Dike blow as Hutch rescues Ipswich
OMARI HUTCHINSON’S late Ipswich equaliser ensured this clash between Championship promotion rivals ended with the points shared.
Albion also left East Anglia hoping American striker Daryl Dike’s career has not been put back on hold. He left the Portman Road pitch in tears and on a buggy after suffering an injury to his left foot.
Dike, on for only 10 minutes in the second half, was five games into a comeback from an eight-month lay-off caused by a ruptured Achilles on his other foot.
Albion manager Carlos Corberan said: ‘We don’t know if it is as serious as the previous injury. You can imagine how he feels. We will be with him.’
Fifth-placed Albion made the better start, with Tom Fellows firing them into an 18th-minute lead.
Andreas Weimann’s ball from deep allowed the winger, 20, to beat Luke Woolfenden and Tom Clarke before slotting past Vaclav Hladky at his near post.
Ipswich were level 44 seconds into the second half when Nathan Broadhead scored from George Edmundson’s knockdown. The ball appeared to have hit the defender’s hand before his head but the goal was allowed to stand.
John Swift, who had replaced Dikes, made an impact when he smashed a 25yard drive beyond Hladky to make it 2-1 to West Brom after 76 minutes but Ipswich would not be denied.
Chelsea loanee Hutchinson seized on a deflected drive from Sam Morsy in the third minute of stoppage time and fired home through a crowd of players.
‘To get a point and deserve three, we can take a lot from that,’ said Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna whose fourthplaced side have now won just once in their last nine Championship outings.