Ipswich Town recorded their third home win on the bounce to climb the Championship table
Ipswich Town ensured that they will sit third in the Championship table on Christmas Day, beating struggling Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 at Portman Road.
The Blues made hard work of the first half, but took a lead into the break through Cedric Kipre. Jaden Philogene added a second after the interval, with Jack Clarke wrapping up the victory after Liam Cooper’s strike shocked Town.
As a result, they cut the gap to second-place Middlesbrough to five points, looking to climb into the automatic promotion spots in the coming week.
Jens Cajuste returned to the starting lineup in place of Jack Taylor
Kieran McKenna made two changes to the team that lost 3-1 at Leicester City.
Christian Walton continued in goal ahead of Alex Palmer, with a back four of Darnell Furlong, Dara O’Shea, Kipre and Leif Davis starting in front of him.
Azor Matusiwa partnered Jens Cajuste in midfield – the Napoli loanee coming into the side for Jack Taylor. Marcelino Nunez played in the no.10 role, with Sindre Walle Egeli returning from illness to replace Jack Clarke on the right while Jaden Philogene started on the left.
Town XI: 4-2-3-1: Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, Kipre, Davis; Matusiwa, Cajuste (Taylor 76′); Walle Egeli (McAteer 76′), Nunez (Young 88′), Philogene (J. Clarke 76′); Hirst (Azon 9’)
Sheffield Wednesday XI: 3-5-2: Charles; Iorfa (Otegbayo 50′), Cooper, Lowe (Brown 66′); Palmer, McNeill (Johnson 81′), Bannan, Ingelsson (Thornton 81′), Amass; Cadamarteri, Lowe (Ugbo 81′)
George Hirst was forced off through injury early on
A slick rabona from Philogene deflected out for a third-minute corner, which Nunez delivered onto the head of O’Shea, who knocked the ball wide of the post – a first sight of goal for the Blues.
They came again two minutes later, with Philogene looping a cross into the box from the left flank. It found the head of Hirst, who beat Cooper to head over the crossbar and onto the roof of the net.
Whether Hirst tweaked something while challenging for that ball in the air remains to be seen, but he clearly felt it and needed treatment on the pitch. He showed his frustration when he was brought off the pitch, having been told that he wouldn’t be risked for the remainder of the game against his former club, with Ivan Azon replacing him in the ninth minute.
In the 12th minute, Sheffield Wednesday provided a reminder that they weren’t going to roll over at Portman Road. Town relinquished possession in the final third, allowing the Owls to counter. A quick pass up the line from Charlie McNeill found Jamal Lowe, who was flagged offside as he ran through on goal.
The visitors did have opportunities, with Bailey Cadamarteri firing wide from a corner in the 15th minute. A few seconds later, they were presented with an even better chance.
O’Shea gave the ball away deep in his own half, sending Jamal Lowe through on goal again as Walton hesitated before deciding against coming out and claiming the ball. The striker’s shot was seemingly destined for the back of the net, but Kipre rushed in to clear it off the line. Tension grew in IP1.
Cedric Kipre opened the scoring from a corner
A foul on Furlong eased the pressure in the 23rd minute. Nunez’s delivery found Azon, who timed his run well, but headed wide from an awkward angle.
Ipswich were their own worst enemies at times. Walton’s throw towards Davis was chased down by Palmer, who spotted the goalkeeper off his line and tried to find the back of the net, firing into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand in the 25th minute.
A big chance for Town lifted the crowd just before the half-hour mark. Nunez’s through ball sliced Wednesday’s defence open, with Cajuste running through at a tight angle to force Pierce Charles into a good save. The ball bounced back up towards Nunez, but he could only head past the post and out for a goal kick.
They came inches away from the opener in the 33rd minute, a goal that would have added to Philogene’s remarkable collection of goals. Cajuste’s pass found Azon, who cut inside before his shot was deflected up and over to Philogene. The winger went for an overhead kick, hitting the post before Sheffield Wednesday cleared for a corner.
Davis’ delivery was accurate, finding the head of Kipre, who diverted the ball into the back of the net off the underside of the crossbar to make it 1-0.
While the goal eased pressure on Ipswich, they struggled to create much more. Sheffield Wednesday arguably shaded the half on chances, and there were murmurs of discontent off the back of a frustrating.
Jaden Philogene notched his eighth goal of the season to put the Blues 2-0 up (Image: Steve Waller)
Sheffield Wednesday were forced into a change early in the second half, with ex-Blue Dominic Iorfa taking a heavy blow to the head after a collision with Azon. He tried to play on, but eventually had to come off, with youngster Gabriel Otegbayo replacing him.
Town began turning the screw soon after, but the visitors sat deep, which made it difficult to break them down. A promising move was brought to an end in the 55th minute, with Kipre firing well wide from around 25 yards out.
They came again two minutes later. Walle Egeli spotted the overlapping run of Furlong down the right, with the defender’s cross meeting the head of Azon, who couldn’t hit the target.
But they did manage to put themselves in control with an hour on the clock through a quick move started by Cajuste. He danced through Sheffield Wednesday’s midfield before threading a pass up to Nunez. The Chilean quickly turned the ball up to Philogene, who ran through and smashed a left-footed strike into the back of the net to make it 2-0.
They somehow failed to add a third in the 67th minute, seconds after Sheffield Wednesday were forced into another substitution as the injured Max Lowe came off for George Brown.
Matusiwa won the ball high up the pitch, playing it up to Nunez, who squared for Walle Egeli. The Norwegian was only able to win a corner, however. Town really should have been awarded a penalty after Brown launched O’Shea to the ground as Davis delivered the ball. Referee David Webb disagreed.
Big chances went begging at both ends in the 70th minute as Walton pounced on a scramble in front of his goal. Town countered up the right in response, with Azon crossing towards Philogene, who somehow blasted his shot well over the bar.
Jack Clarke came off the bench to wrap up the win
A bolt from the blue saw the nerves rush back into Portman Road, with Wednesday winning free-kick down the right. Bannan whipped it into the box, where it bounced around before Cooper rifled a low shot into the bottom corner in the 70th minute.
The Owls started to pile on pressure in search of an equaliser. Jamal Lowe’s deep cross was almost prodded in, with Cajuste required to clear it just in time.
Ipswich swung the pendulum, even though they lacked the final touch to grab a third and kill off the game, while Furlong was booked for a foul on McNeill.
Sheffield Wednesday clearly tired towards the final few minutes, with young players introduced to add freshness. Town didn’t have the spark to open them up, however, and looked vulnerable on the counter.
They needed to create something from nothing, which they did, with Matusiwa intercepting a pass in midfield before sending substitute Jack Clarke away down the left. He managed to shake off Otegbayo before prodding the ball past Charles in the 87th minute, wrapping up with victory.
Kasey McAteer had two good opportunities to add his first Town goal either side of nine additional minutes being announced, but couldn’t find a way past Wednesday’s goalkeeper. The winger found himself in good areas, but was quickly closed down every time he went to pass or shoot.
Thankfully, a fourth goal wasn’t needed. Three was enough for Town to see off the Owls on Suffolk soil.
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