JOSH Carson was the hero of 10-man Ipswich Town as they beat Bristol City in an eventful Championship fixture at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Bristol City 0-1 Ipswich Town

JOSH Carson was the hero of 10-man Ipswich Town as they beat Bristol City in an eventful Championship fixture at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Ipswich, who were looking for a double after a 2-0 win in the corresponding game were depleted when Lee Martin was sent off for dangerous play in the 28th minute.

When Grant Leadbitter was carried off on a stretcher with a serious looking head injury after 68 minutes Ipswich’s chances of fielding a full strength team Thursday’s game against Norwich City were dimmed further.

This mid-table encounter was a lively affair with an impressive number of Ipswich fans making the journey west.

Carson put Town ahead with a spectacular goal from 30 yards in the 53rd minute as the Blues picked up their fourth win in five matches.

The youngster impressed with Arran Lee-Barrett making a number of good saves and Carlos Edwards an inspiration at right back.

Town made the expected two changes with Kennedy left out after picking up a hamstring niggle against Middlesbrough on Tuesday leaving the field before the end of the 3-3 draw.

Scotland was also missing after Wickham did well playing up front on his own in the final 30 minutes against Boro. In came O’Dea and Martin with 17-year-old first year scholar and Ipswich boy Whight having his first start on the bench.

Former Town striker Stead, who scored for the Blues in the opening game of this season at Middlesbrough, was brought back in to the City team after injury and he played up front with danger man Maynard.

Ipswich started showing some defensive frailties and when O’Dea was caught dozing in the ninth minute, Adomah went clear down the right to pull the ball back for Campbell-Ryce who had a free sight of goal from 12 yards. Lee-Barrett did well to get down and smother the low shot.

In the 16th minute Ipswich had a great chance to take the lead when they built quickly down the right and from Edwards’ pin-point cross Wickham only had James to beat from seven yards.

The number nine struck the ball goalwards, but not far enough away from the keeper who was able to throw up an arm and push the ball into the air and over the line for a corner.

Four minutes late in bright sunshine and in warm conditions, Cisse played a long ball that led to McAuley having to deal with a flying Maynard.

The ball ran loose, and Lee-Barrett came rushing out to dive at Maynard’s feet and gather.

Town were reduced to 10 men after 28 minutes when Martin made a lunging sliding tackle on Cisse touching the ball with one foot but deemed by the referee to have been high with his other foot that caught the home player on the shin.

It could spell the end of the season for Martin who will now serve a three-match ban for dangerous play, and with 10 bookings already to his name a longer sentence may be imposed.

It was not a tackle made with any malicious intent, but in this day and age a red is always a possibility for a sliding lunge.

Cisse had earlier gone in hard on Martin and escaped punishment.

With Delaney struggling with a left leg problem Ipswich were under pressure and in the 41st minute following a cross from the left and a dummy by Maynard, Campbell-Ryce had a free shot on goal that Lee-Barrett did well to block.

A misplaced pass by Elliott led to Ipswich taking the lead in the 53rd minute with a cracking goal from 17-year-old Carson.

The youngster has Wickham calling for the ball ahead of him, but Carson strode forward and hit a low left foot shot from around 30 yards that beat keeper James to his left.

The ex-England custodian went down slowly, but it was still a great strike by Carson for his third goal in his fifth game.

Stead shot fractionally wide from 25 yards in the 57th minute seconds before being substituted.

Leadbitter took a nasty blow to the back of his head from Stewart, and the Town doctor was called on to the pitch as concern was shown for the visiting midfielder who was treated for a long while on the pitch by medics.

There was a seven minute delay before Leadbitter was carried off on a stretcher with a foil cover over him.

The game slowed down after this incident with a number of Bristol crosses going into the Town box, but being dealt with competently.

Pitman headed goalwards in the 89th minute as Bristol attacked with menace, with Lee-Barrett arching his back to tip the ball over the bar.

A minute later Adomah missed the far post by a whisker with a 20 yard left-footed shot.

There were 11 minutes of stoppage after Leadbitter’s injury and Lee-Barrett denied Pitman before the substitute curled a shot just wide as the game went on and on into the evening.

Teams:

Bristol City: James; Spence, Stewart, Nyatanga, McAllister; Cisse (Skuse 72), Elliott (Woolford 79), Campbell-Ryce, Adomah, Stead (Pitman 57); Maynard. Substitutes: Johnson, Clarkson,, Gerken, Edwards.

Ipswich Town: Lee-Barrett; Edwards, McAuley, Delaney, O’Dea; Carson, Bullard, Norris, Leadbitter (Healy 68), Martin, Wickham. Substitutes: Fulop, Peters, O’Dea, Civelli, Drury. Substitutes: Scotland, Peters, Drury, Civelli, Whight.

Referee: Mr R Booth (Nottinghamshire)

Attendance: 14,159 (970 Ipswich)