POTTERS CAUGHT BY STING IN TAIL
ALATE sucker punch left Stoke boss Nathan Jones disappointed after his side failed to pick up all three points at struggling Ipswich.
Striker Will Keane scored in injury time to give the Championship’s bottom club a valuable point.
They had fallen behind just before the break when a dreadful mix-up in the home side’s sixyard box between centre-back Jonas Knudsen and goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski was pounced on by Stoke’s James McClean.
Stoke have not won on the road since October last year and the latest result saw them stay in the bottom half of the table in 17th spot.
Ipswich, meanwhile, made up ground on the teams above them – Bolton and Reading – who both lost, while Rotherham drew, to close the gap to nine points from safety.
Jones said: “We should have been two or three-up in the first half with efforts by Sam Vokes and Tom Ince.
“But we did not play well in the second half and it was disappointing that we did not cover the corner for their goal.
“We have to be a lot better – we have looked solid, but their goal was a bit of a sting in the tail. Up until they scored we looked solid and defended well.
“It’s a difficult place to come when they (Ipswich) are fighting for their lives and Paul (Lambert) has certainly got them fighting.”
The visitors forced two corners on the trot in the opening four minutes of the match.
The first came after Ipswich keeper Bartosz Bialkowski, captaining the side for the second time in as many games, pushed a cross from Tom Ince on to the crossbar and then punched clear the resulting kick from the former Huddersfield player.
In the 29th minute a great through ball from Ince just caught former Burnley striker Vokes offside. And five minutes later the two again combined for the best chance of the first half when Ince’s cross found Vokes unmarked in the six-yard box, but his diving header went just over the bar.
But with half-time approaching shocking miscommunication between Knudsen and Bialkowski led to McClean seizing on an easy opportunity to smash the ball into an unguarded goal.
Ipswich midfielder Teddy Bishop was upended just outside the Stoke penalty area by Ryan Woods following a dazzling run in the 51st minute and, from the resultant free-kick, Alan Judge just failed to draw the two teams level. His 25-yard effort beat Jack Butland and hit the bar.
With time running out Hull City loanee Keane headed home a corner from Judge to bring the sides level.
Ipswich boss Paul Lambert said: “I thought we were excellent. There was nothing in the game.
“We were relentless, young lads with enthusiasm and energy and it was no more than we deserved and nobody can begrudge us that.
“I am proud of them and the atmosphere in the stadium was incredible.”