Sarmiento’s late show keeps the title race alive
IPSWICH fans sung the name of their most famous manager during the second half and their team produced a comeback of which Bobby Robson would have been proud.
Trailing to Championship leaders Leicester since the half-hour mark after an own goal from Leif Davis, Ipswich improved dramatically in the second half and deserved their late equaliser through substitute Jeremy Sarmiento, who scored with a minute of normal time remaining.
That is one point from the last two games for Leicester and while they still have a seven-point cushion at the top, Enzo Maresca’s men don’t look quite so comfortable as a month or so ago.
If Leicester blow it from here, it would be one of the most surprising collapses of recent times. Theirs is one of the best squads in the history of the Championship and would not look out of place in the top flight.
Even though Ipswich keeper Vaclav Hladky made several saves here, Kieran McKenna’s team still had their moments before the equaliser when Conor Chaplin and Wes Burns went close.
With Maresca in the stands after collecting three yellow cards this term, Leicester moved quickly into their stride. Ipswich’s plan to play out from the back nearly cost them twice and in general play the Foxes were just a yard quicker.
The perfect example came when Ricardo Pereira caught Lewis Travis on his heels and found Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who could not decide whether to pass or shoot and Ipswich escaped.
The visitors tried to target Jannik Vestergaard’s lack of pace and Chaplin should have hit the target from the edge of the box just before the half-hour mark after Kayden Jackson’s lay-off.
Moments later, Leicester were ahead. Stephy Mavididi played a one-two with the excellent Pereira and when Hladky stretched to cut out the cross, he could only palm it against team-mate Davis. The own goal was unavoidable and Leicester led.
They would have been further ahead at the interval had Pereira been more accurate when Luke Woolfenden’s poor clearance dropped to him inside the box.
Leicester survived a scare early in the second half when Burns sprung their defensive line and latched on to Harry Clarke’s header, with Mads Hermansen showing impressive reflexes to turn the wide-man’s volley over the top.
But the home side soon picked up the pace again. Travis headed off the line and Massimo Luongo had to throw himself in front of Kasey McAteer’s crisp volley.
Travis had looked shaky all night and it was no surprise when he was replaced by Jack Taylor soon after the hour — only for Taylor to have a nervy moment of his own when his overhit backpass nearly caught out Hladky. Luongo was then lucky only to be booked for a forearm smash that flattened Wout Faes. Clarke also might have been sent off for flying into Dewsbury-Hall.
Leicester were pushing for the second but Ipswich still posed a threat and substitute Nathan Broadhead was stopped in his tracks by Vestergaard’s block.
Dewsbury-Hall was correctly denied a penalty for tumbling unnecessarily and Hladky produced another impressive stop from Cannon. Later it was Ipswich’s turn to demand a penalty when James Justin’s clearance hit Vestergaard on the thigh and bounced against his hand.
But Ipswich were well on top now and deserved their equaliser. Hermansen made a huge hash of Luongo’s shot, parrying it straight to Sarmiento — who rammed home and made Leicester feel just a little jittery.