Ipswich 1-3 Fulham: Harry Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz and Tom Cairney strike as Premiership side ease past Kieran McKenna’s second string to reach last eight of Carabao Cup

Fulham could be forgiven for feeling that a fourth-round trip to Portman Road was like walking into the eye of a storm on a night when Storm Ciaran threatened to hit parts of the country.

There was no sign of any howling winds or heavy rain in East Anglia. Yet the visitors nevertheless deserve credit for weathering the hurricane that is Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich, especially on their ground.

Simply put, Ipswich don’t lose on home soil. It’s almost time to take down the Christmas decorations and yet the Tractor Boys have lost just once at Portman Road in 2023.

During that time, 18 camps left with their tails between their legs. Some were pushed aside, others blown away. But Fulham proved to be the perfect storm chasers and proved too strong for the hosts to withstand.

The first warning signs came when the Premier League side took the lead within the first ten minutes. Few at Portman Road will have seen their side cut open for long in the way they were in Harry Wilson’s opener.

Wilson grabbed Bobby de Cordova-Reid’s pass and took it around goalkeeper Christian Walton

The home side never threatened to produce a nerve-wracking finish, with Rodrigo Muniz and Tom Cairney putting the game out of sight for Fulham early in the second half.

Substitute Elkan Baggott helped soften the blow of this defeat with a late consolation, but Ipswich will fervently hope this defeat proves inconsequential in their promotion bid.

The fact that they can even be in discussions about a return to the Premier League just a few months after their promotion to the third tier of English football is remarkable in itself.

But this was a taste of what they could gain when they return to the top flight after more than two decades in the wilderness.

Thanks to Marco Silva’s side, who handled this clash with the utmost professionalism. With McKenna making eleven changes, Fulham’s smooth football was too much for the home side’s second team.

Too many passes went wrong, too many second balls fell to men in white shirts. In the championship you can get away with mistakes like that. But not against Premier League opposition, and within ten minutes the hosts were already behind.

Striker Rodrigo Muniz refused to be knocked off the ball by his marker and smashed the ball into the field to Bobby De Cordova-Reid, taking out three Ipswich defenders.

The Cordova-Reid had two options. A tempting ball passed through to Andreas Pereira, who raced towards goal from a central position. But even more tempting were the acres of space Wilson found himself in on the other side.

As Ipswich keeper Christian Walton burst from his penalty area in a vain attempt to reduce the angle, Wilson cut past the stranded gloveman and slotted the ball into an empty net.

Ipswich’s persistence in maintaining the high press that has served them so well under McKenna was admirable, but the ease with which Fulham got through sometimes made it look naive. The hosts were fortunate that Fode Ballo-Toure’s cross hit the crossbar just a few minutes after the goal.

Fulham doubled their lead when Wilson’s low cross was finished by Rodrigo Muniz

Midfielder Tom Cairney put the game out of sight for Fulham early in the second half

Silva’s side were given a huge shock when goalkeeper Marek Rodak’s stupid pass was intercepted, but he was on his toes to tip Kayden Jackson’s effort around the post. In response, Pereira hammered an effort from 30 meters just wide for the away team.

McKenna’s side earn the nickname of comeback kings after doing so against Wolves in the previous round and in the league against Plymouth on Saturday.

But within five minutes of the second half that looked unlikely even for them as Pereira’s perfect ball across the penalty area set up Muniz the simplest of tap-ins at the far post.

Fulham captain Cairney put the outcome of the tie beyond doubt after firing past Walton from the penalty area, before substitute Baggott got a consolation from a corner for the hosts.