Ipswich Strain for Late Equaliser Against Everton
Ipswich have made a habit of leaving it late this season. Sunderland felt it. Crystal Palace felt it. So when the board went up for seven added minutes at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the away end rose as one, expecting another twist.
They almost got it.
Zian Flemming, the match-winner against Palace, came off the bench with the script seemingly written for him again. The chance arrived in stoppage time, just where he likes it, just when Ipswich needed him. But this time his composure deserted him and he lashed his effort over the bar, the ball flying into the night instead of the net.
The 10 men kept coming. Legs were heavy, decisions rushed, but the intent never dropped.
Right at the death, centre-half Issa Diop strode forward and nearly stole a point. His late effort looked destined to cause chaos, only to be smothered by a desperate, full-blooded block from Jarrad Branthwaite and James Garner. It summed up the closing stages: Ipswich straining for a way back, Everton bodies flinging themselves in the way.
For Gary O'Neil, there was frustration, but also plenty of evidence his team belong at this level.
Before the red card for Abdul Fatawu midway through the second half swung the contest, Ipswich had carried a real threat. They forced Jordan Pickford into four excellent saves, each one a reminder of why Thomas Tuchel has kept faith with him in the England squad. Pickford stood tall, sharp off his line, and ruthless in the one-on-one moments that could have transformed the afternoon.
Once Fatawu walked, the pattern changed. Ipswich, who had been on the front foot, were suddenly pinned back, forced to dig in and play on the counter. The ambition didn’t vanish, but the balance of the game shifted and every attack had to be measured against the risk of being picked off.
O'Neil watched it all while dealing with something far heavier than a league table. His father died earlier this week, yet he remained on the touchline, driving his players on, demanding one more run, one more tackle, one more sprint to close down. His side responded, chasing the equaliser right to the final whistle, even as the clock and the numbers on the pitch worked against them.
The equaliser never came. The effort never dropped.
As the international break arrives, Ipswich sit on six points from their first five games back in the top flight. It is not spectacular, but it is solid, and crucially it keeps them clear of early trouble. The margins are already fine. The question now is whether those late chances that flew high and wide in September will start to find the corners when the league resumes.
