Ipswich's Late Drama Ends in Disappointment Against Everton

Ipswich have made a habit of leaving it late this season. Sunderland felt it. Crystal Palace felt it. So when the board went up for seven added minutes at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the away end roared as if a script they already knew was about to be replayed.

It never was.

Down to 10 men and running on fumes, Town still threw on Zian Flemming, the match-winner against Palace and the man many expected to drag them out of trouble again. The chance came. Injury time, space opening up, the goal in his sights. He leant back and lashed it over. A huge opportunity, gone in a flash.

The drama didn’t stop there. Centre-half Issa Diop surged forward in the dying seconds, desperate to steal a point at the death. His effort looked goalbound, only for Jarrad Branthwaite and James Garner to hurl themselves in front of it, smothering the shot and with it Ipswich’s last hope.

For Gary O'Neil, there was agony in the result but plenty of substance in the performance. His side had stood toe to toe for long spells, asking serious questions of Everton and forcing Jordan Pickford into four excellent saves. The England goalkeeper, fresh from being named in Thomas Tuchel's squad, had to be sharp and brave as Ipswich pressed and probed.

The match tilted on a single moment. Midway through the second half, Abdul Fatawu saw red, and everything changed. With a man down, Ipswich were forced deeper, the earlier ambition replaced by resilience and sheer work rate as they clung on and then chased in bursts on the break.

On the touchline, O'Neil carried a heavier burden than most. His father died earlier in the week, yet he still cut an animated, driving figure, urging his players forward as they hunted an equaliser that refused to come. They ran, they tackled, they chased lost causes. It was not enough.

Even so, as the whistle went and the international break loomed, the wider picture looked steadier than the sting of the defeat suggested. Six points from their first five games back at the top level keeps Ipswich clear of early trouble and gives O'Neil a platform.

The late goals dried up this time. The belief in this team’s fight did not.