Ipswich Rally To Hold Middlesbrough Via Jack Clarke’s Controversial Penalty

Jack Clarke fired location an 87th-minute punishment to prevention a constituent for Ipswich successful a pulsating 2-2 tie pinch their promotion rivals. Jarred Gillett awarded nan spot-kick erstwhile he adjudged Adilson Malanda had tugged nan substitute George Hirst successful nan box.

Middlesbrough, who are connected a seven-match winless run, went up done David Strelec only for Kasey McAteer to equalise 5 minutes later. The visitors took nan lead done Tommy Conway but Clarke’s spot-kick meant a constituent apiece.

The consequence moved Ipswich up into 2nd successful nan Championship connected extremity quality up of Millwall, a constituent successful beforehand of Southampton and 3 up of Boro, who are fifth.

Malanda sewage successful an early muddle pinch his goalkeeper Sol Brynn, who came retired of his area arsenic Leif Davis looked to flick nan shot complete him but nan keeper sewage a touch of nan shot pinch his enarthrosis to extremity nan danger.

A amended chance came successful nan 24th infinitesimal erstwhile a flowing Ipswich move involving Iván Azón, Marcelino Núñez and McAteer ended pinch nan full-back Darnell Furlong firing conscionable wide.

But against nan tally of play nan visitors took nan lead a infinitesimal later done nan Slovakia world Strelec, who sidefooted location from conscionable wrong nan six-yard area aft a transverse from Alan Browne.

The hosts were level 5 minutes later done a superb onslaught from McAteer. Azón produced a cheeky backheel and nan Ipswich winger latched connected to nan walk and rifled nan shot into nan bottommost corner.

Brynn had to dive afloat magnitude to acrobatically move a changeable from Jaden Philogene information nan station and successful a uncommon Boro attack, Conway recovered Alex Gilbert connected nan overlap and his transverse was met by Strelec but Ipswich’s goalkeeper, Christian Walton, landed connected nan scuffed, bouncing effort.

Tommy Conway celebrates scoring Middlesbrough’s 2nd astatine Portman Road but nan 2-2 tie made it 7 games without a triumph for them. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA

Walton had to hit distant an angled changeable from Strelec arsenic some sides sought to return nan lead while astatine nan different extremity Brynn leapt skywards to thenar complete a thunderbolt from Azón. From nan resultant corner, Jack Taylor fired narrowly wide.

Conway struck for Boro successful nan 64th infinitesimal for nan visitors to regain nan lead. Strelec trim nan shot backmost from nan correct and Callum Brittain’s changeable was kept retired by Walton but Conway was connected manus to steer nan shot into an quiet net.

Walton dived to thenar distant a changeable from Middlesbrough substitute and erstwhile Ipswich subordinate Jeremy Sarmiento arsenic Boro piled connected nan pressure. The stadium erupted pinch 3 minutes near successful nan crippled erstwhile nan punishment was awarded and Clarke scored from nan spot.