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Ipswich Town 1-1 Brentford - Match Report
Tuesday, 18th Sep 2018 22:00

Kayden Jackson nodded his first Championship goal as the Blues held second-placed Brentford to a 1-1 draw at Portman Road. Neal Maupay gave the Bees a deserved 31st minute lead in a first half the visitors dominated but Town were much better after the break as they came back to claim their fourth home draw of the campaign with Jackson heading the equaliser on 73.

Boss Paul Hurst made five changes to the team which lost 2-0 at Hull on Saturday with Janoi Donacien, Trevoh Chalobah, Kayden Jackson, Ellis Harrison and Grant Ward returning to the side, while Jon Walters, as expected the mystery pre-match doubt, missed out. Gwion Edwards, Jon Nolan, Jordan Graham and Flynn Downes all dropped to the bench.

The Blues lined up in a 3-5-2 system for the first time under Hurst with Donacien at left-back, Jonas Knudsen on the left of the back three and Grant Ward, Cole Skuse and Chalobah in midfield. Harrison and Jackson were up front.

Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for Blues legend Kevin Beattie with former team-mates Allan Hunter, Terry Butcher, George Burley, Clive Woods, John Wark, Roger Osborne, Brian Talbot, Steve McCall and Bryan Hamilton among those paying tribute to the player widely viewed as the club’s greatest ever from the touchline.

Twelve members of the Beattie family were at the game as guests of the club, while his daughter Emma and grandson Keiron walked out with the teams.

In the third minute, Said Benrahma cut in from the left and hit a shot which Dean Gerken claimed down to his left.

A minute later, the Blues’ keeper’s heart may have been in his mouth after Maupay took the ball past him when through inside the area and went to ground. However, referee Darren Bond felt the striker had dived and correctly showed him a yellow card.

Almost immediately, there was a similar incident at the other end with Harrison felled trying to go round Bees keeper Daniel Bentley but the former Southend man had got a touch on the ball and Town were given a corner.

As the clock ticked past the six-minute mark the Portman Road faithful again showed their appreciation to Beattie, six having been his usual shirt during his heyday.

Early Blues attacks were a rarity with the visitors enjoying the lion’s share of the ball and putting Town under pressure. On 10 a low Romaine Sawyers flew across the Blues’ six-yard box and was almost inadvertently turned in to his own net by skipper Luke Chambers, the ball narrowly squirming past the far post.

The Bees continued to threaten on a regular basis, Matthew Pennington clearing Maupay's header from a Henrik Dalsgaard cross, then Sawyers shot over.

Town created their first opportunity in the 17th minute. Knudsen’s shot was deflected behind and from Ward’s corner Pennington’s header appeared not to be held first time by Bentley but Chambers was unable to get to the loose ball before the keeper pounced upon it.


But Brentford continued to look dangerous with Town giving the ball away in their own half on a number of occasions, much to the crowd’s frustration, and in the 31st minute the West Londoners went ahead.

The ball was cut back from the right by Sawyers beyond Ollie Watkins but Maupay behind him arced a header into the top corner.

The Bees had thoroughly deserved the goal on the balance of the game and forced Gerken into another save soon afterwards, Sawyers hitting a low shot which the keeper stopped to his left.

Brentford, every bit as slick as their league position suggests, continued to dominate with Town pegged back on their own half for long spells and losing possession almost as soon as they regained it. On 44 Gerken saved from Benrahma from distance.

Just before half-time Pennington made a strong run out of defence and looked to thread in Jackson, who ended up on the turf as Bees skipper Chris Mepham challenged. Referee Bond, after some deliberation and a look to his linesman, gave a corner.

There were a few muted boos at the whistle after a half in which the Blues had been thoroughly out-classed. Town had struggled to get any foothold in the game, having looked uncomfortable with the new system and lacking in confidence, and might have found themselves going in more than the single goal down.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, manager Hurst rang the changes at half-time with Nolan and Edwards taking over from Harrison and Spence as the Blues switched to their more usual 4-2-3-1 system.

