Stumbling and listless United hand victory to Tractor Boys

CAVE-IN CONTINUES FOR NERVY MAGPIES

Chief sports writer NEWCASTLE United’s end-ofseason implosion continued at the hands of Championship strugglers Ipswich. This was a worrying display from United and if looking like a team which had lost their passion and fire was not bad enough, at times they rolled over defensively for the home side. United looked nervous from the start at Portman Road and, after failing to create chances early on, sloppy defending made things so easy for the Tractor Boys. To put it simply, Newcastle look a pale shadow of the team ticking off victories by the week earlier in the season. It is just one point from the last nine games now for Rafa Benitez’s side and on the day when Brighton booked their place in the Premier League the Magpies will have to sweat things out.

The game opened up in dull fashion with neither side able to create a clear-cut chance at Portman Road in the first 10 minutes.

Ipswich did have the ball in the back of the net from a Tom Lawrence free-kick but the goal was chalked off after a foul by David McGoldrick on Jamaal Lascelles.

Freddie Sears then made a run into the box unopposed before slipping the ball to McGoldrick - but Karl Darlow rushed out to smother the ball.

Newcastle had two chances before the midway point of the first half.

First, Matt Ritchie won a free-kick but Jonjo Shelvey’s whipped delivery into the box was punched away by the goalkeeper.

Moments later a Christian Atsu cross from the right found Daryl Murphy but his header was deflected over.

From the resultant corner, Shelvey’s ball dropped for Paul Dummett but his shot was way off the mark on 20 minutes.

Benitez switched Atsu to the lefthand side in a bid to find a way through the stubborn Ipswich rearguard.

Murphy rolled a ball down the flank into Atsu’s path but he lost possession.

The Irish striker then tried his luck with a pass to Shelvey - but his longrange effort was tame on 32 minutes.

A dipping volley from Shelvey was then gathered by Bartosz Bialkowski in the Ipswich goal.

Five minutes before the interval Dummett made a good run down the left to cross for Ritchie but his diving header went over the top.

It was to prove a costly miss by Ritchie.

The former Bournemouth winger’s woe was compounded when he lost the ball on the halfway line with Lawrence bursting through before picking out Sears three minutes before the break.

Sears fired home, Ritchie’s sprint back and attempt to clear on the line not enough.

McGoldrick fired over another good chance before the break as Newcastle ended the half looking second best.

Newcastle started the second half with an early free-kick but, after Diame had been fouled, Shelvey’s effort struck the wall.