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Ipswich Town 2-0 Bristol Rovers - Match Report
Tuesday, 13th Sep 2022 21:55

Conor Chaplin and Lee Evans were on target as Town comfortably beat nine-man Bristol Rovers 2-0 at Portman Road to stay top of League One. Chaplin, now the division's top scorer, hit his sixth of the season on 24 in a brilliant Blues spell in the first half, then Evans added the second 10 minutes after the restart with the Pirates having Bobby Thomas and Alfie Kilgour dismissed in the latter stages.

Conor Chaplin’s sixth goal of the season has given Town a 1-0 lead over Bristol Rovers at half-time at Portman Road.

Town boss Kieran McKenna made two changes with Chaplin and Freddie Ladapo back in starting XI and Tyreece John-Jules and Kayden Jackson dropping to the bench having been in the side which began the Blues’ last match, the 2-0 win at Accrington Stanley just over a week ago.

Rovers made three changes from the team which drew 2-2 at home to Morecambe in their last game with Trevor Clarke, Luke McCormick, making his second league debut for the club, and Harry Anderson coming in for John Marquis and Paul Coutts, who were on the bench, and Ryan Loft, who was left out of the 18.

There was a change of referee with Alan Young from Cambridgeshire taking over from Tom Nield, who was originally down to cover the fixture.

Young was best known to Town fans for his performance in the 0-0 home draw with Wycombe Wanderers in November 2019 when a Luke Chambers header was diverted into his own net by Chairboys midfielder Curtis Thompson but Young wrongly disallowed it for offside having consulted linesman Aaron Farmer, with the players already lined-up for the restart.

In the warm-up, Town wore shirts bearing the number 11 and the logo of the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation in support of legendary former striker Marcus Stewart, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last week, while Rovers were in similar shirts with a number 14.

Following a minute’s silence and the national anthem in honour of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday, the game got under way with Town immediately on the attack, left wing-back Leif Davis winning a free-kick within the opening 15 seconds.

Lee Evans sent over a brilliant set piece to the far post from where Luke Woolfenden headed onto the underside of the bar with the ball bouncing down the wrong side of the line from a Town perspective and the Gas cleared.

In the fourth minute, the Blues were caught or almost caught in possession on a number of occasions close in and around their area but eventually Cameron Burgess cleared long and sent Ladapo away down the left.

The striker burst towards the box, cut in and hit a shot which Pirates keeper James Belshaw tipped wide down to his right. Wes Burns was first to the rebound at a tight angle and cut across goal to Chaplin, but the forward was at a similarly acute angle and was unable to find the target.

As the clock ticked past the 11-minute mark, both sets of fans erupted into applause and songs in tribute to Stewart, who wore the number 11 while playing for the Blues in the Premier League.

On the quarter hour, skipper Sam Morsy was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on McCormick just inside the Blues’ half.

Rovers were forced into a change in the 17th minute when Anderson, who had undergone treatment earlier in the half, was replaced by Harvey Saunders as Town prepared to take a corner on the right.

From the flag-kick, the ball was played to Davis not far outside the area from where the former Leeds man struck a shot which deflected over off a defender. From the resultant corner, also on the right, Chaplin’s header was saved down to his left by Belshaw.

Town won another corner in the 19th minute, this time on the left, the ball reaching Chaplin beyond the far post from where he hit a shot on the turn, which Belshaw again saved down to his left.


The Blues chances kept coming as they passed the ball around slickly and at pace with Rovers chasing shadows, and within a minute Davis had broken away down the left and crossed for Ladapo, whose near-post shot went wide.

A Town goal was only a matter of time and it finally came in the 24th minute. Skipper Morsy exchanged passes with Marcus Harness on the left and then cut back to Chaplin on the penalty spot, from where the former Portsmouth forward buried it low into the bottom corner to Belshaw’s left to claim his sixth goal of the season.

