Ipswich’s Premier League survival hopes were dashed as three goals in a ruthless seven-minute spell earned Nottingham Forest a 4-2 win at Portman Road to leave their hosts effectively 10 points from safety.
With Wolves travelling to basement-side Southampton at the same time and leaving with victory as expected, Ipswich’s first-half capitulation could not have come at a worse time to extend the gap to survival to nine points, with an inferior goal difference of 16.
They had matched Forest in the opening 35 minutes but switched off for the opener after initially clearing a corner, allowing Callum Hudson-Odoi to pick out Nicolas Dominguez at the far post.
The midfielder’s knock-down for Nikola Milenkovic was fired home in style by the big defender in what was, at the time, only the second shot on target of the game.
Just two minutes and 16 seconds later Forest were well on their way to victory, as Leif Davis was caught upfield by Anthony Elanga who finished off his own solo run with a fine curling finish.
Forest did at least have more than four minutes to wait before adding a third of the half when a long ball was allowed to bounce by Jacob Greaves to let Elanga slide home, with Ipswich still stunned come the half-time whistle.
They improved after the break, but, facing a Forest side in no mood to take unnecessary risks – and even changing to a back five – struggled to find a way through until Jens Cajuste’s fine finish left Matz Sels with no chance eight minutes from the end.
The two sides exchanged further goals in the dying minutes as Jota Silva tapped home from Morgan Gibbs-White’s fine pass before George Hirst nodded in a second for the hosts in added time from some uncharacteristically poor Forest defending.
That came too late to ever threaten Forest’s victory which lifts them a point off Arsenal – who face Chelsea on Super Sunday – and leaves Ipswich wondering how to pull off one of the Premier League’s all-time great escapes.
More to follow…
