A goal in either half from Albert Adomah ensured the Blues were well beaten at Aston Villa this afternoon.

East Anglian Daily Times: Cole Skuse battles at Villa Park. Picture: PAGEPIXCole Skuse battles at Villa Park. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Pagepix Ltd 07976 935738)

The in-form Villa wide-man profited from slack defending from a first-half cross to roll his side into the lead, before a mistake by Dominic Iorfa in the second condemned the visitors to defeat.

Joe Garner had the ball in the net in the first half but saw his effort ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Sam Johnston but, in truth, Mick McCarthy’s side never truly threatened the home stopper as they left with nothing.

The first warning shot came in the 10th minute, when Alan Hutton lost his man in the box to glance Robert Snodgrass’s free-kick wide of goal, but it was the Blues who were the first to have the ball in the net, only for Garner’s effort to be ruled out for a questionable foul on goalkeeper Johnstone.

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Keinan Davis then tested Bialkowski after wriggling free of Chambers to pick up on Neil Taylor’s through ball, but the Pole was equal to his tame effort, before Davis flung himself at Albert Adomah’s cross but could only head wide.

The goal had been coming but, when it did, it had to go down as another soft one. The Ipswich backline failed to react to a headed knock-down after a Snodgrass corner was worked back into the box, with Adomah reacting quickest to sneak in behind Dominic Iorfa, evade the flying leg of Cole Skuse and fool Bialkowski to find the back of the Ipswich net.

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The home tails were up and the Blues were perhaps lucky to make it through to the break only a goal behind, but could have found themselves level just four minutes into the second period, only for the ball to take Garner by surprise as it hit his head and bounded over the top.

But when Iorfa slipped and allowed Adomah in behind to connect with a long pass, the game was up as the Villa forward rolled the ball past Bialkowski.

Further game time for Emyr Huws and the return of Teddy Bishop were positives for the Blues, who huffed and puffed to the final whistle without ever seriously testing home keeper Johnstone.

ASTON VILLA (4-4-1-1): Johnstone; Hutton, Jedinak (Samba, 26), Chester (cpt), Taylor (Elmohamady 80); Snodgrass, Whelan, Hourihane, Adomah; Onomah; Davis (Grealish 87).

Unused subs: Steer, De Laet, Lansbury, O’Hare.

IPSWICH TOWN (4-2-3-1): Bialkowski; Iorfa (Bishop 76), Chambers (cpt), Webster, Knudsen; Skuse, Connolly; Ward (Celina 61), Waghorn, Sears (Huws 61); Garner.

Unused subs: Gerken, Spence, Kenlock, Bru, Bishop.

Yellow cards: Connolly (56), Huws (72)

Attendance: 30,427

Referee: Tony Harrington