Report | Ipswich Town 1 Argyle 1
Ipswich 1
Burns 63
Argyle 1
Mumba 90
Norwich City loanee Bali Mumba made it a double of delightful goals against his parent club’s rivals this season, curling in a stoppage-time stunner to secure a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town.
An even and high-quality game seemed to have its pivotal moments just after the hour mark. Shortly after Ryan Hardie spurned a close-range chance for the Greens, the Tractor Boys took the lead on 63 minutes, via a vicious strike from Wes Burns.
A fractious and disjointed remainder of the game looked set to fizzle out, but in the third of nine additional minutes, the returning Finn Azaz found a pass to Mumba, who whipped a left-footed shot into the far corner, earning an important point and maintaining the Sky Bet League One leaders’ seven-point gap to third-placed Ipswich.
After a rotated starting eleven defeated Bristol Rovers in midweek to reach the Papa Johns Trophy semi-final, manager Steven Schumacher selected a slightly more familiar league line-up in Suffolk. Seven changes included the returns of Mike Cooper, captain James Wilson, Danny Mayor, Adam Randell, and Bali Mumba. Latest signing Tyreik Wright, who joined on a permanent deal from Aston Villa during the week, took his place on the bench. Alongside him was a former Villa teammate, Finn Azaz, appearing in an Argyle squad for the first time since October 25th.
The hosts, sponsored by Ed Sheeran, reverted to their A Team after their Emirates FA Cup win over Rotherham United, including former Pilgrim Christian Walton, Sam Morsy, Wes Burns, and Marcus Harness making starts. Of their three January incomings to date, only one featured in the squad: George Hirst, on loan from Leicester City, was a substitute.
This fixture had been circled in the calendars of both fanbases for quite some time, and a packed Portman Road gave the occasion the atmosphere it deserved. An interesting wrinkle of Schumacher’s side from the start was the deployment of MacAuley Gillesphey at left wing back – though in the fourth minute, he had to retreat to a central defensive role for a vital headed clearance, from a Freddie Ladapo cross.
The Greens, though, recorded the first chance of the game. Innovative play from Ryan Hardie saw the striker use his back to lay the ball off to strike partner Niall Ennis, who found room to shoot and force Walton into a sharp save. That effort seemed to help Argyle take early control of the match. An all-action start from Jay Matete included multiple strong tackles, clever passes, and a shot on target – though Dan Scarr had to be sharp to cut out a counter-attacking ball to Ladapo.
Sky Bet League One’s Player of the Month, Conor Chaplin, began to influence proceedings after the 20th minute, and tip the game’s balance towards his side. An excellent pass to Ladapo led to a tame shot on target, which Cooper collected, and moments later, Chaplin whipped a left-sided cross across the box that just evaded Wes Burns. Picking up the ball between the midfield and forward lines, the former Portsmouth man forced James Wilson into a pair of fouls, resulting in a booking.
Despite the worsening conditions, both teams were keen to build from the back – perhaps too keen at times in Ipswich’s case, losing possession in their own half due to Argyle’s pressing, drawing the ire of the home fans. The back line of the boys in blue was less than convincing in the 45th minute, failing to clear a cross and inviting Matete to shoot over. In stoppage time, though, the hosts reiterated their threat going forward. A neat 1-2 in midfield allowed Sam Morsy to sprint unopposed to the edge of the box, ending in a low shot that Cooper saved smartly.
Whilst Argyle’s away form is well documented, avoiding defeat in league travels since August, Ipswich are impressive at home, losing just once – and Kieran McKenna’s side started the second half with purpose. After a left-wing corner caused panic, Marcus Harness found an alarming amount of room in the attacking box, and crashed his shot off Cooper’s crossbar.
Ipswich saw their best chance of the game hit the woodwork, and Argyle returned the favour in the 53rd minute. Superb work from Ennis, winning a header and sprinting behind the back line, before squaring the ball to Hardie. The Scot looked destined to score from eight yards out, but scooped his shot against the bar. Ipswich cleared, immediately broke, and Cooper had to sprint the best part of 40 yards from his goal to beat Burns to a lofted through ball.
That flurry of action took the game up a gear or two – and it was the home side who capitalised on the change in pace, taking the lead on 63 minutes. A half-cleared corner found its way back to Leif Davis, whose low delivery was expertly teed up, first time, by Luke Woolfenden for Burns. The winger settled himself and smashed an effort past Cooper, into the roof of the net.
Both teams made a pair of changes shortly after the opener, including the Ipswich debut for Hirst. His first touches set up Morsy, who tested Cooper for a second time this afternoon. The resulting corner led to a nasty head injury for Scarr, who needed considerable treatment before returning to the game. That and the personnel changes took all the momentum out of proceedings; after almost ten minutes of no action, Walton gave his own team another scare, dallying on the ball and letting substitute Ben Waine block his clearance, but the ball ricocheted wide.
Azaz and Sam Cosgrove entered the fray, as Schumacher looked to force the issue and change system, but the stop-start nature of the final stages prevented Argyle from building momentum. A Randell corner threatened to loop into the far corner, but Walton back-tracked well to punch away the danger. As Ipswich efficiently broke up the game, it seemed unlikely that the Pilgrims would find a way back into the game – but a Norwich City loanee had other ideas at Portman Road.
With the home side dropping deeper, Azaz slid a clever pass through the lines to Mumba, who had come inside from the right flank. The wing back controlled well, looked up, and curled a wonderful strike into the postage stamp of the far corner. Just as he did at Home Park, Mumba’s superb goal pegged back Ipswich Town, sending the packed away contingent into raptures.
Argyle: 1 Mike Cooper, 3 Macaulay Gillesphey, 5 James Wilson (capt) (18 Finn Azaz), 6 Dan Scarr, 9 Ryan Hardie (23 Ben Waine, 66), 10 Danny Mayor (29 Tyreik Wright, 59), 11 Niall Ennis (16 Sam Cosgrove, 79), 17 Bali Mumba, 20 Adam Randell, 21 Nigel Lonwijk, 28 Jay Matete (4 Jordan Houghton, 66). Substitutes: 25 Callum Burton (gk), 24 Saxon Earley.
Booked: Wilson 39
Ipswich Town: 1 Christian Walton, 3 Leif Davis, 5 Sam Morsy (capt) (29 Kyle Edwards, 90), 6 Luke Woolfenden, 7 Wes Burns (24 Kane Vincent-Young, 84), 8 Lee Evans, 9 Freddie Ladapo (27 George Hirst, 67), 10 Conor Chaplin, 11 Marcuss Harness (30 Cameron Humphreys, 67), 15 Cameron Burgess, 44 Janoi Donacien. Substitutes: 31 Vaclav Hladky (gk), 2 Richard Keogh, 19 Kayden Jackson, 24 Kane Vincent-Young, 29 Kyle Edwards.
Booked: Burns 11, Hirst 87
Attendance: 29,069 (2,144 away)
Referee: Andy Woolmer