Ipswich Town 0 Everton 2: Toffees pounce on defensive errors to extend Blues’ winless start in Premier League to eight matches
Ipswich Town proved to be their own worst enemies at Portman Road as Everton were gifted two goals to leave the Blues’ quest for a first Premier League win in 2024/25 continuing.
Iliman Ndiaye struck in the 18th minute after Wes Burns had lost control of the ball after chesting it down in the area before centre-back Michael Keane slammed in an unstoppable shot across goal fives minute before the break after the Suffolk side failed to clear their lines again.
It had come after Jack Clarke had squandered a glorious early chance from a perfect cut-back from Burns with the first shot on target from the Blues not arriving until the 81st minute in what was a disjointed and, at times, nervy display.
It stretched their winless run to eight games, with a fourth defeat coming amid four draws to leave Kieran McKenna’s side 17th in the table, one above the relegation zone with Everton, who are now unbeaten in four matches, remaining 16th but now four points above Town.
McKenna made two changes to the side that started the 4-1 defeat at West Ham United ahead of the international break, both concerning his centre-backs.
Jacob Greaves was not in the squad following what is suspected to be confirmed as an injury after a player had posted a picture on his Instagram account that contained the treatment room whiteboard behind his subject. It had Greaves being alegedly out for ‘26 days’ on it but was later removed.
Homegrown Luke Woolfenden, who had started the season opener against Liverpool, came in along with Cameron Brugess, to reunite the Championship-winning partnership with Dara O’Shea moving over to right-back, a position he had played for the Republic of Ireland in both of their recent fixtures, in the continued absence of Axel Tunazebe whose thumb injury required surgery.
There was no place for Ben Johnson, who had started on the right side of defence at the Olympic Stadium, on the bench but Nathan Broadhead did have a place in the squad for the first time this season, following his hamstring injury sustained in pre-season.
Everton boss Sean Dyche also made two changes from last time out, a 1-1 home draw with Newcastle, with Vitalii Mykolenko coming in for the injured James Garner while Idrissa Gueye was preferred to Orel Mangala in midfield.
Kick-off had to be delayed by 15 minutes due to having to resolve ‘IT issues’ in the stadium.
There was concern from Town fans, after the stands had eventually filled to the rafters, inside the opening minute as Leif Davis fell awkwardly after contesting a high ball, but the left-back was okay to continue.
It was the home side that created the first chance in the fourth-minute that really should have ended with at least a shot on target, if not a goal. After neat play out of the back involving Kalvin Phillips, Omari Hutchinson sent Burns on a run down the right and the Welsh international beautifully pulled the ball back to Jack Clarke in space in the box only to see the ex-Spurs winger blast it high up into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
A few minutes later it should have been the Toffees who got their noses infront after a poor pass from Phillips sold Woolfenden short and, despite his best efforts to recover the ball with a slide, Dominic Calvert-Lewin burst clear into the area before Aro Muric, who had rushed out, did well to divert it wide.
Everton’s defending was no better with keeper Jordan Pickford, who rushed out of his area to a crossfield pass, and Jakc Harrison combining awkwardly to almost gift the ball back in front of an unguarded net while Liam Delap eventually picked things up to the right of the area before rolling a low shot wide of the left post.
The comedy defensive work continued to be the theme as a comfortable back-pass up the other end to Muric saw the Kosovo keeper slice it behind for a corner that fortunately, from a Town perspective, came to nothing.
However, Town were punished with the opener in the 18th minute when, after O’Shea got his head on a Harrison deep cross without a solid purchase to get it away, Burns inexplicably ended up laying the ball into danger, falling a chest down, and Ndiaye seized the moment to smash it across goal into the roof of the net.
It could have been 2-0 before long but Muric got down well to save from England frontman Calvert-Lewin after he had spun clear of his marker.
Micheael Keane was the first to go into the referee’s book after halting a Hutchinson driving run with a late challenge just outside the area with Hutchinson himself fired it into the wall, with his calls for handball dismissed.
But referee Michael Oliver, who had not awarded a penalty so far this season, had little hesitation in pointing to the spot in the 26th minute when Clarke won the ball back on the edge of the box and danced his way past a couple of defenders before going down under the attentions of Dwight McNeil.