The Blues immediately went about looking for a second. Ladapo was again sent away in the left channel - clearly an area which had been spotted as a Pirates weakness - and sent over a deep cross for Burns, who out-battled his man for the ball and forced Belshaw into yet another save in what had been a busy half for the visitors’ number one.

Town continued to dominate, playing as well as they have all season and at what seemed an increased tempo in the opposition half. On 28 Chaplin hit a further effort following another slick passage of play which Belshaw claimed.

Harness almost played in Chaplin with a clever pass as the game reached the half-hour mark, the Blues having been in complete control and playing as well as they have in years.

The ball was briefly in the Rovers half as the game moved towards the final 10 minutes of the half but without Christian Walton’s goal being threatened.

But soon the Blues were back prodding and probing and looking for openings at the other end. On 40 a Burns cross from the right was cut out, then a subsequent effort was too close to Belshaw, who claimed.

As the half moved into four minutes of injury time, Rovers almost levelled out of nothing. After a swift break, the ball fell to Antony Evans 30 yards out from where he struck a powerful shot which beat Walton but crashed against his right post before being cleared.

It was a brilliant strike and the unlucky visitors went close again just before the whistle. Woolfenden was too casual as he chested down to Donacien on halfway and the Gas broke towards goal, Clarke hitting a low shot which Walton palmed past his left post.

Rovers will have felt themselves a little unfortunate not to have gone in on terms, which would have been an injustice given the Blues’ control and domination of most of the rest of the half.

Town had been superb in a spell before and after Chaplin’s goal, which had been well-worked down the left by Harness and Morsy, with plenty of other chances to add to their lead.

And they had almost paid for not taking more of those opportunities just before the break with Rovers twice going close, a warning that as well as they’d played, the three points were still up for grabs and they needed to maintain their earlier intensity and concentration.

However, the visitors went close again five minutes after the restart, Walton saving down to his right from Luca Hoole’s effort from just outside the box.

Two minutes later, the Gas were harshly awarded a free-kick after Harness had challenged Evans but the former Everton youngster’s strike was saved by Walton and claimed at the second attempt.

Town ought to have been awarded a penalty in the 54th minute, the ball fairly clearly hitting Sam Finley on the arm as Harness played it inside the Rovers skipper. Referee Young waved away the Blues’ protests.

Moments later, Chaplin hit a powerful shot which was blocked - also by a hand according to the crowd although not so much the players - before Town made it 2-0.

Ladapo laid the ball to Evans 25 yards out from where the Welshman smashed a low shot past Belshaw to his right. The midfielder delightedly celebrated his second goal of the season in front of the North Stand.

Town were forced into change in the 62nd minute after Burgess suffered a blow to the head, having been caught by Saunders’s knee having slid in to successfully make a challenge. Dominic Ball took over on the left of the defence.

Hoole was booked in the 66th minute for clattering into the back of Chaplin’s calves after the Blues forward had skipped away from him. Burns sent the free-kick well over the bar.

The Blues made a triple change in the 69th minute with Greg Leigh replacing Davis, John-Jules Harness and Gassan Ahadme Ladapo, the three withdrawn players receiving warm ovations as they left the field.

In the 72nd minute, Burns volleyed well over after a Leigh cross had been nodded out to him on the edge of the box.

Rovers, looking well beaten but not giving up, made a double change in the 77th minute, swapping Evans and Aaron Collins for Sylvester Jasper and Glenn Whelan.

Thomas was booked for a foul on John-Jules, then in the 82nd minute the Blues swapped Burns for Kyle Edwards.

The Pirates’ disappointing evening got even worse three minutes later when Thomas was shown his second yellow card of the evening and then a red for a foul on Ahadme.

Town continued to look for their third goal of the match against the 10 men, Morsy just overhitting a ball through to Ahadme in the 87th minute.

A minute later, Donacien did superbly to power his way past two men down the right before crossing low to the near post where Ahadme was only prevented from scoring his first Town goal by a brilliant sharp save by Belshaw, who had done well to keep Town’s tally down to two.

