Town grab three points after come from behind victory in pulsating closing minutes of game against Fulham

Ipswich came from behind to win 2-1 and grab the three points in a frenetic closing stages of the game against Fulham today (Saturday, October 10) with goals from Abdoul Ouattara and skipper Dara O’Shea.

The visitors took the lead through Ryan Sessegnon early in the second half but Town kept pressing and they were rewarded late on.

Fulham are still looking for their first victory of the season and are firmly rooted in the bottom three of the Premier League with just two points while the victory moved Town up to ninth in the league on nine points.

The game was evenly poised until Sessegnon gave Fulham the lead early in the second half but Town continued to try and find ways past a resolute Londoners’ defence and were rewarded in the final minutes.

In the opening stages Christian Walton had to rise tall to push away a cross from Fulham’s Norwegian international Oscar Bobb which resulted in an Ipswich counter attack with Town’s centre forward Emerson fouled by Kenney Tete in the middle of visitor’s half.

The first corner of the game came in the 12th minute when a dangerous cross from Town’s full back Ouattara was cleared out of play. And they had another two minutes later after David Affengruber headed the ball out of play following a cross from Jaden Philogene.

Both teams were finding it difficult to make a telling pass to any of their players with heavy touches but Julio Enciso came close to opening the scoring in the 16th minute.

It came after a heavy chested touch from Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The ball came out to Sessegnon but Ouattara took it off him, sending it centrally to Daizen Maeda, who in turn set it back for Enciso who rolled the ball just past the post from just outside the box.

Fulham had their first strike at goal five minutes later when a short corner routine led to Alex Iwobi crossing for centre back Affengruber, but he headed wide.

The visitors began to dominate play and Walton had to make a save from Sander Berg following a ball from the right hand side by Bobb. And in the 37th minute Gonzalo Garcia linked up with Berge and the former Real Madrid forward fired just past the right hand post when well placed.

Town’s Brazilian centre forward Emersonn was fouled by Calvin Bassey on the 25 yard line just after the start of the second half and Leif Davis and Enciso lined up for the free kick but the Town full back blazed the ball over the bar. And a snap shot from Enciso was safely gathered by Leno.

Josh King danced into the Ipswich penalty area and squared the ball for Garcia who fired a deflected shot off Issa Diop which resulted in a succession of three corners.

And from the third Fulham took the lead through Sessegnon in the 55th minute when he took aim with a fierce shot from 25 yards out.

That stung Ipswich into action and three minutes later Enciso’s cross from the left found an onrushing Emersonn who headed the ball onto the post. 

At the other end Bobb cut in past Davis but fired over the bar.

Maeda then breezed past Sessegnon and went down under pressure from him in the penalty area but appeals for a spot kick were turned away by referee Lewis Smith much to the anger of most of the 29,445 inside the Portman Road stadium.

Town pressed for the equaliser which came in a pulsating final few minutes with Ouattara grabbing the equaliser in the 88th minute.

He brought the ball down from the sky, set himself up and smashed an astonishing left-footed strike past Leno from around 25 yards out to the sheer delight of the majority 29,445 inside the Portman Road stadium.

And Town won the game three minutes later through O’Shea when Town substitute Chuba Akpom won a free kick down the left and fellow sub Jack Clarke whipped in the ball onto the head of the Ipswich skipper who powered his header into the back on the net.

And Walton displayed incredible reflexes to deny Kevin with a low shot after Tete’s cutback to ensure the three points for Town.