Ipswich 3 (Hutchinson 28, Ladapo 39, Taylor 58) Wolves 2 (Hwang 4, Toti 15)
Wolves were knocked out of the Carabao Cup after surrendering a two-goal lead to Championship side Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Early goals from Hee Chan Hwang and Toti had Gary O’Neil’s side in the driving seat, but they allowed their hosts back into the tie, with Omari Hutchinson and Freddie Ladapo drawing the Tractor Boys level before the break.
Jack Taylor’s stunning strike won Ipswich the tie after the interval and although Wolves had their chances from a pair of Tommy Doyle corners, neither Matt Doherty nor Santiago Bueno could force the tie to penalties.
If O’Neil was hoping for his side to instantly mark their quality at Portman Road, he wouldn’t have been disappointed early on, as Wolves raced into a two-goal lead after 15 minutes. Hwang was the man to get the ball rolling, as he was afforded space inside the Ipswich area and, after picking the ball up from Sasa Kalajdzic, fired back across goal and into the far corner.
Doherty also threatened in the early stages, before the Old Gold made it two from a set piece. From Pablo Sarabia’s inswinging corner, Santiago Bueno had a close-range header brilliantly saved by Vaclav Hladky, but Toti pounced on the loose ball to hammer home the rebound.
Wolves were looking pretty at that point, but it was soon about to change. Dan Bentley had denied former Old Gold man Lee Evans from distance but saw the ball squeeze between himself and the near post on 28 minutes, after Hutchinson had got the better of Santiago Bueno.
Then, with five minutes left of the half, Freddie Ladapo was fed by Marcus Harness, and the striker was able to turn from inside the Wolves box and fire underneath Bentley – a save the goalkeeper may have hoped to do better with.
Still looking to go in for the break ahead, Sarabia twice threatened, first firing an indirect free-kick into the wall, before flashing a low effort wide after good work from Hwang down the left, meaning it was all to play for at the interval.
Half-time | Ipswich 2-2 Wolves
The positive start to the first half was truly forgotten after the break, as it was Ipswich who went on to win it. Taylor did the damage, picking the ball up 35 yards from go and rifling into the top corner from distance, after Harness had come close earlier in the half.
Wolves did have their chances from there, almost entirely from Tommy Doyle corners. First, his corner was glanced agonisingly wide by Doherty, then another dead ball delivery was headed straight at Hladky by Santiago Bueno, who’d found space inside the Town box.
Matheus Cunha came off the bench to curl over from the edge of the box, after showing good feet, while in injury time Rayan Ait-Nouri bundled the ball home, only for the flag to deny him, after Fabio Silva had strayed offside to flicked Doherty’s cross on to the crossbar. It meant Wolves’ Carabao Cup account ended at Portman Road.
Full-time | Ipswich 3-2 Wolves
Ipswich | Hladky, Ball, Edmundson, Baggott, Williams, Evans, Taylor (Luongo 82), Jackson (Burns 82), Harness (Aluko 70), Hutchinson (Humphreys 70), Ladapo (Hirst 70).
Unused subs | Sicker, Donacien, Woolfenden, Chaplin.
Wolves | Bentley, Jonny, Doherty, S Bueno, Toti, H Bueno (Ait-Nouri 45), Traore, Doyle (Gomes 73), Sarabia (Cunha 61), Hwang (Silva 69), Kalajdzic (Fraser 61).
Unused subs | King, Kilman, Hodge, Fernandez.