In the final scheduled minute, Leigh sent over a low ball from the left which was somehow diverted behind a number of Town players breaking towards the far post.

Rovers’ evening got still worse in the first of five additional minutes when Kilgour was shown a straight red card for tripping Chaplin with the Blues forward through on goal having dispossessed the centre-half.

Chaplin hit the free-kick into the wall but a minute later Leigh crossed from the left and John-Jules just failed to get enough on the ball with his header to find the target.

Town were looking like scoring another goal with every attack against the nine men but referee Young’s whistle confirmed a second successive 2-0 victory.

A thoroughly deserved win with the Blues having had chances galore to increase the margin of victory even before the visitors were reduced in number.

The spell midway through the first half around the goal was as good as anything seen at Portman Road in years, slick and at a pace rarely seen at this level.

Town, who remain top of the table on goal difference from Portsmouth, travel to face fourth-placed Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Saturday, the Owls having won 3-0 at Morecambe this evening.

Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess (Ball 62), Burns (Edwards 82), Evans, Morsy (c), Davis (Leigh 68), Chaplin, Harness (John-Jules 68), Ladapo (Ahadme 68). Unused: Hladky, Jackson.

Bristol Rovers: Belshaw, Gordon, Kilgour, Finley (c), Collins (Whelan 77), Anderson (Saunders 17), Clarke, Evans (Jasper 77), McCormick, Hoole, Thomas. Unused: Jaakola, Westbrooke, Marquis, Coutts. Referee: Alan Young (Cambridgeshire). Att: 22,209 (Rovers: 300).


Photo: Matchday Images



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tobymeadz91 added 21:56 - Sep 13
Fantastic performance tonight!

We are going up!
6

jayceee added 21:59 - Sep 13
Longest current unbeaten streak in the EFL

Ipswich Town - 11
Sheffield United - 8
Portsmouth - 8
Leyton Orient - 8
Fleetwood Town - 7
Swindon Town - 7
7

DifferentGravy added 22:00 - Sep 13
Get in. Superb! Well done all. Fantastic ovation for someone who deserved it.....Marcus Stewart
15

chopra777 added 22:02 - Sep 13
Good clean kill tonight. The squad was used effectively, not sure why we did not have centre backs on our sub's bench. But Bally played well. MOM was Walton by a mile. KM work your magic for the weekend. God save the King.
8

ButchersBrokenNose added 22:03 - Sep 13
The first half hour was some of the best football we have played in years. We are setting the pace in this league and have nothing to fear from going to Wednesday. I'm looking forward to seeing how we do against one of our competitors for promotion.

Also, I had hoped Joey Barton had matured as he got older, but no. Not giving us the ball at a throw-in and giving his player who had just been sent off a pat on the back: no class at all.
6

Roo added 22:06 - Sep 13
Did what was needed tonight. Walton made a couple of big saves at crucial times but for me the MOM was Evans - absolute class tonight. Spent most of the game worried Morsy would get a second yellow but we move on to a big weekend in the division with 6 of the top 7 playing each other then two more key top of the table games. We will then know a lot more. Can't wait COYB
12

DaGremloid added 22:07 - Sep 13
Good solid result but I think the next 3 league fixtures will tell us where we really are as promotion candidates - Sheff Wed, Plymouth, and Portsmouth.
21

martin587 added 22:09 - Sep 13
Fantastic atmosphere and the wearing of the number 11shirt was tear jerking for me a really wonderful jester.The national anthem too showed the love and warmth for our Queen. Exceptional performance from the lads once again.We are getting better each game.Another three points and two very hard games to come.Well done lads keep going.Another happy drive home.
15

blueboy1981 added 22:13 - Sep 13
These are the type of Teams we must be able to beat, home or away.
This was an excellent Win because they would have come to Portman Road to spoil, dig in, and hope for a lucky break and hopefully a point.
The two sendings off tell it's own story of such intentions.
All Good Wishes to ‘our' Marcus with his such unfortunate illness.
Once a Blue Marcus ! …… - you'll always be ‘one of us' every single day of your journey and life.
7

