Ipswich vs Southampton: Overview


In a keenly contested Championship fixture at Portman Road Stadium, Ipswich Town and Southampton played out a 1-1 draw that left both sets of supporters with mixed emotions. The Sunday morning clash between these two recently relegated Premier League sides delivered early drama when the hosts took a fourth-minute lead through a Taylor Harwood-Bellis own goal. George Hirst's intelligent movement initiated the attack before Jack Clarke's dangerous cross was inadvertently diverted past Gavin Bazunu by the Southampton defender.
The Saints responded well to the early setback and found their equalizer in the 29th minute when youngster Jay Robinson headed home Ryan Fraser's pinpoint cross to register his first senior goal. The atmosphere at Portman Road was electric throughout, with both sets of supporters recognizing the significance of this early-season encounter between two promotion favorites.
The second half saw Ipswich come closest to claiming all three points when Sam Szmodics struck the woodwork just after the restart, but neither side could find the decisive breakthrough despite creating several promising opportunities. The match was marked by competitive midfield battles, with three yellow cards issued before half-time reflecting the intensity of the contest.
This result leaves Kieran McKenna's Ipswich sitting 16th in the Championship table, while Will Still's Southampton occupy 11th place after the opening fixtures. Both managers will take encouragement from their team's performances but will recognize improvements are needed if they are to fulfill their ambitions of an immediate return to the top flight.
We created the better chances today, but I can't claim we dominated the game completely. Southampton are a quality side with Premier League experience, just like us. The early goal gave us momentum, but we couldn't capitalize on it fully. I see this as a step forward despite the frustration of not winning a home game we led in. The Championship is a marathon, not a sprint, and we'll keep building.
- Kieran McKenna, Ipswich Town Manager
I think a draw was probably the fair result when you look at the balance of play. Going behind so early at a difficult venue like Portman Road could have rattled us, but I was impressed with our grit and determination to fight back. Jay Robinson taking his chance with such composure is a huge positive. We're still building understanding within the group, and results like this away from home will prove valuable as the season progresses.
- Will Still, Southampton Manager
It was a special moment to score my first senior goal, especially in such an important game. Ryan put in a perfect cross and I just had to make good contact. We showed character to come back after conceding early. The Championship is new to me but I'm learning every day and hope to contribute more goals as the season continues.
- Jay Robinson, Southampton Goalscorer
We're disappointed not to take all three points, especially after starting so well. My shot hitting the post summed up our luck in front of goal today. There are positives to take though - we looked solid for long periods and created chances against a team that will definitely be up there this season.
- Sam Szmodics, Ipswich Town Midfielder


- Possesion of the goal 50%50%
- 14Total hits11
- 1Shots on target3
- 1Big chances1
- 1Big chances missed0
- 7Fouls committed20
- 4Corners5
Possession: Ipswich Town 51% - 49% Southampton
Shots on Target: Ipswich Town 4 - 3 Southampton
Total Shots: Ipswich Town 11 - 9 Southampton
Corners: Ipswich Town 6 - 5 Southampton
Yellow Cards: Ipswich Town 2 (Jack Taylor 42', Azor Matusiwa 45'+2) - Southampton 1 (Welington 41')
Passing Accuracy: Ipswich Town 78% - 81% Southampton
Individual Performances:
Sam Szmodics (Ipswich) - 4 shots, 1 hitting the post, 3 key passes
Jack Clarke (Ipswich) - 1 assist, 5 successful dribbles, 2 chances created
Ryan Fraser (Southampton) - 1 assist, 4 crosses, 3 chances created
Jay Robinson (Southampton) - 1 goal, 2 shots on target, 87% passing accuracy
Azor Matusiwa (Ipswich) - 7 tackles, 4 interceptions, 91% passing completion
Flynn Downes (Southampton) - 62 passes completed, 3 interceptions, 2 shots
The statistics reflect the closely fought nature of the match, with Ipswich marginally more threatening in attack while Southampton maintained slightly better passing efficiency throughout the 90 minutes.
4' - GOAL! Ipswich Town 1-0 Southampton - Taylor Harwood-Bellis turns the ball into his own net after Jack Clarke's cross from the left following George Hirst's intelligent build-up play.
29' - GOAL! Ipswich Town 1-1 Southampton - Jay Robinson scores his first senior goal with a well-placed header from Ryan Fraser's precise cross from the right wing.
