Ipswich Town 5-2 Sunderland - Match Report Tuesday, 26th Sep 2017 22:04 Town hit five at Portman Road under Mick McCarthy for the first time as the Blues thrashed deep-in-trouble Sunderland 5-2. Martyn Waghorn opened the scoring against his old club in the sixth minute, Billy Jones equalised four minutes later but Spence restored the impressive Blues’ lead when he headed home Waghorn’s corner on 27 to make it 2-1 at the break. In the second half, Waghorn created the best of the night for Bersant Celina and then Town’s fourth for David McGoldrick, Aiden McGeady pulled one back for the Wearsiders, then sub Grant Ward added the fifth a minute from time. On-loan Manchester City man Celina was handed his first Championship start and Waghorn returned to the XI against the club where he started his career. Tristan Nydam and Ward dropped to the bench. The Blues started in a 4-2-3-1 system with Cole Skuse and Tom Adeyemi in the deeper midfield positions and Celina in a number 10 role with McGoldrick to his left, Waghorn to his right and Joe Garner the lone out-and-out striker. With Flynn Downes out until after the international break Kevin Bru was on the bench for the first time this season having been told he could move on in the summer. Michael Crowe was the sub keeper with Dean Gerken not in the squad. Sunderland made five changes from the team that lost 2-1 at home to Cardiff on Saturday with Jones, Jason Steele, Callum McManaman, Aiden McGeady and Darron Gibson replacing Robbin Ruiter, Tyias Browning, Didier Ndong, George Honeyman and Lynden Gooch. Former Blues loanee Jonny Williams, who has been ill, wasn’t included in the 18. There was a late change to the referee with Tim Robinson from West Sussex taking charge not Darren Bond as initially announced. McManaman hit an early shot which Bartosz Bialkowski saved comfortably down to his left but the Blues quickly began to get on top, Waghorn making a strong run into the area before Marc Wilson stabbed behind. Then, from the resultant corner, Skuse saw a shot deflect wide. And in the sixth minute Town took the lead. Iorfa laid the ball back to Garner on the right, the striker whipped over a cross and Waghorn flicked a header across Steele and into the net for his fifth goal in seven league games for the Blues, almost certainly perhaps the most memorable as it came against the club he joined as an eight-year-old. But then lead lasted only four minutes. McGeady sent over a corner from the left and Jones headed into the ground and then the net at the near post far too easily. On 15, after a long spell of Blues possession, Waghorn hit a shot from the edge of the area which was too close to Steele. Town continued to dominate and on 19 Garner’s header from Celina’s right-sided corner was nodded out of the six-yard box. The Kosovo international sent in another cross and Steele punched away ahead of Jordan Spence. Adeyemi picked up the loose ball but shot over. The Blues should have gone back in front in the 23rd minute when Celina, by now having switched positions with McGoldrick, fed the overlapping Knudsen on the left and the Danish international cut back to Waghorn, who diverted the ball wide of the far post from eight yards. Four minutes later, Celina nodded on to Knudsen 30 yards out and the Dane’s shot deflected wide. And from the corner on the left the Blues restored their lead. Waghorn sent the ball into the box and Spence headed home his second goal of the season unchallenged. Having added an assist to his earlier goal, Waghorn went looking for a third Town goal and almost immediately after the restart was sent away on the right. However, Steele was quickly off his line to claim ahead of the Blues’ number nine, subsequently requiring treatment for a knock sustained as he dived at the striker’s feet. Town continued to have most of the ball and prodded and probed with McGoldrick far more involved having switched into the middle. They came close to adding their third goal in the 33rd minute when Celina crossed from the left and Adeyemi headed powerfully goalwards but straight at Steele. Moments later, Waghorn struck a shot on the turn from the edge of the box, which flew only just wide. As half-time approached Sunderland began to regain something of a foothold in the game, Lamine Koné heading a left-sided McGeady corner beyond the far post. At the other end, Celina cut in from the left and hit a shot which Steele missed but Adam Matthews cleared from behind him. A minute later, James Vaughan was yellow-carded for catching Knudsen with a high boot. It was still virtually all Town as stand-in referee Robinson ended the half to warm applause from a thoroughly impressed and entertained Portman Road crowd. The Blues more than deserved their first-half lead after their best home display since the opening day of the season and could easily have been more than the single goal in front. The performance was a continuation of the second half at Leeds only more so, passing the ball around confidently and creating plenty of chances with Waghorn, McGoldrick and Celina, who was working well with Knudsen down the left, causing the Wearsiders’ backline considerable problems throughout. The visitors had rarely threatened aside from their goal, which came against the run of play and was the one blot on the first-half display. Three minutes after the restart the Black Cats came close to getting on terms for the second time. Spence intercepted McManaman’s cross from the right but it only reached Cattermole. The Sunderland skipper headed goalwards but Bialkowski showed superb reactions to tip over. From the subsequent corner the Blues keeper came but failed to claim, however, the ball bounced wide at the far post off a Sunderland player. At the other end Garner across the face and wide from the right after the ball had been stabbed away from Waghorn as he broke into the area, prior to Wearsiders defender Wilson made way having picked up a knock with John O’Shea taking over. Four minutes later, Town made it 3-1 via the goal of the night and the best of the season so far. Garner flicked a header on to Iorfa on the right - as he had in the run up to the first goal - and after possession was lost won the ball back and cut it across to Waghorn, who deftly flicked into the path of Celina with the inside of his left heel as the Kosovo international broke into the box and the on-loan Manchester City man confidently slammed home. On the hour the rampant Blues made it 4-1 with Waghorn picking up his third assist of the night in addition to his goal. The summer signing from Rangers was sent away on the right by Garner and crossed towards McGoldrick who slid the ball goalwards, the ball hitting Steele then rebounding off the Town striker before crossing the line. The goal took McGoldrick’s tally for the season to six, already one more than the Republic of Ireland international scored last season. It appeared the remaining half an hour would be a case of how many Town could score but in the 65th minute McGeady pulled a goal back out of the blue. The Ireland international cut in from the left and struck an unstoppable shot into the top left of Bialkowski’s net. The Blues immediately went about looking to restore their three-goal lead, McGoldrick hitting a 25-yard freekick off the wall and wide after Garner had been fouled. On 76 Town switched Celina, who was tiring, for Nydam and Waghorn for Ward the withdrawn pair receiving a warm ovation from the Blues support after outstanding performances. Despite the two-goal deficit and an eighth game without a win looking all but certain, Sunderland showed no signs of giving up and in the 79th minute McGeady hit a 25-yard freekick over the bar off the top of the Town wall. The Blues were briefly and for the first time pegged back in their area, Sunderland subs Lynden Gooch and George Honeyman both having made an impact, and in the 81st minute the Wearsiders weren’t too far away from their third of the night, Cattermole turning a cross from the left well wide at the near post. Sub Nydam was booked for a foul as the match moved into its final scheduled five minutes, then the England U19 tried to audaciously chip Steele from well inside his own half but his attempt fell well short. With a minute left on the clock Town made it 5-2. McGoldrick brilliantly ghosted his way past Sunderland defenders midway inside the visitors’ half before superbly playing in Ward. The sub rounded the keeper and confidently smashed into the net from a tight angle on the right. The once again excellent McGoldrick made way moments later to a standing ovation, Freddie Sears taking over. Referee Robinson eventually put Sunderland out of their misery after five additional minutes, the Blues having put in as good a home display as at any time under McCarthy’s management. Town continued their first-half display after the break, scoring two goals which will be remembered for a very long time. There were fine performances throughout the side with McGoldrick again perhaps the standout performer, while Waghorn will be delighted with his display, goal and three assists against his old club and Celina with his impressive first Championship start. At the other end Bialkowski made one fantastic save at a crucial point in what was largely otherwise a quiet game for the Polish keeper. The result is only the second time Town have scored five under McCarthy’s management - the 5-2 win at Rotherham in November 2015 - and the first time they’ve netted five at home since the 5-1 hammering of West Ham in January 2012. Town, the top scorers in the division with 19 goals, are now fifth, five points off the leaders with a game in hand and Bristol City - who beat Bolton 2-0 at home tonight - at Portman Road on Saturday. Town: Bialkowski, Iorfa, Spence, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Skuse, Adeyemi, Celina (Nydam 76), Waghorn (Ward 76), Garner, McGoldrick. Unused: M Crowe, Connolly, Sears, Bru, Kenlock. Sunderland: Steele, Jones, Oviedo (Gooch 56), Cattermole (c), Vaughan, McManaman (Honeyman 66), McGeady, Matthews, Koné, Gibson, Wilson (O’Shea 51). Unused: Ruiter, Ndong, Browning, Asoro. Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex). Att: 14,907 (Sunderland: 740).
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