Chalobah rather embarrassingly screwed a shot from distance out for a throw soon after the restart, however, the Blues were making a bright start to the half.

On 50 Knudsen forced Bentley into a save at his near post after good work from Ward and from the corner the Blues again went close.

Bentley failed to claim and Jackson hooked over his head off the bar and the Bees subsequently defended desperately to force the ball away from goal. Eventually Ward was fouled out on the left but the freekick came to nothing.

Town continued to put the Bees under pressure with the visitors now the ones struggling to get out of their own half.

However, on 57 Brentford broke quickly with Benrahma eventually teeing up Watkins on the left of the box but his shot was well saved by the advancing Gerken. Soon after, Yoann Barbet was booked for bring down the breaking Ward.

The Bees switched Benrahma for Sergi Canos in the 59th minute, then moments later Gerken again did well to come off his line quickly and save from Maupay after a flowing Brentford move had worked the Frenchman a chance in the area.

The West Londoners came within a whisker of making it 2-0 in the 64th minute when Barbet’s freekick from just outside the area crashed against the bar with Gerken beaten and Town were able to clear the loose ball.

Nico Yennaris replaced Josh McEachran for the Bees in the 69th minute with the Blues’ earlier pressure by now having subsided.

However, in the 72nd minute Town equalised. Ward fed Chalobah on the right and the on-loan Chelsea man dug out a cross to the near post from where Jackson flicked a header across Bentley and into the far corner of the net.

Increasingly confident Town, looking a totally different side to the one which was so poor before the break, continued to take the game to the visitors, although with Brentford still threatening at the other end on the break.

In the 78th minute Maupay was swapped for Alan Judge, then six minutes later the Blues switched Chalobah for Downes.

Jackson, whose pace was much more of a threat in the second half, hit a 25-yard effort which was easy for Bentley in the 84th minute.

Seconds after the game moved into injury time the Blues might have won it. Downes sent Jackson away towards goal on the right of the area but the earlier scorer smashed his shot into the stanchion.

Knudsen was booked for a foul, then moments later the final whistle was blown, this time to applause from the Blues support.

Games of two halves are relatively commonplace but rarely are two periods quite so contrasting.

The Blues, with owner Marcus Evans watching, were every bit as dreadful in the first half as Brentford were impressive. But after the break, having made their changes of personnel and system, Town looked a different side with the visitors, who will feel they should have had the match won in the first 45 minutes, the ones finding themselves under the cosh for spells.

Brentford still had chances in the second half with Pennington again excellent at centre-half and Gerken making two or three sharp saves, but Town were much, much better.

However, eight games in, while still unbeaten at home - four successive draws - they remain searching for their first win with Bolton - who play at Middlesbrough tomorrow - visiting Portman Road on Saturday.

Town: Gerken, Spence (Nolan 46), Pennington, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Donacien, Chalobah (Downes 83), Skuse, Ward, Harrison (Edwards 46), Jackson. Unused: Bialkowski, Graham, Edun, Kenlock.

Brentford: Bentley, Mepham, Maupay (Judge 78), McEachran (Yennaris 69), Watkins, Mokotjo, Sawyers, Benrahma (Canos 60), Dalsgaard, Konsa, Barbet. Unused: Daniels, Macleod, Clarke, Jeanvier. Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire). Att: 14,897 (Brentford: 453).


Photo: TWTD



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dangerous30 added 22:02 - Sep 18
After the first half happy with 2nd half well done town
21

R1C3Y added 22:04 - Sep 18
Much Much better second half died off a little in the middle and im sure jackson is gutted he couldnt grab a winner late. Only gripe would be for us to stop trying to hit set pieces to a man at the back to head back in its just not working, either the ball isnt good enough or the header is poor/claimed by the goalie. Just put it into the mixer.
19

iaintaylorx added 22:05 - Sep 18
Great stuff. Haters will say it ia papering over the cracks but just please do one. Good point against a very strong team. Was a bit worried when the team was announced but well done boys! Edwards and Bart back in for Bolton and get that monkey off our back! COYB!!
17

ITFCsince73 added 22:05 - Sep 18
Good point against a good team. Win on Saturday, then all will look better. In Hurst we trust.
33

jdtractor96 added 22:06 - Sep 18
“you cannot change a team with 5 players like this think Hurst is clueless we are so poor cannot stand this it has become embarrasing to be a town fan”

“We are fuc***g doomed this man is way way out of his depth and the Muppets he has wasted money on are also way out of their depth we need a bloo*y miracle well done all you clever mick out fools look at the league table Very sad on a day we really needed a performance.”

