Cup reprieve for Keane as Ipswich stun Baggies
The former Manchester United midfielder has endured a difficult relationship with Town supporters following a dire run of form which saw them slip to 16th in the npower Championship following Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to East Anglia rivals Norwich.
However, Keane’s battling team — hit by injuries and unavailable loan players — secured a semi-final berth through a second-half penalty from Grant Leadbitter in front of only a 11,300 crowd at Portman Road.
West Brom made nine changes for the trip to a freezing Suffolk, with youngster James Hurst, 18, making his debut at right-back, as defender Marek Cech and midfielder Graham Dorrans were the only survivors from the 4-1 Barclays Premier League win at Everton.
Keane had accepted in his programme notes “there is no hiding place for a manager”, and the side he put out certainly did not shy away from their challenge.
Ipswich supporters almost had something to cheer inside the first two minutes when Hungarian Tamas Priskin got away down the right and his low cross into the six-yard box cannoned off captain David Norris and just over the angle.
West Brom looked dangerous on the counter-attack, with Marc-Antoine Fortune’s angled strike pushed behind by keeper Brian Murphy.
It should have been 1-0 on 15 minutes when Priskin brushed off Pablo Ibanez as they chased into the right side of the West Brom box, before cutting the ball back to Jason Scotland — but his close-range effort was straight at Boaz Myhill.
At the other end, Giles Barnes latched onto a high ball into the Ipswich box to stab an angled shot goalwards, which Murphy blocked.
Moments later and the Ipswich keeper was backpedalling to touch Dorrans’ cross over the bar and then flapped at another ball into the box, which Simon Cox could only hook over.
The Town faithful appealed for a penalty when the ball ricocheted up onto Steven Reid’s arm, but referee Michael Jones waved play on before Leadbitter then tested Myhill with a low drive, which rebounded just away from Tommy Smith.
Town were again screaming for a penalty when Priskin went down under Myhill’s diving challenge, but once more neither the referee or his nearside assistant were interested — much to Keane’s annoyance.
West Brom had a chance when the ball was floated into the penalty area and Cox turned to guide it just wide of the far post.
Ipswich took the lead from a controversial penalty on 69 minutes.
Edwards stole possession off Marek Cech and scampered away down the right. He charged towards the area, and was tripped by Dorrans. While contact looked just outside the box, the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Leadbitter made no mistake from 12 yards.
Ipswich pressed for a second to kill off the tie — and almost had it when Scotland’s close-range strike hit Priskin on the line, but a single goal sufficed.
IPSWICH: Murphy, Peters, Brown, Smith, O’Dea, Lambe (Edwards 46), Leadbitter, Norris, Townsend (O’Connor 65), Priskin, Scotland (Healy 89).
WEST BROM: Myhill, Hurst, Meite, Pablo, Cech, Barnes, Reid, Dorrans, Tchoyi, Cox, Fortune (Miller 71).
Referee: Michael Jones (Cheshire).
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