Jack Clarke’s late strike grabs the three points for Ipswich in opening Premier League match

A 90th minute goal by Jack Clarke secured a wonderful opening Premier League day 2-1 victory for Ipswich Town against Sunderland at a vibrant Portman Road.

The former Black Cats striker had the ball played through to him by Fulham signing and Serbian international Sasa Lukic and substitute Clarke slotted the ball past Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs.

Town went ahead in the first half with a goal by Brazilian striker Emersonn but it was cancelled out by a superb free kick by Nilson Angulo.

But up popped Clarke with the winner to the delight of the majority 29,669 attending the game.

The match was a tense affair with the Black Cats having the lion’s share of possession in the first half and could have been ahead as early as the fourth minute but for a last ditch tackle by Leif Davis on Bryan Brobbey.

And Town’s 6ft 9in goalkeeper Kjell Sherpen made a wonderful save low down to deny another effort by Sunderland’s Dutch international striker but was unable to prevent the visitor’s equaliser.

A cacophony of noise greeted the players as they exited the tunnel and entered the pitch for the opening Premier League fixture at Portman Road.

The visitors had a great chance to open the scoring in the fourth minute when Dutch international Brobbey was put clean through but Davis slid in to deflect the striker’s shot out for a corner.

Three minutes later a cross from Town’s captain Dara O’Shea found the head of Emersonn whose header was safely gathered by the Sunderland’s goalkeeper.

Great pressing on the ball by Julio Ensico put the Black Cat’s defence under duress but the visitors were able to clear their lines.

The game settled down midway through the first period after the earlier goalmouth action and Davis and Jacob Greaves combined to deny Brobbey another half chance.

But Ipswich took the lead in the 24th minute when Ensico picked up a stray pass from Luke O’Nien, beat Dan Ballard and squared the ball across the penalty area for Emerson to opening the scoring with a neat finish.

Sherpen then made a great save moments later to deny Brobbey while at the other end Emersonn beat a couple of Sunderland players on the left and crossed the ball only for Ensico to sky the ball over the bar.

Issa Diop fouled Granit Xhaka just outside the penalty area in the 39th minute and from the following free kick Angulo’s wonderful shot from 25 yards out beat Town’s goalkeeper striking the bar and crossing the goal line.

Japanese World Cup star Daizen Maeda went close with a header following a great cross from Abdul Fatawu at the start of the second half and Enciso’s imaginative back flick went narrowly wide of the Sunderland post.

Meanwhile, Diop conceded possession in his own penalty area only for Marcelino Nunez to come to the rescue for Town and man of the match Enciso was in the thick of the action again evading two Sunderland challenges and provided a fine cross from the right which was headed back into the danger zone by Emersonn.

With the game drawing to a close Lukic picked up a stray pass out of defence from Omar Alderete and played the ball forward to Clarke who curled the ball past Roef and into the back of the net to grab the three points for Ipswich.