Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Bristol City at Portman Road on Tuesday | Tractor Boys snatch last-gasp win after late penalty miss to stay second.
Wednesday 6 March 2024 08:24, UK
A late goal from Leif Davis ensured Ipswich kept pace with Championship leaders Leicester after coming from behind to beat Bristol City 3-2.
All five goals came in a frantic second half, with the Robins taking the lead through Anis Mehmeti only for substitute Ali Al-Hamadi to equalise.
Tommy Conway's header put City back in front but Conor Chaplin drew the teams level with a header from a free-kick by Davis before the Town defender sealed the three points.
Al-Hamadi had a penalty saved by City's goalkeeper Max O'Leary but he was unable to stop Ipswich's sixth victory on the trot.
It was a dour first half with few chances before the game came to life in the second period.
Chaplin struck the outside of the left-hand post in the 33rd minute after Kieffer Moore's flicked header from a corner, while at the other end Harry Cornick's cross was met by Nahki Wells, who headed straight at Vaclav Hladky.
Just before the half-time whistle, a mix-up in the Ipswich defence between Luke Woolfenden and Axel Tuanzebe led to the ball falling to Mehmeti.
He set up skipper Jason Knight but his effort from inside the box deflected off Woolfenden and glanced just past the outside of Hladky's right-hand post, with the goalkeeper stranded.
The visitors broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Mehmeti's shot caught a slight deflection off Massimo Luongo to find its way into the back of the Ipswich net. And Wells had a wonderful chance to extend City's lead when his shot struck the angle of bar and post and rebounded to safety.
But Ipswich struck back eight minutes later through substitute Al-Hamadi, who had only been on the pitch less than two minutes, turning Davis' goal-bound shot into the net following Wes Burns' cross into the City penalty area.
Hladky came to the rescue of Ipswich when he acrobatically turned away a shot from Mehmeti and Mark Sykes' follow-up was cleared.
City substitute Conway pounced to head the ball past Hladky in the 77th minute following a pin-point cross from Sykes to put City back in front but Chaplin levelled three minutes later when he headed home from a Davis free-kick.
Al-Hamadi missed a chance to put Town ahead for the first time in the match when his penalty was saved by O'Leary after Cameron Pring fouled Burns in the box.
But Town grabbed the three points when Davis' fierce shot took a deflection off Rob Dickie and went into the back of the net while Jack Taylor struck a post late on to send the delirious Town fans home happy.
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Ipswich's Kieran McKenna:
"It's hard to feel anything other than proud for the spirit we showed in the second half. It was a difficult game, Bristol City made it difficult for us in terms of creating chances. We've seen it all season with this group, the spirit and togetherness is there and belief that that would bring us goals.
"The second half the game opened up a bit, spaces became open, and substitutes came on and made a massive difference. We know that we can play better than tonight, but over 46 games, you can't play well in every one - it was important to show what we showed tonight.
"The players know their tactical roles really well, and that means we're able to make changes, particularly in forward areas. You see it today. The boys know our system and our patterns - they've got the mentality to come on and really affect the game in the right way."
Bristol City's Liam Manning:
"Obviously emotionally frustrated and disappointed. For 90 per cent of the game the plan worked and the players did a terrific job of executing it. But ultimately when you're in an atmosphere like this and the quality they've got if you switch off in key moments you get punished like we did, so we're disappointed.
"The biggest challenge is the emotional side. I thought we did a really good job of staying connected compact and controlling space but what tends to happen is momentum shifts and you get a little bit more emotional, you then start to switch off and lose a little bit of focus which we did at key times. Ultimately it cost us so it's a tough one to take."
