Sat 2nd Mar
Kick-off 15:00

PLY Argyle

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IPS Ipswich

Morgan Whittaker

Sync fixtures

The Game 
Argyle v Ipswich Town. Home Park. Saturday, 2 March. 3pm. Sky Bet Championship.

The Opposition
Ipswich Town are third in the Championship, with a serious chance of achieving a second straight promotion and reaching the Premier League. Ipswich came second behind Argyle in League One last season, and have exceeded all expectations by getting 72 points from their 34 points so far. 

Ipswich went four games without a win at the end of January and beginning of February, drawing games with Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion, and losing to Preston North End. They also lost 2-1 at home to Maidstone in the Emirates FA Cup. 

However, town have hit back with four consecutive wins, scoring 13 goals into the bargain. Wins at Millwall (4-0) and Swansea City (2-1) were followed by home victories against Rotherham United (4-3) and Birmingham City (3-1). 

The Gaffer
Kieran McKenna was in the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur and represented Northern Ireland Under-21s, but his career was ended by injury at the age of 22. Concentrating on coaching, McKenna rose through the coaching ranks at Spurs, becoming Under-18s manager.

Kieran McKenna

He left to take the same job at Manchester United, and would in time be promoted to the first-team coaching staff, eventually becoming assistant manager to Jose Mourinho. He served as a coach under several United bosses, before accepting his first managerial job, with Ipswich, in December 2021, with Ipswich. 

He steered his new team to 11th by season's end, then to automatic promotion last season.  

The Squad
Joint-top goalscorer, Nathan Broadhead, has been ruled out of the game at the weekend, as has fellow attacker Wes Burns. Both have been regular starters for Ipswich this season. 

Conor Chaplin

On 11 goals, level with Broadhead, is Conor Chaplin (above). Chaplin spent many years at Portsmouth, for whom he played over 100 times, but mostly as a substitute. He moved to Coventry City, then to Barnsley, before heading to Ipswich in the summer of 2021.He has started 33 of Ipswich's 34 games, and has scored in two of his last three. 

Goalkeeper Vaclav Hladký has played in all of Ipswich's league games. From Brno, in Czechia, Hladký played for hometown team, and for Slovan Liberec, before leaving his home country to play for St Mirren in Scotland. He moved to Salford City in 2020, and after one impressive season, signed for Ipswich. He only played 13 games in his first two seasons at Portman Road, but has now played his way into being number on choice between the posts. 

Earlier This Season 
The two sides met at the end of October, at Portman Road, with Ipswich winning 3-2. Argyle took the lead  via a classic Morgan Whittaker strike, and looked set to have a chance to make it 2-0 just before half-time, when Mustapha Bundu was brought down en route to goal. However, a potential penalty or red card for the defender never came to fruition, as no foul was given. 

Mustapha Bundu fouled

Moments later, Ipswich went forward, won a corner, and scored from it via a Bali Mumba own-goal. After the break, George Hirst and Nathan Broadhurst scored to take the game away from Argyle, although Joe Edwards got a goal back late on. 

Tickets
Tickets for this game have sold out. 

If you have a season ticket and cannot attend, you can make your ticket available via the Ticket Exchange and receive face value credit if your ticket is resold. Find out more about the Ticket Exchange.

Argyle TV
Commentary for the game will be provided by Charlie Price and Katie Middleton.

Argyle TV’s pre-match show, hosted by Erin Black and Ian Stonebridge, will begin at 2pm, and is available to watch for free on YouTube.

Domestic supporters can listen to audio commentary on Argyle TV, while international supporters can buy a match pass to watch the game, here.

An evening with Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis

Argyle v Ipswich

Argyle 0

Ipswich Town 2
Galloway o.g. 63
Moore 74

Two scruffy second-half goals condemned Argyle to a frustrating defeat at home to promotion-chasing Ipswich Town.

The game was bereft of clear chances in the first hour of play but turned in favour of the visitors when a hopeful effort from Conor Chaplin took a massive deflection off Brendan Galloway to break the deadlock.

The Pilgrims were then hit by a decisive second from Ipswich, Kieffer Moore drilling a volley into the corner after the ball had bounced around the penalty box.

Argyle Head Coach Ian Foster stuck with the same side that performed brilliantly to win 2-0 at Middlesbrough last weekend, with the added bonus of midfielder Adam Forshaw fit enough for a return to the bench.

