Ipswich enhanced their reputation as the First Division's most entertaining
side before succumbing to West Brom in a five-goal thriller at Portman Road.
The game looked to have centred around a five-minute spell in the second half
which saw three goals, including two from West Brom in 84 seconds.
Substitutes Jason Koumas and Lloyd Dyer had overturned Ipswich's lead, given
to them by Tommy Miller just before the interval, before Darren Bent restored
parity.
But Geoff Horsfield converted Lee Hughes' low cross in the fourth minute of
stoppage time to snatch a fifth successive win and lift the Baggies level on
points with league leaders Norwich.
Manager Joe Royle has now seen 141 goals in games involving his Ipswich side
this season, but the overriding feeling in East Anglia will surely be one of
disappointment after such a cruel defeat.
Ian Westlake's header from a Dean Bowditch cross, comfortably saved by Russell
Hoult, was the closest Ipswich came to breaking the deadlock in the early
stages.
Bent sent a left-footed shot over Hoult's crossbar, while Ipswich's Fabian
Wilnis made a timely intervention to clear a deflected Hughes shot.
The game rose above the ordinary midway through the half when Horsfield
latched on to Hughes' flick-on and sent an audacious dipping volley from 35
yards only inches wide of Kelvin Davis' right upright.
Magilton responded for Ipswich with a long-range strike which forced a fine
save from Hoult, although the goalkeeper was unable to show the same agility for
the remainder of the half after sustaining what appeared to be a back injury in
a challenge with Georges Santos.
The Ipswich defender wasted a clear chance when, under little pressure, he
failed to find the target from six yards with a diving header following
Magilton's free-kick.
Magilton was instrumental in Bent's disallowed goal three minutes before the
interval - the striker had strayed into an offside position before nodding home
a lofted throughball - but West Brom's relief lasted barely 60 seconds as Miller
made the breakthrough.
He accepted Matthew Richards' pass from the left, took the ball past a
flat-footed Darren Moore and beat Hoult with a calm finish.
Hoult failed to reappear after the interval, but Ipswich rarely looked like
testing his replacement, Joe Murphy.
Instead, the hosts found themselves under increasing pressure, and it needed
the assistant referee's flag to deny Horsfield an equaliser just before the hour
mark.
Koumas, a half-time replacement for the ineffective Artim Sakiri, was denied
by Davis' legs, but was more successful from significantly further out in the
71st minute.
Matt Elliott was penalised for a foul on Horsfield on the left side of the
penalty area 25 yards from goal, and Koumas found the far corner of Davis' net
with a superb curling free-kick.
Ipswich, still reeling from that blow, fell behind less than two minutes
later, Dyer lashing a left-footed shot beyond Davis after Horsfield's clever
pass.
West Brom's lead last just five minutes. Shefki Kuqi challenged Murphy for
Martijn Reuser's left-wing cross, and Bent prodded the loose ball over the line
from close range.
There was still time for another twist, though, Hughes finding space on the
right before laying the ball across the area for Horsfield to tap in.
Teams
Ipswich: Davis, Wilnis, Elliott, Santos, Richards, Wright,
Magilton, Miller, Westlake (Reuser 74), Bent,
Bowditch (Kuqi 61).
Subs Not Used: Price, Mitchell, Diallo.
Booked: Richards.
Goals: Miller 43, Bent 78.
West Brom: Hoult (Murphy 45), Gaardsoe, Moore, Gregan,
Chambers, Sakiri (Koumas 45), Kinsella (Dyer 67), Johnson,
Robinson, Hughes, Horsfield.
Subs Not Used: Clement, Facey.
Booked: Gregan, Hughes.
Goals: Koumas 71, Dyer 73, Horsfield 90.
Att: 24,608
Ref: G Laws (Tyne & Wear).
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