High-flying Ipswich hand Saints third straight loss

Ipswich moved up to second place in the Championship and consigned Southampton to their third straight defeat as Omari Hutchinson’s first-half goal gave the Tractor Boys victory at St Mary’s.

Conor Chaplin hit the crossbar for the visitors shortly after and a Wes Burns effort went just wide close to half-time as Ipswich created all the chances.

Ipswich remain unbeaten on the road this season and stay within a point of league leaders Preston, while Southampton drop to 11th in the table.

Southampton’s poor run of results through September continues following a chastening 5-0 defeat by Sunderland and 4-1 loss on Friday to Leicester.

Ipswich, by contrast, have been thriving in the Championship so far and claimed a sixth win in seven league games since being promoted from League One.

Kieran McKenna’s side thought they had taken the lead inside seven minutes after Chaplin bundled the ball home, only to see the effort ruled out for a fairly innocuous foul on Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu.

Shea Charles had the best chance of the half for the hosts as a ball was whipped into the box, but he headed it wide of Vaclav Hladky’s far post.

Southampton’s leaky defence has seen them concede the most goals of any team in the division so far this season and it was another error at the back that all-but gifted Ipswich their goal.

Hutchinson snatched possession off Charles, who had been strolling with the ball just outside his own box, and, after a one-two with Chaplin, the 19-year-old slotted in his first goal this season.

Chaplin almost doubled the lead, again picking Southampton’s pockets for the ball, but his chip hit the bar as he tried to clip the ball over Bazunu.

Che Adams forced a save out of Hladky as Southampton pushed for an equaliser before Russell Martin began ringing the changes to try and get his side back on level terms to absolutely no avail.

Southampton manager Russell Martin told BBC Radio Solent:

“We had the biggest chance of the game with Shea and were punished for a mistake, not much in it.

“They’ve come and got the goal and then defended really well. If Shea scores it’s a different game.

“The lads gave everything, they tried, it’s not for lack of that we just don’t deal with disappointment very well.

“As a group there’s still so much scar tissue from last season especially here, especially at St Mary’s and I just said to them unfortunately at the moment our season is being defined by how we respond to disappointments and in those moments they need to be braver than ever.

“The only way we’ll get through is by living moments like that and learning. We’re giving teams a goal start at the minute and it makes it so difficult.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

“I think they’ve given every drop again of what they have. Really proud of them, outstanding performance really.

“We were always going to have to show different sides of ourselves tonight. The start to the game was a little scrappy, both teams were adjusting to the conditions but we grew in belief.

“We started to play our football, we stayed brave in terms of our pressing, we got the reward with a goal and I thought from that point on we played some really good stuff.

“That situation where it’s 1-0, you’re up against a top team tonight bringing on top players so we’re going to have to dig in the last 20 minutes and show resilience, organisation, push ourselves to the limits and the players have done that again and the result is just rewards for everything they put into the game.”