Ipswich Town beat Port Vale 2-1 at Portman Road last night. STUART WATSON reflects on the action. 

East Anglian Daily Times: Conor Chaplin goes down under a challenge in the first half of Ipswich Town's 2-1 win against Port Vale.Conor Chaplin goes down under a challenge in the first half of Ipswich Town's 2-1 win against Port Vale. (Image: Steve Waller)

VALIANT DEFENDING 

When Freddie Ladapo glanced a Conor Chaplin cross wide after just 25 seconds, there was a feeling inside Portman Road that in-form Ipswich Town were about to blow away another opponent. 

If top-half side Charlton Athletic, a team who had been on a decent run of form, could be thrashed 6-0, then lowly Port Vale, a struggling team who had just sacked their manager and were without three players suspended, would surely be comfortably swept aside too... Wrong.   

Charlton, suicidally, came to engage in an open game of football. Vale, by contrast, came to enjoy the art of defending. 

Caretaker boss Andy Crosby deployed a 5-4-1 system. All 11 players sat deep and compact. Time-wasting tactics started as early as the 13th minute. Keeper Aidan Stone was eventually booked. 

Sharp one-twos, direct play, driving runs, set-piece deliveries... everything Town tried either didn’t come off or was repelled. Credit to the visitors, they fought for every ball that entered their box. 

The crowd oscillated between roars of encouragement and quiet moments of growing anxiety. 

East Anglian Daily Times: Port Vale players celebrate after Mal Benning had put them 1-0 up at Ipswich Town.Port Vale players celebrate after Mal Benning had put them 1-0 up at Ipswich Town. (Image: Steve Waller)

AN ODD FEELING 

Two minutes into first-half stoppage-time, Port Vale scored. 

Against the run of play, yes, but not a complete shock either. The visitors had posed the odd threat on the counter. 

Should Nathan Broadhead have been stronger in his tackle midway in the Ipswich half? Could Leif Davis have closed the cross down quicker? Might Harry Clarke have done better with his headed clearance? 

For me, this wasn’t a goal to pick apart too much from an Ipswich perspective rather one to give credit to the opposition for. Mal Benning’s volley technique on the edge of the box was superb and left Christian Walton with no chance. 

For the first time in more than 10 weeks, Town had gone behind in a game. This was a major test of character. 

East Anglian Daily Times: Nathan Broadhead equalises for Ipswich Town early in the second half against Port Vale.Nathan Broadhead equalises for Ipswich Town early in the second half against Port Vale. (Image: Steve Waller)

NEVER BEHIND FOR LONG 

The fear, at this point, was that this could be a repeat of the frustrating home games against Lincoln and Cheltenham earlier in the campaign. 

Getting an equaliser fairly soon after the restart was therefore important to preventing the atmosphere getting a little edgy. 

Thankfully one arrived in the 53rd minute when a low Wes Burns cross from the right was expertly swept home on the run by Broadhead. 

Over the course of 42 league games this season, Ipswich have only been behind for a combined total of just 221 minutes. 

East Anglian Daily Times: Nathan Broadhead scores from the penalty spot to put Ipswich Town 2-1 up against Port Vale.Nathan Broadhead scores from the penalty spot to put Ipswich Town 2-1 up against Port Vale. (Image: Steve Waller)

PRESSURE PENALTY 

Driven on by the energy of Massimo Luongo, Ipswich increasingly ramped up the pressure in search of a winner. 

Finally that passing and probing paid off when Clarke’s crosses struck Benning on the arm in the box not once, but twice in quick succession. A penalty had to be given. 

Port Vale players deployed delaying tactics. Chaplin was booked for shoving David Worrall in frustration. Referee Robert Lewis then took an age in telling Broadhead exactly where he could place the ball. 

To rifle the penalty into the inner side-netting under all that pressure showed incredible composure. 

The explosion of noise when it hit the back of the net was immense. 

That’s six goals and four assists for Broadhead in an Ipswich shirt now – and all of them have come at Portman Road. 

What a difference the four January signings have made. 

FOUR TO GO 

Town are now unbeaten in 15 league games, have won seven home games in a row and claimed 31 points from a possible 33. 

The 88 points on the board is a new club record, beating the finishing tally of the promotion campaign of 1999/00. 

Barnsley, having been held 0-0 at Lincoln, look to be out of the top-two race now. It’s now a fight between Plymouth (who scored a 96th minute winner at Shrewsbury) and Sheffield Wednesday (who held on for a 2-1 win at Bristol Rovers). 

Town go to fifth-place Peterborough on Saturday, then fourth-place Barnsley next Tuesday. After that it’s mid-table sides Exeter (home) and Fleetwood (away) to finish. 

Three wins and a defeat, or two wins and two draws, will get the job done. 

Catch your breath while you can.