Chelsea 2 Ipswich Town 2 match report: Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho scores late equaliser in Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge

Ipswich Town let another lead slip as their Premier League journey edged nearer to a conclusion with a 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.

Despite a bright start from the home side, Julio Enciso struck his first Town goal when Ben Johnson showed courage to get in front of Marc Cucurella and allow the Paraguayan to poke home beyond Robert Sanchez.

Enciso returned the favour on 31 minutes as he turned provider for Johnson’s first goal for the club, delivering a deep cross for the former West Ham wing-back to head home and celebrate his 50th Premier League start in style.

Town would allow Chelsea back into the game just 18 seconds into the second half, though. Noni Madueke burst beyond Cameron Burgess and found Cucurella in front of goal, with the scorer going down as an own-goal from Axel Tuanzebe.

Jadon Sancho curled a glorious goal to get the home side back on terms with little more than 10 minutes remaining and looked set to push on for a much-needed winner in their quest for Champions League football next season.

It did not come, though, with Palmer instead producing a string of fine saves to ensure that the contest was honours even when the referee blew the final whistle.

Town are 14 points adrift of safety with just six matches remaining as their impending return to the Championship gets nearer.

All the talk leading up to this game surrounded Town striker Liam Delap, but it came as a surprise to see the Blues’ leading scorer on the bench due to a rib injury.

Some would wonder where the goal threat would come from without Town’s usual talisman up front, but they were nothing but clinical as the boys in pink pounced on Chelsea when they were at their weakest.

Having offered virtually nothing in an attacking sense, they took the lead completely against the run of play just a minute after Alex Palmer denied Levi Colwill with an excellent save from just a few yards out.

George Hirst, the man replacing Delap, drove the team up the pitch and Enciso continued where he left off at Stamford Bridge having scored a stunner for Brighton and Hove Albion two years ago.

The Suffolk side had become the first visiting team for more than two months to score on Chelsea soil and looked to threaten the hosts positive run of form at home.

“Ten more years, Delap,” was the chant from the away supporters as the in-demand man warmed up in front of the Shed End as links of a summer move to Chelsea continue to circulate.

Johnson’s header, despite the assistant referee initially flagging the goal for offside, ensured that Stamford Bridge was stunned even further little more than ten minutes later.

Ipswich’s Achilles heel this season has often not been getting ahead in games, but rather their ability to hold onto positive results.

No team in the Premier League had dropped more points from winning positions than Town’s 25 going into the weekend, and they could wave another two goodbye as they let a commanding position slip in west London.

Having done so well to negotiate the end of the first half, Kieran McKenna’s side let the hosts back into the game just a matter of seconds into the second period.

It was not all one-way traffic from there, though, as Hirst saw two huge chances go begging as he curled just wide before heading Tuanzebe’s cross agonisingly beyond the far post.

Pedro Neto almost scored from range and Enzo Fernandez was denied by an excellent piece of last-ditch defending from Conor Townsend, but in the end, Town did not heed the warning signs as Sancho picked his spot.

The visitors could have Alex Palmer to thank for claiming a point in the dying stages, the Blues keeper somehow keeping out Trevoh Chalobah, Cole Palmer and Fernandez as the home side were forced to settle for a disappointing point.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Cucurella, Colwill, Tosin (Gusto 46), Chalobah; Caicedo, Fernandez (c); Neto, Palmer, Madueke (Sancho 68); Jackson (Nkunku 87). Subs: Jorgensen, Badiashile, Dewsbury-Hall, James, George, Acheampong.

Booked: Palmer, Jackson.

Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Davis (Townsend 62), Burgess, O’Shea, Tuanzebe; Cajuste, Morsy (c); Clarke (Philogene 71 (Broadhead 76)), Enciso (Taylor 76), Johnson; Hirst (Delap 71). Subs: Walton, Woolfenden, Chaplin, Luongo.

Booked: Palmer, Morsy.

Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).

Attendance: 39,805.

Suffolk News Man of the Match: Alex Palmer. There were a few contenders leading up to the closing stages, but Town would not have got anything from this game in the end had it not been for Alex Palmer. Almost half of Chelsea’s outfield will be left wondering how they did not find the net in this game.