Ipswich Town continued their impressive start to life in the Championship with a 1-0 win against recently-relegated Premier League outfit Southampton.
The Blues took the lead against the run of play as Omari Hutchinson scored on his first senior start, but they switched the momentum in the latter stages of the first half before seeing out the game after the break to pick up all three points at St. Mary's.
Knowing the Saints’ poor record of starting games, Town wanted an early goal, but it was the hosts who had the first real chance in the fifth minute. Sam Morsy was able to win the ball off Ryan Fraser, but Adam Armstrong brought it back to the edge of the area and took aim, hitting the side netting.
The Blues did find the back of the net two minutes later, but referee Josh Smith opted to disallow it. A looping cross from Wes Burns deflected out for a corner, which Omari Hutchinson played right on top of goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu. Che Adams ended up getting the last touch on it before it bounced in, but it was deemed to be a foul from Conor Chaplin in the penalty area.
Southampton’s strategy seemed to be ‘death by a thousand passes’ at the start of the game, but they also had the precision to cut open Ipswich when they saw a chance to attack. Kyle Walker-Peters played Adams into space down the right in the 17th minute, allowing him to take aim from a good angle. Luke Woolfenden make the block to carry it wide, and the Saints were unable to capitalise from the resulting corner.
Another Southampton corner 10 minutes later caused more problems. While the Blues were able to clear it up as far as Hutchinson, the Chelsea loanee’s poor clearance allowed Walker-Peters to recycle it into the box, crossing onto the head of Adams, who flicked the ball wide.
The Saints tried to turn the screw, but before they could, Ipswich took the lead. Hutchinson won the ball off Shea Charles with a sensational tackle, playing a one-two with Chaplin that saw him slid straight through on goal. His shot looked scuffed, but it bounced in off the post to give the Blues the lead on the half-hour mark, allowing him to celebrate his first senior goal with an acrobatic celebration on the South Coast.
This was exactly what Town needed, as it forced Southampton to play a higher line and leave themselves vulnerable on the counter. Jack Taylor was able to rob Joe Aribo of the ball, playing it forward to Chaplin, who looked to catch Bazunu off his line. His lobbed shot clipped the crossbar before bouncing back to George Hirst, who saw his effort blocked for a corner.
The home supporters began to turn on their side and Ipswich smelled blood. They came again in the 40th minute as Hutchinson brought the ball forward through the middle, spotting Wes Burns out on the right flank. He played the pass instead of going for goal, with the Wales international cutting inside and firing narrowly past the post.
The half-time whistle was met by a chorus of boos from the home end, but they were almost celebrating four minutes after the restart. Walker-Peters managed to beat Taylor with ease, playing Adams clean into the box. His shot looked destined for the back of the net, but it cannoned of Vaclav Hladky's face and out for a corner, which Ipswich cleared.
The game opened up as the clock ticked towards the hour mark. In the 58th minute, Harry Clarke found space to bring the ball forward, spotting Burns on the overlap. The winger's low cross was cleared as far as Chaplin on the edge of the box, allowing him to take aim and fire just wide of the target with an impressive volley.
Southampton, however, knew the importance of the game, and flooded bodies forward in search of an equaliser. Armstrong came close to turning the ball over the line after a goalmouth scramble in the 66th minute, but Town stood strong to deny them.
Russell Martin's men continued to cause problems, but they couldn't find a way through. A swerving shot from Ryan Manning forced Hladky into a good save in the 77th minute, but it did little to deter Southampton's efforts.
Seven minutes of added time gave the home fans a boost as they gathered behind their team in hopes of a late equaliser. Ipswich, however, had other plans, as they frustrated Southampton by slowing down the game, grinding out a 1-0 win to move them back up to second in the Championship.
Town XI: 4-2-3-1: Hladky; Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Williams (Ball 70'); Morsy, Taylor (Luongo 57'); Burns, Chaplin (Harness 80'), Hutchinson (Broadhead 80'); Hirst (Scarlett 70')
Attendance: 27,265
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