Ipswich Town were frustrated in their 0-0 draw against Watford last night, dropping points at Portman Road for just the sixth time this season. Alex Jones reflects on the action.
Take your chances!
Ipswich were totally dominant in the first half of the game.
The Blues could’ve gone ahead inside the first 15 seconds as Kayden Jackson latched onto Nathan Broadhead’s through ball. Edo Kayembe got in the way of the shot.
It didn’t take long for the Hornets to drop into a low block. Omari Hutchinson was lively, linking up with Kayden Jackson and Harry Clarke down the right, but it was Nathan Broadhead who was the real threat. He tested goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann with two good shots before hitting the post with a low strike. Unfortunately, he also blocked Jack Taylor’s powerful close-range effort soon after.
When Kieffer Moore headed Clarke’s cross into the gloves of the Watford goalkeeper, it really felt like a matter of time. Town’s patterns of play were exceptional at times, but they just lacked the cutting-edge to find the back of the net.
Heading into half time at 0-0, there was a sense of frustration, but fans were clearly buoyed by what they’d seen and confident that they could turn pressure into goals after the break. The fact they registered 10 shots, four of which were on target, was proof of that. The visitors hadn’t hit the target once.
The pendulum swings
The Blues poured a lot of energy into the first half of the match, but sustaining it was an issue. Whether that was down to fatigue, a lack of regular minutes for those who came in or something else entirely remains to be seen, but Watford took full advantage.
They continued sitting deep off the ball, but they had extended spells of possession which frustrated the home fans at Portman Road. The Hornets shut down Town’s chances with relative ease while also finding more space in the final third.
Ipswich were, at times, their own worst enemies. The pinpoint passing that got them so close to scoring in the first half became a bit sloppier, and they seemed to struggle more in wide areas where they had so much joy earlier in the game. Interim Watford boss Tom Cleverley deserves a lot of credit for his half-time instructions.
When we entered the final stages of the match, recently dubbed ‘McKenna time’, the hosts got a second wind. The players clearly remembered what happened against the likes of Rotherham United and Southampton in previous games under the lights at Portman Road. It was set up for something special.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be – not for the want of trying. The ball didn’t really fall for them in the way that it did in those games, and as Kieran McKenna said afterwards, it’s happened enough times that nobody can really complain.
A crucial clean sheet
Speaking to Vaclav Hladky in the build-up to the game, the goalkeeper revealed that stats don’t really mean too much to him. He’s not that focused on the number of clean sheets he has, instead looking at the points his side are picking up.
That’s understandable, but with a match like this, it certainly stands out as a big positive. Games at Portman Road often end up like end-to-end basketball games (such as the win against Southampton), but we got to see a different side of this Town team against Watford.
The Hornets didn’t have too many clear-cut chances, hitting the target three times from 10 shots and registering an xG [expected goals] of 0.24. Ipswich looked really strong defensively, which is impressive given that Tom Cleverley’s men scored twice in their games at home to Leeds United and away at West Brom.
Hladky stopped all three shots. The standout came in the third of four additional minutes of stoppage time as Kayembe caught him off his line, taking aim from 55 yards. Somehow, he was able to get back and claw it away from goal. If it wasn’t for that recovery, we’d be talking about a totally different result, because that shot was heading in.
Hopefully they can maintain the defensive resilience they showed in this game and be a little more clinical in front of goal. If they can do that, there’s nothing to fear between now and the end of the season.
McKenna makes changes
Wholesale changes aren’t really a McKenna thing, so it was a little bit of a surprise to see him make four for the visit of Watford.
Some were expected. Clarke came in for Axel Tuanzebe and instantly linked up with the players around him. His attacking threat was perfect down the right side and he played a big part in Town’s attacking output.
George Edmundson also stepped into the back line, replacing Luke Woolfenden, who dropped to the bench. He played well against the Hornets’ mobile front line, albeit that he had a couple of nervy moments in possession. That being said, the Blues clearly missed Woolfenden’s ability to build attacks from the back, which could’ve really helped in a tight second half.
Edmundson ultimately had to be brought off after rolling his ankle. McKenna confirmed that he was able to walk back to the dressing room after the game, so hopes it isn’t a serious injury.
Ahead of him, Taylor slotted into midfield in place of Massimo Luongo. He had a real drive to get forward and perhaps if it wasn’t for a Welsh winger getting in the way, there’s a chance he could’ve got on the score sheet. These are fine yet unfortunate margins.
The decision to drop Conor Chaplin came as a surprise, although Hutchinson looked excellent through the middle while Jackson put in a strong display on the right. The changes meant that McKenna was able to call on his first-choice players later on, but it wasn’t enough to break down a stubborn defence.
Hopefully those who were rested feel refreshed ahead of Saturday’s game against Middlesbrough. This run of five games in 15 days has taken its toll on the squad.
One point gained or two points dropped?
There’s no denying that the overriding emotion from the game is one of frustration and disappointment, but not because of the performance. With that in mind, perhaps some perspective is needed.
As highlighted by @CallMeStat on X, Ipswich have the same points total now as they did at this stage last season (88 points from 42 games). It shows just how well they’ve adapted to life in the Championship in such a short space of time. The same account also revealed that McKenna’s league record on weekdays reads 25 wins, 13 draws and zero defeats. Not bad, eh?
The whole narrative surrounding this game was about the chance to go top of the league, and understandably so. Leicester City were beaten at Millwall while Leeds were held at home by Sunderland. It’s fair to say that, of the three games, Town actually had the hardest one and perhaps got the best result, cutting the gap on the Foxes and maintaining the cushion on Daniel Farke’s side.
It’d be great if we were discussing an Ipswich win that moved them back to the summit, but no change is better than negative change. The Blues were five games away from promotion, and that’s become four. It’s still in their hands.
It’ll feel like two points dropped, but that one point they’ve gained from this game could be vital come the end of the season, especially since there’s now just 12 up for grabs. There’s still plenty of twists and turns on the horizon for the three teams at the top end of the division.
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