Premiership class tells as Fulham progress into the fifth round of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Ipswich Town

Fulham showed their Premier League class to progress into the fifth round of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Ipswich Town.

The 3-1 defeat was the first loss for the Tractor Boys since they went down 4-3 at Portman Road in the Championship against Leeds United back in August.

Harry Wilson struck for the visitors after nine minutes when he found loads of space on the right, beat Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton to the ball and fired into an empty net. And his cross into the penalty area just after the start of the second half found Rodrigo Muniz who side footed the ball home while Tom Cairney further extended their lead after 77 minutes.

Ipswich replied through Elkan Baggot and breathed life back into the team when he headed home a corner in the 79th minute and they could have reduced the lead even further when Omari Hutchinson fired just over the bar in the 90th minute.

The visitors could and should have had more goals as they dominated much of the game. Town’s defender Janoi Donacien deflected the ball onto the crossbar and Fulham defender Calvin Bassey’s fierce shot surprised Walton who managed to knock the ball onto the post and away to safety.

Fulham won back to back corners after just three minutes

First a cross from Welsh international Wilson was turned behind by Donacien and from Tom Cairney’s delivery the ball was headed behind by Marcus Harnes but came to nothing for the visitors.

But the Cottages’ pressure came to fruition just six minutes later when they took the lead through Wilson.

Ipswich left acres of space down their left and the Fulham winger was found from a cross field pass by Bobby De Cordova-Reid. It forced Walton to rush off his line but Wilson got to the ball first, knocked it around him to score.

The visitors came close to extending their lead after 15 minutes when their left back Fode Ballo-Toure crossed from the left which Donacian deflected over Walton and back off the crossbar.

Two minutes later Ipswich had their first and only real chance at goal in the opening 45 minutes.

Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak played a loose pass out at the back that Kayden Jackson intercepted and his fierce angled shot was well saved by Rodak.

Fulham were having most of the possession and on the half hour mark a slick move resulted in Cordova-Reid playing in Andreas Pereira whose shot from the edge of the penalty area sailed just over the angle of bar and post.

And as the first half drew to a conclusion a fierce shot from just inside the penalty area by Bassey saw Walton deflect the ball onto the post and away to safety.

The second half was only five minutes old when Fulham extended their lead through Muniz after he was found inside the six yard area and Cairney scored the visitor’s third after 77 minutes when Cordova-Reid’s low cross fell to the Cottagers’ midfielder who scored with a first time shot that when straight through Walton.

But Ipswich had a consolation goal to the delight of many of the 28,221 fans inside Portman Road after Indonesian international Baggott’s header from a corner by Jack Taylor beat Fulham goalkeeper Rodak in the 79th minute to record his first senior goal for the Town.