Ipswich and Southampton earned a point apiece as two of the relegated clubs from the Premier League last season drew 1-1 at Portman Road.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s own goal after four minutes gave Ipswich an early advantage but Jay Robinson equalised for the visitors just before the half-hour mark. In a frantic second half, Sam Szmodics hit a post while Robinson had a shot deflected by the Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer as neither side were able to grab victory.
Ipswich took the lead when George Hirst intercepted a wayward pass and crossed from the right for Jack Clarke to head towards goal, with the ball deflecting off the chest of the Saints centre-back Harwood-Bellis and into the net.
Adam Armstrong appealed for a Southampton penalty when he collided with the opposing captain, Dara O’Shea, but the referee, Robert Madley, was unmoved.
Robinson and Welington later collided in the Ipswich penalty area when they were in a great position to find an equaliser. A break down the right by the former Ipswich loanee Ryan Fraser eventually led to him delivering a pinpoint cross for the teenager Robinson to connect with his head to bring the sides level.
Hirst robbed Harwood-Bellis deep in the Southampton half and made his way into the visitors’ penalty area where the Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu stuck out a leg to deflect the shot. Moments later Palmer rushed out of his goal towards the halfway line and the ball was almost intercepted by Armstrong but O’Shea closed down the striker’s attempt at goal.
The hosts almost took the lead in the 47th minute when Hirst released Szmodics towards the Southampton goal but his shot struck the right-hand post and rebounded into Bazunu’s arms. At the other end, Robinson had a shot charged down and Jaden Philogene went close with a scissor kick.
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McBurnie grabs late Hull winner
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Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time goal earned Sergej Jakirovic a first win as the new Hull manager in a breathless 3-2 victory at home against Oxford United. McBurnie, who joined the club as a free agent two weeks ago, stabbed home Ryan Giles’ cross three minutes into added time to put the seal on a chaotic game.
Jakirovic, who replaced Rubén Sellés in the summer, might have been forgiven for thinking the league was a cakewalk when Joe Gelhardt opened the scoring after two minutes. But Oxford, as has become standard under Gary Rowett, rarely buckle under pressure and equalised seven minutes later through the Spurs loan signing Will Lankshear.
Matt Crooks restored Hull’s advantage after 20 minutes before Cameron Brannagan equalised six minutes later during a relentless contest that was capped by McBurnie’s late intervention.
In a frantic start to the second period Szmodics’s blistering run upfield nearly resulted in a strike at goal but he failed to outrun Welington, whose solid tackle sent the ball back to his keeper. Shortly afterwards, Palmer had to get down to deflect a shot from Robinson and Szmodics collided with Bazunu in the Southampton penalty area, with the referee awarding a free-kick to the visitors.
Conor Chaplin, on as a substitute, shot narrowly wide in the final minutes and his header went just over the crossbar but neither side was able to find a winner
