Ipswich Town faced a setback in their promotion push as they secured a goalless draw against Millwall at The Den on Saturday. The game featured some fierce last-ditch defending from both sides. Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton played a key role, making six saves to deny Millwall in a 3-0 win.
Millwall were almost the first to score, with several close efforts forced Walton into some great saves. It was the attacking prowess of the home team that stole the show. Ivanovic then struck a powerful half-volley from range, which bounced menacingly in front of Walton. With a brilliant display of agility and timing, Walton snuffed out Ivanovic’s shot. This remarkable stop further cemented his standing as an essential player to Ipswich.
Strong Defensive Performances
Christian Walton’s performance was instrumental in Ipswich’s ability to secure a point. He kept them in the game at times with some wonderful saves, flaunting his unmatched shot-stopping ability. Millwall continued to move forward with ruthless, attack-minded determination. Every time they looked likely to go ahead, Walton brought out an essential save to keep them level.
Beyond Walton’s heroics, Millwall goalkeeper Max Crocombe had his moments of brilliance. As he was repeatedly tested by Ipswich’s attackers, he faced great difficulty against Jaden Philogene – a real handful and threat on the day. Philogene had his first half-chance on goal within the opening five minutes but blazed over from the edge of the box. He was then denied again as he cut in from the left and Crocombe was able to smother his effort on the rebound.
Philogene was not done there though, as he took a seat on a defender before having his goalbound effort saved by Crocombe. His spirited moves on the pitch made sure that Millwall’s backline always had to stay on their toes during the entire match.
Tactical Insights
Post match Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna said his side had a great ability to find space. He stressed their salts in the face of one of the top pressing teams in the league. He noted, “I thought we found some great spaces against one of the best pressing teams in the league.” Ipswich exhibits a great deal of tactical savviness and is always on the lookout to create opportunities. They haven’t been able to turn these opportunities into goals.
At the other end, Millwall’s manager Alex Neil admitted his side made life difficult for themselves but praised their players for their work-rate. And what can be more impressive than a team’s resilience, in particular given their apparent squad deficiencies. “For the qualities we know Ipswich have got, and how stretched we are at the moment – having to take Billy [Mitchell] off after 70 minutes to protect him – I thought the lads did extremely well,” Neil stated.
Missed Opportunities
Both teams had their fair share of missed opportunities and near-misses in what turned out to be a tightly contested match. Tristan Crama had made the run down the right flank and crossed the ball for Aidomo Emakhu who could not keep the difficult volley down. Sindre Walle Egeli came close on a shot just wide of the near post for Ipswich. It was a moment that perfectly captured the razor thin margins that plagued this game.
No matter how hard either team tried, nobody was able to score. The draw leaves Ipswich’s promotion prospects hanging by a thread. They need to come together and respond strongly in their remaining matches.
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