Stoke City vs Ipswich Town. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Ipswich Town at the bet365 Stadium on New Year's Day | Jordan Thompson sent off for second yellow card during goalless draw
Monday 1 January 2024 18:48, UK
Ten-player Stoke held promotion-chasing Ipswich to a goalless draw on New Year's Day.
Midfielder Jordan Thompson was sent off in the second half for two bookable offences as the resilient hosts' held on for a well-deserved point.
Southampton missed a glorious chance to slash Ipswich's lead in second to just a point after they were held to a frustrating draw at Norwich.
Steven Schumacher, who took over the Potters last month, masterminded Plymouth's Sky Bet League One-winning campaign last term as the Tractor Boys finished second.
The former Everton youngster frustrated Kieran McKenna once again as Ipswich's winless run stretched to five - their longest in the league since April 2022.
For Stoke, they have now gone six games without defeat, but have only won one game in two months.
The Potteries fans were hopeful 2024 would spark a new dawn of results.
As much as they saw Town dominate the ball, it was the hosts who had the better chances in the contest.
They will be buoyed by the fighting spirit and resilience shown after going down to 10 men.
The hosts were the first to show their intent as Lewis Baker forced Vaclav Hladky into an early save.
Daniel Johnson received his first yellow card for a seventh-minute foul on Kayden Jackson.
Schumacher's Stoke came close to an opener when Moroccan Ryan Mmaee's volley was well kept out by Hladky.
Ipswich found their way into the contest as Conor Chaplin was denied by Jack Bonham.
Referee James Bell was replaced by the fourth official on the half-hour mark due to injury.
The hosts continued to threaten as half-time approached, with Baker again frustrated by Hladky after he cut onto his left foot before the Ipswich goalkeeper denied the midfielder in stoppage time.
McKenna's visitors were quick out of the blocks after the break.
Bonham was strong at his near post to keep out Wes Burns' strike, while at the other end, Dutchman Wouter Burger had a goal chalked off for offside on the hour mark.
But it was backs to the walls for the Potters after Thompson was sent off for a second yellow card when he felled Chaplin.
Burns then nodded over the bar at the back post from Sam Morsy's cross as Ipswich pushed for a winner.
Ipswich huffed and puffed, but Stoke held firm for a valiant point.
Stoke's Steven Schumacher:
"I'm really pleased and proud of the players. They put some effort in for the fourth game in a row in 10 days against a tough team.
"I'm really proud of them because we've managed to get a result which I felt we deserved.
"We played really well for 20-25 minutes and caused lots of problems. We couldn't get ourselves in front.
"I felt just before the red card we were back on top, but the red card changed it.
"For 25 minutes, we've had to dig deep and fight for a point. Thankfully the lads have done that and I'm really pleased. They deserved it.
"The team spirit is the most pleasing aspect. It shouldn't be easy to come here and play. We need to make it a tough game and it should be a tough place to play and it should be.
"The atmosphere was brilliant. The fans got behind us when we really needed them for the last five or ten minutes there.
"I'm really pleased, we got a result because we played really well."
Ipswich's Kieran McKenna:
"We would have liked to have won. But I saw a lot of good things in the performance.
"With the schedule it doesn't make it any easier, but I saw a lot of good things.
"It was a tough start. But after that we controlled the game really well and stayed brave.
"We got into some really good situations, but we were a first touch or half a yard away from getting a goal.
"We weren't able to quite do enough after they went down to 10 men. It's an advantage, but in other ways they were open and there was space to attack when they had 11.
"The crowd weren't necessarily with them, but them the sending off galvanised them around that a little bit.
"They defended their box in numbers, but we weren't able to do enough at the end of the game.
"That's a frustration, but as a collective and individually there were a lot of good things."
