Ipswich Town vs Brentford. Sky Bet Championship.
Portman RoadAttendance18,845.
Saturday 9 April 2016 18:19, UK
Lasse Vibe scored twice to give Brentford a 3-1 win at Ipswich in a game marred by a serious-looking injury to Euro 2016 hopeful Alan Judge.
The Republic of Ireland international went down after a hefty challenge by Luke Hyam after just two minutes with the playmaker requiring oxygen on the pitch and the Town midfielder yellow carded.
Brentford took the lead on 29 minutes through Sam Saunders before Hyam was sent off during the nine minutes of first half injury time, reacting stupidly to a niggling foul by Ryan Woods to receive a second yellow.
The Bees then ran rampant during four second half minutes, Vibe scoring twice, before Liam Feeney grabbed a consolation for Ipswich - their first goal in four matches.
Judge's hopes of making the Republic of Ireland Euro 2016 squad were dealt a bitter blow early on with the delay prompting a cagey opening 30 minutes.
It ended with Brentford taking a controversial lead. Cole Skuse looked to be pulled down by Konstantin Kerschbaumer who was then allowed to break into the box before teeing up Saunders who calmly found the corner of the net.
Ipswich were struggling in the final third and from a home corner, Brentford broke clear through Sergi Canos whose low 20-yard shot went just wide of the post.
After 42 minutes, Ipswich finally fashioned a shot on goal but Ainsley Maitland-Niles' effort lacked the power to bear David Button in the Brentford goal.
As the match entered the third minute of nine in injury time, Ipswich were reduced to 10 men when Woods caught Hyam with a niggling late challenge and the midfielder reacted by pushing his opponent in the chest.
Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy responded by making two substitutes at half-time with David McGoldrick making a difference, releasing Freddie Sears down the right and his driven low cross evaded the onrushing Luke Varney and Kevin Foley.
But it was Brentford who almost doubled their tally when Canos found a yard on Christophe Berra and his deflected shot rebounded off the crossbar with Saunders unable to find power in his headed rebound.
And in the 64th minute, they did grab a second when Maxime Colin's low cross was diverted into the corner of the net by the unmarked Vibe.
And the same player made it three four minutes later when Vibe caught Berra in possession before racing clear and shooting clinically past Bartosz Bialkowski.
Ipswich were on the ropes and it was almost four when Bialkowski spilled Saunders' shot from distance before reacting well to block Vibe's rebound with his body.
Kerschbaumer then went close in the 78th minute after turning the Town defence too easily but his low shot from 15 yards out was well saved by Bialkowksi before Vibe almost grabbed a hat-trick but curled a cute effort from the edge of the area just wide.
The home side should have grabbed a consolation when Sears thrashed a shot wide of the far post before Feeney did score after good work by McGoldrick.