“It's going to be a long long horrible season”

Just a couple of half time comments made by ‘fans' of our great club. Disgusting negativity. Well done PH and your team for getting a result against a very good Brentford side. How can anyone blame PH for making changes tonight and tweaking the formation as he tries to find the winning formula? As a club we are going through a massive transition period. There are going to be good days, bad days and very bad days (Saturday against Hull for example) but things WILL improve. Keep believing everybody. We are not going to be involved in a relegation dog fight, I'm nearly certain of that. COYB!
44

blue75 added 22:06 - Sep 18
1st half wtf did they decide to play 5-3-2 before kick off never look comfortable. 2nd half what a difference well done to Hurst for changing his mistake. We made a game of it and deserved our goal & the point. Still unbeaten at home play like that 2nd half from the off against Bolton and the 1st 3 points should be on the board. COYB
25

martin587 added 22:09 - Sep 18
Well done lads.Very good second half and a well taken goal.Very unlucky with the overhead kick.Play the same Saturday and I'm sure the win will come.
25

EssexTractor added 22:12 - Sep 18
Be it at the ground or on the passionless " red button" truth has to be told"
That in the second half we found some pace,
Jackson did show glimpses of being Accringtns best player and had he really been on form might have scored the winner
That Gerken made two impressive saves but his punching initiates a grimace
But nothing can hide the quite dreadfulness of the first 45 minutes
No one can deny that.
Moreover though what will the manager realise .
8 games in and what will be the personnel be on Saturday
And will he for heavens sake tell them , shout at them , deny their wages, if they don't realise the match and the pace of it starts n the first minute!
A deserved point on second half but too many ordinary performances ( and some ,to be kind nameless, woeful)
8

NoCanariesAllowed added 22:14 - Sep 18
Looked to me like the second half was Plan A. I'll give Hurst plenty of time to get the results if he sticks to what he's good at and not whatever that muddle of a first half was.
18

TimmyH added 22:18 - Sep 18
After being out footballed by Brentford first half the change in formation clearly worked as Brentford had less space to pass in under pressure, the draw a reasonable result and perhaps some optimism for the Bolton game at the weekend.
Strange how one of the worse players for us 1st half (Ward) became one of our best 2nd half with a change of formation. Possibly on another day Maupay could have had a hat-trick so I'll take a draw.

Not quite the send off for Kevin we would have liked but at least we showed more fight so let's move on from that and the game overall fairly entertaining.
19

unknown100 added 22:19 - Sep 18
Let's be honest, Nolan and Edwards changed the game and must say should have started, good result if we had 8-12 points on the board but fact is we don't, Jackson should score at the end

This isn't a negative post, I think they really turned it around when could have lost 3 or 4
16

SheptonMalletBlue added 22:20 - Sep 18
Jd, I meant to agree with your great comment!👍
2

Rodrigo91 added 22:22 - Sep 18
First half was awful. Paul hurst ultimately has to take the stick for it, he tried something Different and it didn't work which is fair enough but how it took him 45 mins to change it I'll never know. Knudsen looked like he had never played before. Donacien a rb playing lwb was strange and how Spence even gets in the squad is beyond me. Much better in the second half I thought grant ward especially had a very good second half. Jackson's header was good. I'd have liked to have seen us go for a winner abit more but hopefully we can build on the second half keep the second half 11 to start Saturday and beat a poor Bolton sided COYB!
11

runaround added 22:29 - Sep 18
A real game of 2 halves. The line up scared me and just didn't work at all. We could have been 6-0 down we were that poor unable to string 2 passes together. Second half we go back to our normal system and were the better side & I think deserved the point. Quite how we can be so poor in first half yet so much better second is hard to fathom but hopefully Hurst will realise what he got wrong then right in time for a massive match Saturday
10

