Jordan Ayew came off the bench to earn Leicester City a last-gasp 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town as Kieran McKenna’s side’s wait for a first Premier League win since their return to the top flight continues.
The home team appeared on course for all three points thanks to Leif Davis’ stunning volley 10 minutes into the second half on the left back’s 100th appearance for the club, only for Kalvin Phillips’ 77th-minute sending-off for two bookings to turn the game on its head.
The on-loan Man City midfielder was fortunate not to have been shown a straight red card at the end of the first period after appearing to elbow Facundo Buonanotte in the head, only for VAR Stuart Attwell to deem it just a yellow card.
Leif Davis leaps in celebration after giving Ipswich the lead
However, after clumsily barging into Ricardo Pereira, referee Tim Robinson had no other option than to issue Phillips a second yellow – a week on from Harry Clarke also seeing red in defeat at Brentford – and Ipswich’s control of the game disappeared in an instant.
The hosts were furious the official had not awarded them a penalty when Conor Chaplin was upended in the box moments before Phillips saw red, before Leicester then took immediate control – and with Ipswich hanging on, deservedly levelled matters in the fourth minute of injury time after Ayew exchanged passes with Jamie Vardy, before coolly finding the net with the hosts’ long wait for a Premier League win still stretching back to April 2002.
Jordan Ayew is congratulated after scoring a late equaliser for Leicester
As a result, Ipswich stay in 18th place in the table after a fifth draw of the season, while Steve Cooper – who watched the game from the Portman Road stands after picking up a touchline ban – saw his team stay in 15th place.
What the managers said…
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna:
“I think it was the defining moment in the match, it’s clear we were the better team when it was 11 vs 11, and we should go 2-0 up.
“I think it’s a clear penalty and should have been given straight away. He steams into [Chaplin’s] stomach. I don’t think it’s a debatable one.
“And to compound that with a bouncing ball, and both players have the right to go for the challenge, and Kalvin’s tried to pull out…
“In the context of the game, to compound it by giving a second yellow is unacceptable, in my opinion, for the referee to put himself into the centre of the match like that.
“It’s 10 games we haven’t won, but 10 games and five from which we got a result, and probably eight that we competed in,”
Leicester boss Steve Cooper:
“Performance-wise, we dropped off a little bit in our intensity and into what Ipswich wanted.
“They’ve scored a goal of great quality; that can happen in this league. But we settled again, responded, forced a red card which I’m told could’ve come a bit earlier, but no problem.
“Then we had good chances in the latter stages. We needed to keep going, and Jordan and Vards combined and showed great composure and their experience and it was a good goal.
“A draw is what it is. We have to accept a point away from home. We’re disappointed not to win, but we saw some good things.”
Needless Phillips red costs Ipswich as long wait for top-flight win continues
Kalvin Phillips pleads his case before being sent off for a second bookable offence
Analysis by Richard Morgan:
“It would have been a long 20 minutes in the Portman Road dressing room for Ipswich Town’s on-loan midfielder Kalvin Phillips after his sending-off helped turn the match on its head against Leicester City.
“Until that point, Kieran McKenna’s side were in complete control and cruising to a first league win since their promotion back to the Premier League, but for the second week in a row a lack of discipline cost them dear.
“Last week, it was Harry Clarke’s dismissal that acted as spur for Brentford to go on and win a seven-goal thriller with a 96th-minute strike at the Gtech to break Ipswich hearts.
“Fast forward and week and this time it was the far more experienced who let his team down, forcing them to paly out the final 20-odd minutes a player short in Suffolk and boy did the Foxes take advantage.
“The visitors should already have been level, but for a sensational goal-line clearance from Cameron Burgess to deny that man Ayew with two minutes to go, although the substitute was not to be denied, levelling matters in the fourth minute of stoppage time as the Tractor Boys’ wait for a top-flight win stretches back to April 2002.”
