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Match Report: Ipswich 1-1 Sheff Utd | Help spread the word: Share on Facebook 
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It was a tale of two penalties at Portman Road as the teams came away with a share of the points. Paul Bloomfield reports.Ipswich nearly took the lead with what would’ve been a fine goal when David Norris struck an angled shot which went narrowly past the far post. Norris had latched onto Moritz Volz’s superb through ball and almost resulted in a goal after a good team move. If that would have been considered a fine goal, then Pablo Couñago’s 28th minute effort would have eclipsed it. The Spaniard unleashed a low 20-yard snap shot that struck the inside of the post. Ipswich were awarded a penalty five minutes before half-time when Matthew Killgallon was penalised for handballing Jon Stead’s delivery into the box. The referee took a while to award the penalty that the linesman had flagged for, with the referee seemingly choosing to play the advantage in case Ipswich’s attack resulted in a goal. Tommy Miller stepped up to take the spot-kick and sent Paddy Kenny the wrong way to give Ipswich the lead. Miller’s long-standing penalty kick record continues to remain unblemished. Just past the hour mark, Richard Wright produced a fabulous save to deny the man that effectively gave Ipswich Town the lead with his handball, Matthew Kilgallon. The Sheffield United centre-back sent a header from a corner goalwards which was kept out in fine fashion by the goalkeeper who has been capped twice by England in the past. Kilgallon must have thought he had scored as Wright’s heroics was met with a look of disbelief by the Yorkshire-born defender. Jim Magilton responded to his opposite number’s decision to bring Darius Henderson into the fray by bringing on Richard Naylor to cope with him as part of a 5-man Ipswich Town defence. Town looked as if they were going to hang on to their lead with 2 minutes left on the clock, but Sheffield United were handed a penalty kick of their own, quite literally, when Alan Quinn rather inexplicably handballed James Beattie’s effort on goal. Beattie was the man to take the penalty and expertly converted it into the top corner of the net. Kevin Lisbie was immediately brought on to replace Jon Stead who had a wretched afternoon in front of goal. The change seemed a bit late in the day as Lisbie or indeed anyone else in the team were left with little time to respond to the goal. The fact that Town were playing an the extra defender on the field didn’t help the Blues’ attacking prospects either. It was a crushing blow as the points appeared to be in the bag, but comes down once again to Town failing to convert their chances and see off teams. Jon Stead seemed determined to score against the club he joined the Blues from, but it just didn’t happen for him. It didn’t turn out to be the most inspired substitutions Jim Magilton’s he has ever made, either. Alan Quinn replaced Darren Ambrose, only to effectively hand the visitors a point, having brought on Richard Naylor for the very reason of protecting the Blues’ lead. The substitution that seemed to be the obvious one, the removal of Jon Stead, came too late to have an influence on the game. Ipswich: R.Wright, Volz, McAuley, Bruce, D.Wright, Norris, Shumulikoski, Miller (Naylor 83), Ambrose (Quinn 75), Stead (Lisbie 89), Couñago. Unused: Supple, Haynes. Booked: Norris, Quinn Sheff Utd: Kenny, Naughton, Killgallon, Morgan, Naysmith, Halford (Henderson 78), Howard, Spring (Dyer 70), Quinn, Sharp (Webber 61), Beattie. Unused: Bennett, Ehiogu. Click to view author Paul Bloomfield's profile Fancy writing for LiveFootball? Click here to find out more. |