
21

Skip73 added 17:15 - Nov 12
Very unlucky today. Dominated the whole game apart from 15 mins. Hit the bar, post. Pen turned down. Ok, a few should have been finished. Sometimes its just one of those days. Gutted. And to cap it off we'll have to read Blueboy and his cronies turning the site toxic tonight too.
1

blueboy1981 added 17:16 - Nov 12
MUCH TO DO ! - Now perhaps you ‘hissy fit' people will believe me ?
Or will it be just another ‘one off' that comes around all too often to be serious contenders come May 23 …. ??
Extremely Poor result against a Very Poor Team.
No doubt the same excuse makers will identify once again.
5

itfcserbia added 17:16 - Nov 12
KMcBlue - tonight we say what would your guy do in the box with 20 other players in it?
3

Ipswichbusiness added 17:17 - Nov 12
For the first thirty minutes we played them off the park, but only scored one goal.

Then we conceded a sloppy one, our heads went down and we could have gone in 2 - 1 down.

Second half we created plenty of chances, but scored nothing.

A draw at home against a poor team like Cheltenham is not good enough, especially in the wake of the poor home result against Lincoln. We must be able to break down teams that come to defend; Sheffield Wednesday are breathing down our necks.
16

Skip73 added 17:18 - Nov 12
KMc. Copied and pasted from half time. Just had to be first to slag the team off.
0

KMcBlue added 17:18 - Nov 12
^^^^ I could have finished Davis and Humphreys chances within the first 30 minutes= game put to bed
3

tractorboybig added 17:19 - Nov 12
a striker who is less use than a nun in a brothel and a defence fast becoming a joke keep you in this div for another season.
0

KMcBlue added 17:20 - Nov 12
Yep Skip. I watched the game. You draw any other conclusion and you are one of the numpties I refer too...
0

blueboy1981 added 17:20 - Nov 12
Ship73 - unchallenged Excuse Maker ! - stock comment being ‘just one of those Days'.
Get REAL and accept what is TRUTH and FACTUAL for once - at least !!!
3

runningout added 17:21 - Nov 12
that was players showing lack of composure and lack of know how. Our players are better than they are showing
3

billlm added 17:21 - Nov 12
1-0 nil up, worst team I be seen for years don't push on at 1 up get what u deserve, we won't go up, to weak at the back, pants goal, stats are insane and we can't score come on,
10

hyperbrit added 17:22 - Nov 12
striker??
2

cat added 17:24 - Nov 12
KMcBlue - tonight I'll say your a tw@ lol

Missed my first home game today so can't comment on the performance!
-1

bluesince76 added 17:26 - Nov 12
Need better strikers none of our strikers are prolific and our defenders give away soft goals mc kenna must sort this out
8

midastouch added 17:27 - Nov 12
Problem, too wasteful in front of goal.
Solution...
Sign Aaron Collins in the January transfer window please...


5

churchmans added 17:28 - Nov 12
We need players to shoot from outside the area!! It is leauge 1 the keeper might spill it or we might score!
We keep trying to walk it in playing like barca man City but slow like a tortoise!! Keep giving the ball to morsy who slows the play down!
DEFO NEED A STRIKER
8

htb added 17:28 - Nov 12
Very difficult game to explain. We created enough chances to win five games. They scored on one of there two attacks. Ultimately can't be too critical as I thought we played well, I think I am still more worried about our defensive frailties. I hope Christian Walton also finds his previous form quickly. I'm still convinced we will get automatic promotion.
8

Esseeja added 17:30 - Nov 12
We don't need a striker - it was not our problem today.
Apart from Edwards, we need better CAMS/RWS because that is where most of our shooting came from in the box - Chaplin is not reliable against teams like this, and he was absolutely shocking today, and Harness was below average, Humphreys and Morsy had to come forward more to do their job for them and it started to leave a few gaps in our midfield near the end of the game because they got so tired.
Jackson and Camara put their foot behind their knee when sliding in for the crosses coming in from the left side in the second half, both should have been goals, and jackson should have scored the third rebound after we missed the first 2 chances, that was the worst miss of the game.
Ladapo was simply unlucky for me today, he isn't the problem and it's not his fault the goalkeeper managed to save his header.
I also think we need a better defensive partnership, Edmundson and Woolfenden in the same back line is unreliable, and has a history of being unreliable, how many leads have we given away with them in the same team now? When Cheltenham had their only real attack, Edmundson was out of position, and Davis had to cover the center of the pitch, leaving that left side completely open for them to score a shot that Walton should have saved.
I can not see a stop to any of this, and I think it's a lack of commitment when we are ahead, and we panic too easily when we realise our mistakes.
10

KMcBlue added 17:32 - Nov 12
Cat- don't comment then.....
1

Esseeja added 17:33 - Nov 12
I also missed the fact that Davis missed a free header - then they immediately score.
1


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