Below par Ipswich stun Shrewsbury at the death as Sam Ricketts faces his critics again

A trip to Portman Road was always going to be incredibly tough for struggling Shrewsbury, but a result was crucial for manager Sam Ricketts to prove he’s the right man for the job.

The Shrews went into the game having won just one of their 11 League One games all season, mustering just ten goals and conceding 17 – leaving them 22nd in the table. Ricketts has come under fire after some incredibly poor results, including home losses against Bristol Rovers and Rochdale, as well as a 5-1 demolition away at Peterborough.

So it was a huge shock to see the visitors take the lead at Portman Road in just four minutes. A lobbed through ball to Shaun Whalley played him into the box, before 19-year-old Arsenal loanee Mark McGuinness brought him down for a Shrewsbury penalty. Skipper Oliver Norburn stepped up and squeezed his spot-kick past Tomas Holy to give his side the lead.

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Not only had the Tractor Boys won all five of their home league games this season, they hadn’t conceded a single goal either. Within minutes, they found themselves trailing to a Shrewsbury side that they expected to breeze past.

Injuries forced Ipswich manager Paul Lambert to change his system. Jon Nolan managed just over 20 minutes before being replaced by winger Jack Lankester, who played just off striker Kayden Jackson in a makeshift attacking quartet.

Teddy Bishop, who’s notched up four League One goals from midfield this season, suffered an ankle injury in the first half as he was replaced by a more defensive-minded Emyr Huws. This was undoubtedly a strong advertisement for the new five substitute rule.

Although they had more than enough quality, the hosts were unable to break down their opponents. Shrewsbury’s 5-2-3 formation allowed them to sit back and allow Ipswich to have the vast majority of the ball, but making it incredibly tough for them to find gaps to exploit. When they did win the ball back, they found it easy to play a ball over the top of the Blues’ defence and create chances.

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However, with 15 minutes to play, a freak goal saw Lambert’s side back level. Borussia Mönchengladbach loanee Keanan Bennetts found space down the right flank to deliver a cross into the box, which Ethan Ebanks-Landell nudged into his own net. Suddenly, the game opened up and the momentum evened out.

The Tractor Boys found more space in Shrewsbury’s defence, who were clearly anxious about having to shut out a re-energised Ipswich attack. Despite their recent form, Shrewsbury weren’t deterred and still pushed forward in search of a winner themselves.

Seven minutes of added time allowed for the inevitable. Shrewsbury momentarily switched off as substitute Jack Lankester arrived in the box, who powered his header past Harry Burgoyne to seal a last gasp win for Ipswich.

The Shrews, who undoubtedly earned a point, would leave empty-handed and heartbroken. The Tractor Boys saw their 100% home record stay intact by the skin of their teeth.

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The defeat now leaves Shrewsbury’s board in an incredibly tough position. They were given very little hope of laying a glove on high-flying Ipswich, but they looked much improved and deserved to leave with at least a point, but at the end of the day, it’s another defeat which leaves them in the relegation zone. Their fortunes will have to change fast if they hope to avoid the drop.

The Shrews head to MK Dons in midweek, which may be Sam Ricketts’ last chance to prove he’s the right man for the job. The Dons have also struggled this campaign, mustering just 13 points from 13 games and sitting 17th in the table, so both teams will be out to prove that they’re better than a relegation battle.

Ipswich climb up to third in the table following today’s win as they continue to push for an automatic promotion place. They were below par today, however, and really struggled in a game that they were supposed to win easily.

Of course, the real promotion contenders can win when they’re not at their best, which the Tractor Boys did today, but there’ll need to be a huge improvement ahead of their next two games against Hull and Charlton. Paul Lambert has a lot of work to do before then if he wants his side to keep up with the teams at the top of the table.

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