Ipswich Town are out of the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle after going down 4-2 on penalties to Exeter City, following a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes.
Former Ipswich defender Troy Brown cancelled out Kayden Jackson’s opener, in a game where the Blues dominated spells of possession without being able to overly test home goalkeeper Christy Pym, but neither side could force a winner as the contest went to a shootout.
Teddy Bishop, who was making his first appearance since Boxing Day, and Trevoh Chalobah missed in the shootout, leaving former Blue Lee Martin to score the winning spot kick and book Exeter’s spot in the first round.
In a competition where Ipswich fans have been used to wholesale changes to the Blues team, Paul Hurst made just three for this encounter as Kayden Jackson and Tayo Edun made their first starts for their new club and Freddie Sears came back into the side.
Gwion Edwards, Ellis Harrison and Cole Skuse were the men to drop out, with captain Luke Chambers giving his strong Ipswich side a real rallying cry before kick-off.
The Blues started on the front foot, as they have in all three of their games under Hurst, with Edun and Chalobah keen to get on the ball whenever possible and bring the forward line into play.
For all the Blues’ neat play and pressure, the first chance of the game fell to Exeter as former Ipswich winger Lee Martin’s effort was hacked away inside the six yard box by Toto Nsiala.
Chalobah and Nolan then had long-range efforts blocked away before Matt Jay couldn’t get on the end of a dangerous pass from Martin.
The Blues were soon ahead, as a driving run through the middle of the pitch from Edun set Jackson away, with the striker showing quick heels to burst into the box and send a cross in which ultimately squirmed under home goalkeeper Christy Pym.
Nolan had a shot deflected wide before the break, before the Blues had to do some defending in the minutes after the interval as both Chambers and Toto Nsiala were required to sweep up Exeter attacks.
Neither were able to sweep up a free-kick into the box, though, which Bartosz Bialkowski could only clear up into the air with his feet to allow former Ipswich defender Brown to head into the back of the net to level the contest.
Hurst then introduced Teddy Bishop and Danny Rowe as the Blues looked to try and avoid the lottery of a penalty shootout, with frustrations boiling over on the bench as fitness coach Nathan Winder was shown a yellow card as part of a new FA directive, showing dissent at a string of debatable refereeing decisions. Knudsen soon followed, again for dissent, before Nsiala picked up a booking for a tackle on Norwich loanee Tristan Abrahams.
Bialkowski held Martin’s free-kick, with the Pole required again a few minutes later as he got down well to save from Abrahams after Edun had gifted the hosts possession.
And so the contest went to penalties, with Bishop and Chalobah missing before Martin scored the winning spot kick.
PENALTIES (Exeter went first)
Exeter: Taylor (saved); Sweeney (scored); Abrahams (scored); Collins (scored); Martin (scored)
Ipswich: Bishop (saved); Chambers (scored); Jackson (scored); Chalobah (missed)
Exeter City: Pym, Sweeney, Woodman, Martin, Brown, Tillson, Martin, Boateng (Sparkes 61), Jay (Collins 51), Taylor, Stockley (Abrahams 51)
Subs: Hamon, Forte, Oates, Croll
Ipswich Town: Bialkowski; Donacien (Spence 46), Nsiala, Chambers, Knudsen; Chalobah, Edun, Nolan; Ward, Sears (Bishop 65), Jackson
Subs: Gerken, Kenlock, Skuse, Rowe, Harrison
Carabao Cup, 7.45pm
Attendance: 3,675 (351 away)
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here