Locked in a massive scrap for automatic promotion and buoyed by a lunchtime draw for their main rivals Leeds United at Huddersfield, the visitors started brightly with Chaplin sniffing around for a chance in the box.

Argyle opened their attacking account with a whipped cross from Morgan Whittaker parried clear by goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky. The loose ball fell to Darko Gyabi for a first-time ping that whistled wide.

After a spell of midfield sparring, Town created the next chance with a lovely in-swinging cross from Omari Hutchinson picking out the head of Moore for a clever flick and Conor Hazard did very well to paw the bouncing ball wide of the far post.

It was, however, a rare opportunity in an opening quarter lacking goalmouth action. A super challenge from Galloway thwarted the sprightly Hutchinson, while Argyle were given a glimpse with some risky passing out from the back by Hladky but it remained slim pickings.

A 20-yard snapshot from Ryan Hardie flashed over the bar on 36 minutes before the Greens created their best chance, Whittaker floating a deep cross for Mickel Miller to strike on the volley and Ipswich were rescued by a goal-line clearance from Luke Woolfenden.

A stabbed effort from Moore was easy for Hazard but Argyle were the side finishing the half with more menace, Miller cutting back a precise pass for Adam Randell, who just lost his footing at the moment of impact.

A Pilgrim corner early in the second period prompted a scruffy clearance from Town, who, apart from at set-piece situations, persisted with their play-out-from-the-back policy, despite Argyle pressing high and coming very close to pinching possession.

A tame header from Moore was again comfortable for Hazard, as Ipswich attempted to turn the screw. A flurry of activity saw Hutchinson craft half a yard from a tight angle and his powerful drive was parried into the air by Hazard, with Moore looping the rebound header over the bar.

Moments later, Ipswich grabbed the lead and it was a scrappy goal that probably suited the game. In a game of limited chances, Chaplin dug out a shot from the edge of the area that was going well wide before taking a huge deflection off the unfortunate Galloway and nestling in the opposite corner.

Argyle quickly turned to the experience of Forshaw and skipper Joe Edwards to replace Jordan Houghton and Matty Sorinola.

A surging run from Miller looked to have been stopped illegally by the Town defence but ignored by the referee, with Pilgrim frustration doubled by Galloway then receiving a caution for a strong challenge in a similar position at the other end.

The free-kick led to a corner and with the ball bouncing around the area, Moore took a backward step to give himself extra space for a powerful volley rifled into the bottom corner.

Mustapha Bundu for Gyabi was the next Pilgrim change but Argyle were struggling to find any momentum as an attacking force. Bundu changed that picture with a powerful burst and pass wide to Miller, who struck a dipping drive that was pushed on to the post by a relieved Hladky.

Randell and Galloway were withdrawn for Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine with ten minutes remaining but Ipswich, understandably, were deploying all the time-consuming tactics of a team protecting a two-goal lead.

Argyle will have to quickly regroup for an important midweek trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard; 4 Jordan Houghton (27 Adam Forshaw 65), 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 9 Ryan Hardie, 10 Morgan Whittaker, 14 Mickel Miller, 17 Lewis Gibson, 18 Darko Gyabi (15 Mustapha Bundu 74), 20 Adam Randell (16 Alfie Devine 81), 22 Brendan Galloway (26 Ashley Phillips 81), 29 Matty Sorinola (8 Joe Edwards 65). Substitutes (not used): 1 Michael Cooper (gk), 2 Bali Mumba, 3 Lino Sousa, 23 Ben Waine.

Booked: Galloway 73

Ipswich: 31 Vaclav Hladký; 3 Leif Davis, 5 Sam Morsy, 6 Luke Woolfenden, 10 Conor Chaplin (16 Ali Al-Hamadi 80), 15 Cameron Burgess, 20 Omari Hutchinson, 21 Jeremy Sarmiento (11 Marcus Harness 68), 24 Kieffer Moore (2 Harry Clarke, 80), 28 Lewis Travis, 40 Axel Tuanzebe. Substitutes (not used): 1 Christian Walton (gk), 4 George Edmundson, 12 Dominic Ball, 14 Jack Taylor, 19 Kayden Jackson, 30 Cameron Humphreys.

Booked: Sarmiento 59, Chaplin 71, Travis 78

Referee: Josh Smith

Attendance: 16,871 (1,735 away)