Ipswich v Nottm Forest
Play By Play
The full-time whistle brings an end to a brilliant battle in Suffolk, as Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest are forced to share the spoils in a 1-1 draw. The scoreline scarcely reflects the chances and drama on display, beginning with Williams' opener for Forest after just 13 minutes. Munoz picked out his opposite wing-back with a peach of a cross, and the Welshman finished beyond Walton with aplomb. The Tricky Trees then looked set to double their advantage, but Davis was perfectly positioned to deny Gibbs-White on the line before the hosts capitalised on a Milenkovic error, allowing Enciso to race through and level the scores before the break with a composed finish past Sels. The visitors gave it a real go in the second half and were left feeling hard done by when referee Thomas Bramall was sent to the monitor for a potential DOGSO offence after Diop brought down McAtee – a challenge he had initially missed altogether. Despite the VAR intervention, Bramall only brandished a yellow card, ruling that the Forest man was moving away from goal. Forest continued to push, generating 2.31 xG, but Davis produced a carbon-copy clearance to deny Ndoye on the line, while Delap was unable to make his former club pay. Clarke almost kept Ipswich's remarkable run of late winners going, flashing wide with the Tractor Boys' first shot of the second half as they finished with just 0.46 xG. Ipswich will happily take the point as they move up to ninth ahead of a trip to fellow promoted side Hull City, while Glasner's men climb to 16th before the rest of the weekend's action but remain desperately in need of a victory when they face Brentford. That's all from us here, until next time!
FULL-TIME: IPSWICH TOWN 1-1 NOTT'M FOREST
McAtee battles brilliantly with Maeda to prevent Ipswich from winning a corner, and his hard work is rewarded as a goal-kick is awarded. The Englishman appears to be suffering from cramp, though, leaving Forest temporarily down to 10 men once again, which is the last thing they need as they continue their search for a winner.
Forest have a free-kick just inside the Ipswich half, but after a wrestling match involving Murillo, the hosts earn a much-needed free-kick of their own. It's a wasteful outcome for the visitors, who had a good opportunity to launch perhaps a final delivery into the danger area.
Delap couldn't make his mark against his former club, and now Forest turn to Wood with one task, and one task only: score the winning goal.
SO CLOSE! With Ipswich's first shot of the second half, Clarke nearly blows the roof off Portman Road, if the wind hasn't done so already! The substitute cuts in from the left and drives all the way to the heart of the box before unleashing an off-balance right-footed effort just inside the area. The strike whistles agonisingly wide of the right-hand upright, and while Sels is at full stretch, he wouldn't have got anywhere near it had it been on target.
We're into at least EIGHT minutes of stoppage time at the end of this one!
WIDE! We were just talking about Ipswich's habit of finding late winners, but it's Forest who look the more likely side to land the decisive blow. Hudson-Odoi finds space to exploit in the final third and, after eventually getting the ball out of his feet, drags a left-footed effort wide of the far post from a tight angle.
Ipswich haven't managed a single shot in this second half, yet Forest will still be holding their breath as we edge towards the 90-minute mark. The Tractor Boys have made a habit of late drama this season, scoring five goals in the 90th minute or later in the Premier League. Indeed, all three of their league victories have come courtesy of strikes scored in the dying moments...
Milenkovic adds to Forest's growing shot count in the second half, but his header drifts wide of the target. The centre-back would've loved to make amends for the costly error that led to Enciso's equaliser, though Walton is never seriously threatened by this effort.
Enciso also departs, with Akpom joining Flemming at the top of the pitch.
Ipswich also turn to their bench, with Matusiwa coming on in place of Florentino.
In the wake of that stoppage, Netz is finally able to enter the fray. Williams, Forest's goalscorer on the night, is the man forced off after picking up that injury.
This game has had almost everything. Play continues with Forest still down to 10 men, and then comes another bizarre moment. McAtee points to the ball, seemingly indicating that it's gone flat, and the referee quickly blows his whistle. Enciso had pounced on the loose ball and was bearing down on goal after McAtee slowed up, but the whistle had already gone.
Glasner appears to have turned to Netz to replace Williams, but the ball simply refuses to go out of play. Forest are still operating with 10 men for the time being, and that temporary numerical disadvantage could become an issue here.
Play is back under way and, with Williams unable to continue, Forest are temporarily down to 10 men as they prepare to make a change.
Forest goalscorer Williams does his utmost to prevent the ball from drifting out for an Ipswich goal-kick ahead of the backtracking Maeda, but in doing so he lands awkwardly on an exposed patch of hard surface beyond the byline. The medical staff are quickly waved over and make their way around the pitch to assess the Forest wing-back.
McAtee is the latest Forest player to try his luck from distance, and his left-footed strike skids off the surface on its way through. Walton stays alert, though, and gets down well to make a comfortable enough save.
CHANCES FOR DELAP!!! Forest come close to restoring their lead on two separate occasions, and it's former Ipswich man Delap at the heart of both. First, Munoz swings a dangerous cross in from the right and, after Ouattara's attempted clearance ricochets off a team-mate, the ball drops kindly for Delap. The striker rises well but gets underneath his header, sending it over the crossbar. Moments later, Delap tries his luck from distance. The power on the effort has Walton concerned, but it drifts just past the right-hand post with the Ipswich 'keeper relieved to see it stay out.
Maeda takes the place of Fatawu with just over 15 minutes left to play.
Hudson-Odoi squares up his man down the left flank for the first time before standing up a cross towards the back post, but there always looked to be too much on it. Gibbs-White strains to make contact, yet the delivery drifts harmlessly out of play.
Clarke and Enciso look to spark an Ipswich counter following a broken-down long throw, but the former's pass is cut out by Williams. Forest do look the side carrying the greater attacking intent at the moment, with the visitors increasingly appearing to have the onus on them to find a winner.
Ndoye was lively, but once again he was without the end product, leaving Forest still searching for a spark. Glasner will be hoping Hudson-Odoi can provide it from the bench.
Glasner must be wondering what more his side have to do from the sidelines, as Forest squander yet another clear-cut opportunity. The Tricky Trees came into this game ranked seventh in the Premier League for expected goals (11.2), so it's not as if they aren't creating chances. Their problem has been turning those opportunities into goals, and that wastefulness is threatening to haunt them once again.
DAVIS IS THERE AGAIN TO CLEAR OFF THE LINE! Ipswich play themselves into trouble at the back and Ndoye is in on goal in a flash, gathering possession just left of centre inside the penalty area. The Forest forward pokes an effort beyond Walton and looks certain to restore his side's lead, but Davis somehow gets back to produce a second goal-line clearance of the contest. It may even be better than his first, with the slightest flick off his left boot enough to divert the ball away.
