Ipswich come from two goals down to knock Wolves out of Carabao Cup
Goals from Omari Hutchinson, Freddie Ladapo and Jack Taylor gave Kieran McKenna a first win against a Premier League club.
Ipswich’s backup team gave manager Kieran McKenna more bragging rights after they stunned Wolves with a 3-2 victory at Portman Road in the Carabao Cup third round after rallying from two goals behind.
After orchestrating the Tractors Boys’ promotion to the Sky Bet Championship last season, McKenna earned a reputation as one of England’s most intelligent coaches. However, he saw his club fall down 2-0 early on.
Hwang Hee-Chan and Toti scored goals for the Premier League squad in the opening 15 minutes, but they still lost for the sixth time in their previous eight games under new manager Gary O’Neil.
Omari Hutchinson kicked off the Ipswich comeback with a beautiful finish in the 28th minute, and Freddie Ladapo made sure the score remained level at the break. Soon after the break, Jack Taylor’s spectacular 25-yard strike gave former Manchester United assistant McKenna his first win over a top-flight team.
Both clubs made a total of 20 substitutions for this match, but it was Wolves starter Hwang at Luton who broke the score in the fourth minute.
Ipswich’s Dominic Ball was at fault after he could only clear Pablo Sarabia’s cross to Sasa Kalajdzic, who passed through to the unmarked Hwang and the left-footed strike by the Wolves attacker was too powerful for Vaclav Hladky.
After watching the Tractor Boys win seven of their first eight games and make a strong start in the Championship, the expectant Portman Road crowd was subdued, but it was 2-0 after 30 minutes.
While Hladky made a good save from close range on a dangerous corner from Sarabia, Wolves defender Toti was on hand to slam home on the goal line to punish more shoddy Ipswich defense.
The story of McKenna’s all-powerful squad being prepared to take down a top-flight opponent had not gone as planned up until this point, but the tide began to change halfway through the first half, as Hutchinson cut the deficit in half in the 28th minute.
The Chelsea loanee had presented a threat, so when Marcus Harness slipped him in, he didn’t want a second invitation and used his weaker right foot to rifle past Wolves captain Dan Bentley from eight yards out.
Hutchinson’s left foot, which is stronger, compelled Bentley to move next, but the opposition’s goalie was able to tip the 20-yard free-kick over.
However, McKenna’s team was finally making an impression, and Ladapo scored the equalizer six minutes before halftime.
Harness set up Ipswich’s trusty back-up forward, whose low shot was too powerful for Bentley to stop. Bentley got a hand to the effort but was unable to prevent the hosts from regaining parity.
A Harness shot deflected wide 50 seconds into the second period signalled the intentions of the Championship outfit and while Matt Doherty had a shot blocked for Wolves soon after, the fifth goal of the contest went to the hosts.