FromIpswichToPhoenix added 22:32 - Sep 18
Dire first half, much, much better second. Spence and Chalobah were dreadful...
3

runningout added 22:33 - Sep 18
Don't think we can judge Bolton as Poor, when we are not pulling up trees
5

grinch added 22:35 - Sep 18
second half much better but overall @jdtractor we were crap again not about negativity just that he made 5 changes to starting 11 half the team and your happy with that how are they going to play as a team when it keeps changing all the time
1

Rodrigo91 added 22:39 - Sep 18
Runningout I was saying Bolton are poor from a general perspective of the championship not on how Ipswich are performing atm
2

smurfsareblue added 22:55 - Sep 18
OK first half absolute shambles Knudsen and Donacien embarassing. Donacian did not appear to know where he was playing. Totally right footed. Whole shape of team and personnel wrong and did not work. 2nd half looked lively. Nolan is a player, enthusiastic, wants the ball wins the ball always looking to go forward. Beggers belief why Nolan and Edwards were benched. Ward poor first half.

2nd half personnel better. Still thought Donacien did not look Good enough. No positional sense and keeps losing his man.

Good points - Nolan and Edwards are good players. Nsiala to come back Saturday another good strong player and a goal for Jackson which will help confidence. Needs to believe he is good enough to play in this league.

I still think we can play 2 wingers and 2 forwards. Both forwards learning the game and will get better. Strangely think Harrison is the better footballer. Need an ex pro to teach both about positioning, when to make a run, when to hold it up how to lose a defender. Cant knock effort just need to learn the subtleties that make a proper goalscorer. Alex Mathie could teach them both a huge amount.

Credit Paul Hurst absolutely awful team selection and set up 1st half but had the balls to change it. I like the man but he is a young Manager who is also learning and will make mistakes. Hope he works out.

Great Point against a dangerous team.
17

1psw1ch added 22:56 - Sep 18
Face facts it is going to be a long long horrible season ,,rock bottom ,,,empty seats at this once fortress of a ground ,,,,17 years in this league ,,,i love this club but i just dont see were we are going ,,,
-5

Esseeja added 22:57 - Sep 18
We still looked like a 21st place team in the second half but how did we not win that?
0

Felstow1978 added 23:05 - Sep 18
Jdtractor96 - great post. Most likely those down voting you weren't at the game tonight, far too busy exciting themselves over their keyboards in anticipation of another chance to crawl from beneath their stones and have yet another, boringly repetitive moan.
0

DebsyAngel added 23:10 - Sep 18
First half played well for ten minutes. But what a second half! Much more dangerous and looked the better side. Edwards coming on seemed to spark the team into life. Great entertainment, and brilliant goal from Jackson. Impressed with Ward, Gerkin, and Challobah tonight. Need to keep this team we saw in the second half for Saturday - no tinkering and putting out a totally different side, as has been the case recently. Missed Walters though!
5

smurfsareblue added 23:11 - Sep 18
If we can pull away from the bottom 3 by Christmas I think we need to look for a new left back (Or use kenlock) and get a proper right back. Nsiala looks good Nolan needs to start each game and can boss Midfield. Get a right midfielder or use edun there. Use 1 of Chalobah or Skuse. Dont need 2 holding midfielders and play 2 forwards. I know it sounds boring but in the mess we are in 4 4 2 and attack. Call me old fashioned but dont believe we have a forward good good enough to play one upfront.
1

cat added 23:16 - Sep 18
You can't defend the indefensible cause the first half was piss poor. Second half different story, reverted back to the familiar PH system and was thoroughly entertaining. Could have snatched the win but the draw was a fair result. Despite their stature, Brentford ain't no mugs and should have finished us first half. Good point, good comeback and a good night out.
14


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