Ipswich 3-2 Wolves: Championship high-flyers fight back from 2-0 down after 15 minutes to dump Premier League side out of Carabao Cup… with Jack Taylor netting second-half winner
- Wolves took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Hwang Hee-chan and Toti Gomes
- But Omari Hutchinson and Freddie Ladapo drew Ipswich level at half-time
- Midfielder Jack Taylor completed the comeback with a stunning 30-yard strike
With 23 goals in the previous five games at Portman Road this season, this was never going to be a dull affair.
Ipswich Town’s priorities may lie elsewhere but success breeds success and this was a comeback that epitomized the quality and fight that Kieran McKenna’s side possessed as the Tractor Boys secured their place in the last 16 of the EFL Cup for the first time since 2010 booked.
‘Premier League, you’re laughing’ chanted the Ipswich fans as they came back from two goals down in a thrilling encounter against Premier League opposition to continue their great form.
With seven of eight wins in the championship they have every reason to believe in it and here was a demonstration showing why there is so much belief in these parts.
Throughout the first quarter, Ipswich were reminded of the quality of the top flight as an out-of-form Wolves outfit raced into a two-goal lead thanks to Hwang Hee-chan and Toti.
Ipswich midfielder Jack Taylor completed the comeback with a stunning 30-yard strike
Ipswich striker Omari Hutchinson scored a goal back against Wolves in the 28th minute
Ipswich striker Freddie Ladapo leveled against Wolves just before half-time
But within 11 minutes of the first half, McKenna’s side restored parity with goals from Omari Hutchinson and Freddie Ladapo before a stunning second-half strike from Jack Taylor sparked a stunning comeback in front of a strong midweek crowd of more than 20,000.
Both McKenna and Gary O’Neil made 10 changes each, with only Ipswich keeper Vaclav Hladky and Wolves’s Hee-chan retaining their places.
And it was Hee-chan who broke the deadlock in just four minutes, with a solid left-footed finish past Hladky.
Ten minutes later, Toti banged in the rebound, after Hladky could only parry Santiago Bueno’s header and Wolves seemingly made a difficult assignment on paper.
But under McKenna, this is a side where belief is not lacking.
Omari Hutchinson pulled one back with a cool finish past Dan Bentley after being put through by Marcus Harness, before Hutchinson’s bending free-kick was superbly tipped over by Bentley. But the Wolves goalkeeper would have been disappointed to have let in Freddie Ladapo’s equalizer before half-time, with the midfielder spinning and finishing after receiving the ball from Harness.
And when Jack Taylor’s brilliant strike flew past Bentley and into the net from almost 30 yards out, the comeback was complete. For Harness it was a hat-trick of assists as Ipswich held on for their first win against Premier League opposition since 2011. Their remarkable resurgence under McKenna continues.
Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan opened the scoring in the fourth minute in Ipswich
Wolves centre-back Toti Gomes doubled their lead in the 15th minute on Tuesday evening