ghostofescobar added 22:18 - Sep 13
Blimey, that was some performance. As good as I can remember during that first 35 mins or so, then just comfortably controlled the game for virtually every minute thereafter. On that performance, we really are way too good for this league. Tough month ahead, but we look good. A display worthy of our beloved Marcus: love and thoughts are with you and your family.
11

ringwoodblue added 22:21 - Sep 13
This win was for Marcus. A top player and a top bloke. Best wishes to him and his family.
13

ipswichboi added 22:26 - Sep 13
Chappers MoTM for me but everyone was great. Defence and GK impeccable. COYB
5

billlm added 22:31 - Sep 13
Dagremloid il take 5 points, 2 away, 3 at home,
3

Dab added 22:41 - Sep 13
So John-Jules gets booked for kicking the ball away but it's OK for Joey Barton to put the ball up his jumper in the first half to stop JD taking a quick throw. Must be because Joey is a bit if a "lad" and we are a bit scared of him.
Never mind Joey - football won tonight :-)
5

Suffolkboy added 22:41 - Sep 13
To everyone involved ‘congratulations ‘ ! No tempers allowed to fray in the face of provocation , nor it appears despite another absolute howler by an official !
( When will we finally see the Officials have the integrity to own up publicly to their ‘errors' ,or even a bad game ,which we all suffer ) ?
To Kieran McKenna and all his team ( plus those behind and above) we obviously owe so much : reports of the best football for many a long year are truly thrilling to read . A way to go ,but the thorough going methods and training will bring rewards ,and the players are very obviously all enjoying the challenges ,both in training and on Match day !
Super Blues !
6

Saxonblue74 added 22:42 - Sep 13
An excellent performance by every Town player, including the subs. I really couldn't single out a bad performance if I had to. Credit to Bristol who did actually try to play, not kill the game as so many have at PR.
5

BlueRuin69 added 22:58 - Sep 13
Evans brilliant tonight Coyb
6

Rimsy added 23:12 - Sep 13
Great all round performance, well deserved 3 points. Joey Barton is an aquired taste, but at least his teams try to play the game properly. Just outclassed tonight.
3

cat added 23:17 - Sep 13
We look a different team this season. A polished performance against a team who pressed us high so credit to Rovers for that. We look so comfortable on the ball and knock it about so sweetly. Davis looked decent, as did Evans but all contributed. Big tests ahead, but we should fear no one.
6

EssexTractor added 23:21 - Sep 13
Fielding 5 substitutes and no real decline of performance is further credit to Kieran and his management team in assessing footballers with talent and the desire to improve as all are doing.
And now to have two good”number threes” a blessing.
If the “everything of our first 30 minutes” tonight can be repeated over next three matches , then what a season we will have.
(But Wednesday at corners tonight looked threatening , so Evans. MOTM tonight , please outdo that Barry Bannan)
3

Cakeman added 23:31 - Sep 13
For 35 minutes our one touch passing was amazing. We should have had another couple however credit to Rovers' keeper for keeping the score down. Difficult to keep that standard up and the game drifted a bit as we sought a second breath.
Second half was bitty with a raft of substitutions and injuries plus the Two Red cards which all broke the game up.
A good evenings work though.
PS have I missed it somewhere but why is George Edmundson not getting a look in these days?
3

itfchorry added 00:37 - Sep 14
Great Win

Top of the League

So far Bobble Free
2

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 05:19 - Sep 14
Comprehensive win and great to watch, but we musn't get complacent.
3

therein61 added 06:40 - Sep 14
Keep it going you blues lets show those up with us we mean business and make a statement.
1

dirtydingusmagee added 08:01 - Sep 14
great performance and result, WE HAVE A TEAM ! keep this going lads and we will get out of this crap league. Well done KM and team . COYB.
5


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