However, after being sent to a screen at the half-way point of the Cobbold Stand to review it, he overturned his decision to a chorus of boos around the majority of Portman Road,
Everton doubled their advantage in the 40th minute as Town again failed to properly clear a ball into the box. Following a corner which was played short James Tarkowski’s initial header was half-cleared by Burgess’ own header with McNeil picking up the loose ball on the edge of the box and spinning away from a plethora of Blues players before finding centre-back Keane free on the left who absolutely lashed it into the roof of the net.
Up the other end Town’s running on the ball was continuing to trouble Everton and Delap was hacked down on the fringe of the box before Phillips curled the ball disappointingly over the bar.
The only other notable action of the six added minutes that enused was Ashley Young’s 25-yard free kick comfortably finding the hands of Muric.
With Town having looked decidedly off it for the majority of the half, it was a surprise to see McKenna opt not to make a change at the break.
And the misplaced passes and general nervy play on the ball continued at the start of the second period with Burgess doing well to cut out a dangerous Calvert-Lewin low cross before the same player was teed up in the box by Abdoulaye Doucoure only to scuff it wide.
A poor touch from O’Shea let in Ndiaye for a run in on goal on 55 minutes but Muric was equal to the low shot.
Balls began to go into the Everton box but without a telling connection from a blue shirt before, on 63 minutes, the hosts made a double substitutuion with Harry Clarke coming on for his Premier League debut for O’Shea while Burns was replaced by Conor Chaplin.
The Toffees were prepared to sit deep on their 2-0 lead with McKenna’s side beginning to show signs of forcing a way through as McKenna brought on two more attacking options in Sammie Szmodics and Jck Taylor in place of Clarke and Phillips.
And the pair were soon having a positive influence as they looked to reignite the atmosphere with Szmodics laying off a Taylor fizzed pass back to Delap who fired some way over the bar from the fringe of the area.
The crowd soon began responding to the tempo of the attacks increasing with Hutchinson cutting in from the byline before seeing a dangerous cross to the far post deflected out before Burgess sent a header onto the roof of the net from a deep Szmodics cross.
79’ Liam Delap replaced by George Hirst
A familiar corner routine brought Town’s first shot on target in the 81st minute as Davis went low to Chaplin level with the front post but he scuffed the ball into the ground and it bounced kindly up to Pickford’s hands.
Dyche made his first change straight after with goalscorer Ndiaye replaced by Orel Mangala.
The Merseyside outfit had the chance to put the result beyond any doubt when veteran Ashley Young, who had looked assured at right-back found Calvert-Lewin free in the box but the number 9 uncharacteristically misdirected his header horribly.
Taylor produced a trademark low rasping effort as the clock ticked towards the 90 that had Pickford flying down to his right but he got his hands behind it well before gathering at the second attempt.
The same player continued his bright cameo by looping a header over the bar from a right-sided cross as the game entered the second of four added minutes.
The only other notable action involved Taylor, again, but this time for a robust challenge inside his own half that saw him booked.
Ipswich: Muric, Davis, Morsy (cpt), Woolfenden, Burns (Chaplin 63’), Phillips (Taylor 71’), Burgess, Delap (Hirst 79’), Hutchinson, O’Shea (Clarke 63’), Clarke (Szmodics 71’). Unused subs: Walton, Townsend, Ogbene, Broadhead.
Booked: Taylor (90+3’).
Everton: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski (cpt), Keane, Mykolenko, Gana, Doucoure, Ndiaye (Mangala 82’), Harrison, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin. Unused subs: Virginia, Begovic, Patterson, Beto, O’Brien, Coleman, Armstrong, Dixon.
Booked: Keane (24’)
Attendance: 29,862 (2,977 away)
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Jack Taylor. Only on the field for 20 minutes but certainly staked his claim for a starting spot, providing the attacking drive Town had badly lacked through the centre up to that point. Also worthy mentions for goalkeeper Aro Muric, who made a few good saves and Leif Davis, who again showed his capabilities as a pushed back full-back.
