Ipswich 3-2 Cardiff City: Tractor Boys earn stunning comeback win

Ipswich fought back from two goals down to get back to winning ways with a 3-2 victory over Cardiff in a pulsating encounter at Portman Road.

The visitors led 2-0 through midfielder Aaron Ramsey and skipper Joe Ralls.

But the Tractor Boys came back strongly, dominating the second half thanks to goals from Nathan Broadhead and two from substitute Freddie Ladapo.

Ipswich started on the front foot as wing-back Harry Clarke's teasing cross was met by Broadhead but his effort was directed straight at Cardiff goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson.

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City had the ball in net in the 16th minute but it was ruled out for offside. Vaclav Hladky palmed out a header by City centre-back Mark McGuinness, with Karlan Grant in an offside position as he fired home the loose ball.

Conor Chaplin tested Runarsson with a shot from outside the penalty area in the 20th minute.

Cardiff took the lead on the half-hour when Ramsey stroked the ball home from inside the six-yard box. He started the attack wide on the right, firing the ball to Grant whose cross found the unmarked 32-year-old former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder.

Town almost levelled two minutes later when George Hirst's shot was beaten up in the air by Runarsson and the ball dropped just wide.

It was the final act for the Ipswich striker as he was replaced by Ladapo and in the 43rd minute he cut the ball back for Chaplin, whose first-time effort was kept out by the feet of Runarsson.

Cardiff had a wonderful opportunity to extend their lead just before the break when a cross from Ollie Tanner found an unmarked Yakou Meite and with only Hladky to beat, the Ivory Coast international headed the ball over the crossbar.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the 53rd minute when Ralls swept a crisp low shot into the bottom corner.

But Town pulled a goal back six minutes later when Broadhead rifled a stunning shot into the back of the net from just outside the penalty area.

Ipswich had a penalty appeal turned away by referee Gavin Ward when Broadhead went down under a challenge from Perry Ng, but they drew level in the 68th minute through Ladapo.

Town kept the pressure on the Cardiff goal following a corner and the striker squeezed the ball home at the near post.

Hladky came to Town's rescue when he kept out efforts from Grant and Ike Ugbo.

And Ipswich took the lead in the 78th minute when a cross from substitute Omari Hutchinson struck Runarsson and rebounded in off Ladapo's head from close range to send the majority of the 28,011 watching fans home happy.

The managers

Ipswich's Kieran McKenna:

"That's a wonderful way to win the game. We showed all the qualities that I believe we've got in the group and that we've built over the last 18 months in terms of the resilience, the belief in what they're doing and the unity for the subs to come on and bring us something different and to keep going right until the last whistle. It's a great win.

"We said at the start of the season that we're not going to win every game, we're not going to win every game here, but we'll try and give the supporters a team that will play brave football and we'll fight to the last minute and I think today we did both.

"It was definitely a different type of game and a difficult challenge. I think it's the first time in the Championship that somebody has come here and played a low block against us.

"It's the first time a team has come here and defended in numbers behind the ball and that's a big challenge for us."

Cardiff's Erol Bulut:

"These type of games when you are leading 2-0, you have to not give it away. We could not manage it in the second half so that we can keep the result or to score one more because we had the chances.

"Even first half we had the chances. I lost three points today. You have to be more calm. The team is not from three or four players, everybody has to be involved.

"In the second half some of my players were not involved in the game. If you cannot keep the ball you get pressure.

"I think the break now will be good for us to analyse our issues defensively.

"We could not manage to keep the opponent from our goal.

"Everybody has to be 100 per cent. We know we have a lot of positive things in our game but we have to be more aggressive."

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