Ipswich fail to move out of the relegation zone following 2-0 defeat to Brighton

Ipswich failed to improve their chances of drawing away from the bottom three in the Premier League after they lost 2-0 to Brighton at Portman Road.

Kaoru Mitoma’s 59th minute strike was followed by a Georginio Rutter goal in the 81st minute to ensure the three points for the Albion who fully deserved the victory.

But Town had clear chances to score with the visitor’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen making fines saves from Nathan Broadhead, Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson in a scoreless first half.

There were three changes to the team that started the 2-2 draw at Fulham.

Hutchinson passed a fitness test and replaced the injured Sam Szmodics in attack with skipper Sam Morsy dropping to the bench in place of Kalvin Phillips. 

It was the first time Morsy had been on the Ipswich bench for a league game since a League One draw at Oxford in March 2022 when he had a slight hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Wes Burns started the game in place of Ben Johnson.

The Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler made two changes following the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in their last Premier League game.

Ex Ipswich man Adam Webster, just back from a three-month hamstring injury lay-off, replaced the injured Igor Julio at centre-back and had the captain’s armband while Kaoru Mitoma was in for Barjan Grunda in attack

Albion opened the game brightly dominating proceedings with a huge amount of possession and with the Town failing to get anywhere near the visitor’s penalty area.

Phillips made a crucial tackle on Yasin Ayari near the six yard area to concede a corner for Brighton but the Town defence held strong despite an appeal for a penalty by Jan Paul Van Hecke who was challenged by Burns at the far post.

It only appeared to be a matter of time before the Albion opened their account.

But Ipswich came close to scoring through Broadhead with their first foray into the Brighton penalty area in the 23rd minute. 

He ran at the Brighton defence and unleashed a shot from the edge the 18 yard area which was touched round the post by the diving Albion’s Dutch  international goalkeeper Verbruggen.

Broadhead then released Delap five minute later and his low shot at goal was well held by Verbruggen.

As the half drew to a close a lovely move down the right resulted in Burns crossing into the penalty where he found Hutchinson whose shot was quickly charged down.

And with three minutes remaining on the clock before the break Hutchinson drew another fine save from the Brighton goalkeeper as he dived to his right.

The game was stopped for a few minutes following a collision between Town’s goalkpeeper Christian Walton and Brighton’s striker Joao Pedro.

It came after Jacob Greaves played the ball back to Walton who came out to clear the ball upfield only for Pedro to run straight at him with referee Tony Harrington brandishing the yellow card.

A long throw from Jens Cajuste caused mayhem in the Brighton area and Broadhead fired narrowly wide.

But the Albion took the lead in the 59th minute through Japanese international Mitoma.

It followed a move down the right involving Joel Veltman, Ayari and Matt O’Riley squaring the ball for Mitoma whose shot squeezed into the Ipswich goal striking Leif Davis and squeezing under the body of Walton.

The visitors made the first changes of the game in the 53rd minute with a triple substitution.

Lewis Dunk, Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh came on for O’Riley, Webster and Simon Adingra.

Walton was called into action in the 67th minute when he acrobatically prevented a shot from Pedro going in the top corner of the goal and Town made their first substitutions of the game three minutes later with Jack Taylor and Morsy coning on to replace Burns and Cajuste.

Danny Welbeck came on in place of Pedro in the 78th minute and he was instrumental in helping Albion take a 2-0 lead.

He flicked on a corner and Rutter turned and steered the ball past Walton.

George Hirst and Jack Clarke came on in place of Delap and Phillips in the 85th minute but they were unable to help Ipswich reduce the arrears.