UNITED SEE OFF IPSWICH

UNITED SEE OFF IPSWICH

Varney and McCormack are on target as United come from behind to record a first win at Ipswich since 2001...

IPSWICH 1 (McGoldrick 11), UNITED 2 (Varney 28, McCormack 48)

Ipswich: Loach, Hewitt, Cresswell, Chambers, Smith, Edwards (Anderson 65), Skuse, Murphy (Nouble 75), McGoldrick, Tabb (Tunnicliffe 65), Hyam. Subs: Gerken, Berra, Veseli, Taylor.

United: Kenny, Peltier, Lees, Pearce, Warnock, Green, Austin, Murphy, McCormack, Varney (Poleon 78), Hunt (Tonge 85). Subs: Ashdown, Drury, Smith, Diouf, Wootton.

Referee: Mike Dean

Att: 18,322

New signing Scott Wootton was named among the substitutes as Brian McDermott made just the one change from the side which drew with Sheffield Wednesday, Noel Hunt returning to the starting line-up in place of Dominic Poleon.

Portman Road had not been the happiest of hunting grounds in recent years - the last United win was in 2001 - and the afternoon threatened to follow a familiar pattern when Jay Tabb tapped the ball home from close range after just seven minutes. Tabb, though, was adjudged to be in an offside position.

If that was a let-off, there was no escape on 11 minutes when David McGoldrick seized on a knock-down and was allowed the time and space to advance before working himself an opening to tuck the ball home.

Those opening exchanges set the tone somewhat and it was the hosts who continued to enjoy the better of proceedings. McGoldrick should have teed up Daryl Murphy for a second goal but for a wayward pass, and Aaron Cresswell hit the woodwork from distance before Tabb struck the follow-up into the side-netting.

United's attacking forays had been limited, but Luke Varney made it 1-1 before the half-hour. Varney was well-placed when a shot on goal took a kind deflection and he hammered the ball past Ipswich goalkeeper Scott Loach.

The goal not only levelled the scores, but also levelled things up in terms of a contest and the remainder of the half saw little in the way of openings for either side.

And, it was United who carved out the first opening of the second half with Ross McCormack making it 2-1 just three minutes after the re-start. McCormack let fly from outside of the box after some good build-up play, and his deflected strike somehow beat Loach in the Ipswich goal.

The goal gave United the upper hand for the first time, and the contest also cranked up a notch with one or two fiery challenges as the game headed past the hour mark. United had some defending to do, but were assuming control of the contest.

Noel Hunt found himself involved at both ends, blocking an Ipswich header on the line, before seeing Loach make a save to deny him the goal which would have sealed the game with 11 minutes remaining.

The introduction of Dominic Poleon also saw United threaten, but as the hosts looked to salvage something late on, McDermott's side looked solid and organised, and were rarely troubled.

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