41' - Yellow Card - Southampton's Welington cautioned for a late challenge on Jaden Philogene near the touchline.
42' - Yellow Card - Ipswich's Jack Taylor booked for pulling back Adam Armstrong as Southampton looked to break forward.
45'+2 - Yellow Card - Azor Matusiwa enters the referee's book for a cynical foul on Mateus Fernandes in midfield.
47' - WOODWORK! - Sam Szmodics strikes the post with a curling effort from just inside the penalty area after good work from Leif Davis on the left.
58' - Southampton penalty appeal waved away when Adam Armstrong goes down under challenge from Dara O'Shea.
72' - Tactical switch by Ipswich as McKenna adjusts formation to 4-3-3 to provide more attacking impetus.
83' - Southampton's Will Still responds with defensive reinforcement, moving to a back five for the closing stages to secure a point.
The timeline highlights the early drama and competitive nature of the fixture, with neither team able to find a winner despite tactical adjustments in the second half.
Chronology of the match
The history between Ipswich Town and Southampton spans several decades across multiple divisions, with this latest Championship confrontation adding another chapter to their storied rivalry. Prior to this encounter, the sides had met 72 times in competitive fixtures, with Southampton holding a slight historical edge with 29 wins to Ipswich's 27, alongside 16 draws.
Their most recent meetings came during the 2014/15 Premier League season, where Southampton completed a league double over Ipswich with a 2-0 home win and a narrow 1-0 victory at Portman Road. This marks their first encounter in the Championship since the 2008/09 season, when they also shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Portman Road before Southampton secured a 3-0 home victory.
The key individual battle on the pitch proved to be between Southampton's central defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Ipswich striker George Hirst. Despite Harwood-Bellis's unfortunate own goal, he recovered well and made several crucial interventions, winning 7 aerial duels against Hirst's 4. The midfield contest between Azor Matusiwa and Flynn Downes was equally compelling, with both former teammates demonstrating their quality in possession and defensive responsibilities.
When these teams meet at St. Mary's later in the season, the outcome could have significant implications for the promotion race. Both managers will have learned valuable tactical lessons from this encounter that will inform their approach to the return fixture. The evenly-matched nature of this game suggests that these two sides will remain close competitors throughout the Championship campaign.
After the second round of Championship fixtures, the table is beginning to take shape with both relegated sides finding themselves in mid-table positions as they adjust to life back in England's second tier.
Ipswich Town currently occupy 16th place with 2 points from their opening two matches. Having drawn both games, Kieran McKenna's men have shown resilience but will be looking to secure their first victory soon to begin climbing the table. Their defensive organization has been evident, conceding just once in two matches, but converting draws into wins will be crucial for their promotion aspirations.
Southampton sit in 11th position with 4 points, having won their opening fixture before securing this valuable away point at Portman Road. Will Still's side has shown promise in their attacking play, scoring three goals in their first two matches. The Saints' early season form suggests they have adapted quickly to Championship football following relegation.
Both teams remain among the bookmakers' favorites for promotion despite their current mid-table standings. With only two games played, the table remains congested, with just 3 points separating the playoff positions from the bottom half. Analysts expect both Ipswich and Southampton to be challenging for automatic promotion spots as the season progresses, given their financial resources and the quality within their squads.
Team | M Matches | W Win | D Draw | L Lose | G Goals | P Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() Stoke City FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
2 | ![]() Middlesbrough FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
3 | ![]() West Bromwich Albion FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
4 | ![]() Bristol City FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
5 | ![]() Coventry City FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
6 | ![]() Preston North End FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
7 | ![]() Birmingham City FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
8 | ![]() Southampton FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
9 | ![]() Charlton Athletic FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
10 | ![]() Leicester City FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
11 | ![]() Norwich City FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
12 | ![]() Portsmouth FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
13 | ![]() Watford FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
14 | ![]() Swansea City AFC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
15 | ![]() Millwall FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
16 | ![]() Ipswich Town FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
17 | ![]() Hull City AFC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
18 | ![]() Queens Park Rangers FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
19 | ![]() Oxford United FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
20 | ![]() Wrexham AFC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
21 | ![]() Blackburn Rovers FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
22 | ![]() Derby County FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
23 | ![]() Sheffield Wednesday FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
24 | ![]() Sheffield United FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |