Ipswich 4-3 Blackburn Rovers: Kieran McKenna's Town march on after winning seven-goal thriller

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich and Blackburn Rovers at Portman Road as goals from Harry Clarke, Nathan Broadhead, George Hirst and Massimo Luongo helped Town to victory in a seven-goal thriller

Saturday 23 September 2023 18:18, UK

Australian midfielder Massimo Luongo struck a late winner as Ipswich recorded a 4-3 victory over Blackburn in a pulsating game at Portman Road.

The result elevated Town to second place and they have now won 19 of their last 22 matches in league football, amassing a total of 59 points in the process.

Goals from Harry Clarke, Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst put Town in control in the first half after Arnor Sigurdsson equalised.

An own goal from Clarke cut the deficit before Sammie Szmodics levelled but Luongo's effort made it seven wins from eight league games this season for Town.

Clarke smashed a shot into the top corner in the fourth minute to open the scoring for Ipswich.

Referee Keith Stroud then turned down a penalty appeal for Rovers when Harry Leonard fell in the area following a challenge from Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.

The visitors hit back when Sigurdsson played a neat one-two with Lewis Travis and slipped the ball past Hladky in the ninth minute.

Ipswich restored their lead in the 18th minute as Broadhead picked up the ball from just outside the penalty area and rifled a shot past Aynsley Pears.

Hirst put the Tractor Boys further ahead seven minutes later when Cameron Burgess played a pin-point ball for the striker to race through to toe-poke the ball past the on-rushing Pears.

In the final moments of the half, Broadhead struck the base of the post with a shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Hladky spread himself to deny Rovers substitute Andrew Moran but Rovers pulled a goal back when Clarke diverted the ball into his own net under pressure from Leonard.

Hladky came to Town's rescue when he palmed away a header from Leonard but he was helpless when Szmodics scored the equalising goal for Blackburn in the 65th minute when he beat Burgess on the edge of the box to fire the ball into the back of the net.

However, Ipswich grabbed the winner in the 79th minute when Luongo bought the ball down on his chest to volley home and send the majority of the 28,792 crowd into sheer delight.

The managers

Ipswich's Kieran McKenna:

"It was obviously a thrilling game. I don't think many of us will have seen or have been involved in too many open games. It was really open at times and we scored four but we could have scored many more goals, they scored three and could have added another one. A thrilling game, I think one we need to really enjoy and enjoy in the moment.

"Lots of good things in the performance, lots of things to learn, things to improve but the quality of the players, the spirit, the effort was there for all to see and I think we deserved the three points. We have got a real belief in how we play and how we work and our fitness levels and there's a real belief around to just keep just doing the right things irrespective of the scoreline or the setbacks. We have shown a real good capacity to move onto the next moment to try and get back on the ball and try and create chances."

Blackburn's Jon Dahl Tomasson:

"We knew it was going to be tough coming to Ipswich who have an excellent home record and have started extremely well in the Championship. Probably our first half cost us the game, we were not quick enough on the ball, not playing quick enough, not moving quick enough. I think coming into the second half the guys showed a great mentality, resilience and had a good performance.

"It's tough scoring three goals away and you don't get a result but all credit for the boys for the second half and all those traveling fans who were behind the team. We probably could have scored six or seven goals as well if you look at the chances. It was an open game for each team but coming here and creating that amount of chances was really positive. But I knew it was going to be a tough game and we saw that."