Opposition Preview – Plymouth Argyle (Away)
It’s the long trip down the West Coast to face last season’s League One champions.The Pilgrims have avoided being drawn into a relegation battle so far and much like Birmingham last weekend are at the lower end of those mid-table positions.They recently ended a run of five games without a win with a 2-0 victory against Middlesbrough and will be hoping to build momentum coming into a run of games against teams at the lower end of the table.
Previous Meeting (Ipswich 3-2 Plymouth)
A topsy-turvy game at Portman Road swung back and forth as Town came back from a goal down to go 3-1 up before Joe Edwards pulled a late goal back for the Pilgrims.Town started brightly with lovely interplay between Leif Davis, Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin, who poked a ball past the defensive line for George Hirst to run on to.
Hirst got his toe to it before the onrushing Michael Cooper but didn’t connect with enough power as Cooper managed to spin and dive on the ball before it crossed the line.Town were then stung on the break as Finn Azaz laid the ball off to Morgan Whittaker on the right. With Davis still up the pitch, George Edmundson came across to cover but was helpless as Whittaker dropped his shoulder, took a couple of touches inside to set himself and curled in a glorious effort from outside the box that left Vaclav Hladky absolutely no chance.Whittaker was in again moments later but this time he scuffed his left-footed shot into the arms of Hladky.
Town had a couple of half chances, but it was Plymouth who were in the ascendency, pressing high and forcing mistakes. Whittaker hit another shot into the midriff of Edmundson and another well-worked move saw Bali Mumba fire high over the crossbar.Omari Hutchinson was the Blues’ best outlet down the right but whenever the ball fell to a Town shirt there was a body in the way to block.
On 41 minutes Plymouth were threatening on the counter once again. Mustapha Bundu received the ball, spun Edmundson and raced away towards goal. Edmundson showed excellent pace to keep up with him and came up with an excellent last-ditch challenge to poke the ball away just as the Plymouth man was about to pull the trigger in what was a key moment in this game.
Plymouth fans were all over social media after the game saying it should have been a red but there was one angle that showed the Town man just about getting his foot to the ball.The Blues were straight up the other end with Hutchinson lifting a delicious, dinked ball into the path of Broadhead, who brought it under control inside the box but then spent too much time trying to get it under control and was closed down and shut out before he could get a shot away.It was a 45th-minute corner that provided the Town breakthrough, Davis’s outswinger going deep and was bizarrely headed back into the middle of the box by a Plymouth player. Massimo Luongo landed on it and attempted an audacious backheel that looked to be going straight into Plymouth keeper Cooper’s arm before Mumba had a moment of madness and in attempting to stick out a leg to clear just diverted it into the net.
The balance of the game changed even further in the second half. On 53 minutes Davis received the ball on the left in his own half and played a lovely curling ball over the top that Hirst looked to run on to. It bounced over Dan Scarr’s outstretched boot right into the path of the Town striker who calmly slotted past the onrushing Cooper to give the Blues a 2-1 lead.
Town were firmly in the ascendency with Hutchinson twisting and turning and having a shot in the box blocked narrowly wide but Plymouth still posed a threat on the counter.
Hladky had to be alert as the Pilgrims worked the ball wide and played a cutback across the box, but the Ipswich keeper rushed out and cleared away before it fell to Azaz who was waiting to slot it in.
Hladky was then at his best once again as a deep corner was met by the head of Scarr, who looped a wonderful header back across the goal. The save from Hladky was even better as he leapt and clawed the ball away.
Town had their keeper to thank yet again as a Whittaker shot kindly deflected into the path of Edwards, who was clean through but unable to find a way past the Czech glovesman’s legs as he spread himself well to deny the Plymouth man.
Town were under pressure and they needed a goal to settle things. Some nice footwork from Jack Taylor got the ball to Sam Morsy who drove through the middle of the pitch. He found Davis wide on the left who side-footed an excellent cross into that dangerous area of the box where Chaplin usually lurks.
With Chaplin off the pitch this time it was Marcus Harness who was there waiting to sweep a left-footed shot which was again blocked by a Plymouth shirt. Fortunately, the ball fell back to him to side-foot his right-footed effort firmly into the net this time.
There was still time for a Plymouth consolation where, in a similar move to the Harness goal, Kesler Hayden found Whittaker wide on the left. He whipped in a left-footed cross that Edmundson got a boot on.
Mumba was the player who landed on the ball and produced a dip of the shoulder to beat Davis and got to the byline before cutting it back to Edwards, who despite the best efforts of Hladky and Luke Woolfenden on the line was able to slot home and make it a nervy final six minutes.
This was definitely one of the more even contests at Portman Road and Plymouth were a constant threat on the counter with their excellent interplay.
They managed six shots on target to Ipswich’s four and finished with 1.61 expected goals to Town’s 2.05. They also got in nine blocks on Blues shots with the definition of a bodies on the line defensive performance.
The thing that separated the sides was how clinical Town’s last two goals were. They were both moves that have been worked on again and again in training and with a left foot like Davis’s you know that they’re eventually going to come off.
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