United stumble past Ipswich despite Dorgu calamity

The new Manchester United wing-back contributed an own-goal and a red card.

Manchester United's Patrick Dorgu is sent off during the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire. 

Patrick Dorgu showed he is not immune to the decline currently afflicting Manchester United, with their new £29 million wing-back guilty of an appalling error that gifted Ipswich the lead before he received a first-half red card.

Harry Maguire’s header, early in the second half, won the day for United’s ten men but, with Andre Onana also putting in another shocking display, this was not a win that should not generate too much optimism around Old Trafford.

It was certainly a night Dorgu will not easily forget, although he would want to, but, in between, United looked to have turned the game around, with two goals - an own goal from Sam Morsy and close-range finish from Matthijs de Ligt - that suggested even they could not lose this one.

But just before the interval, Dorgu launched himself on the soaking pitch, taking out Omari Hutchinson around the knee, and after consulting VAR and his monitor, referee Darren England showed the new United man a straight red.

Perhaps Dorgu should have known this was not to be his night after just four minutes when he contributed to the opening goal.

A long, hopeful ball forward by Jacob Greaves could have been dealt with either by Dorgu or his goalkeeper Onana. Instead, as the latter raced to the edge of his area, the former pushed the ball past him and towards an open net. Jaden Philogene touched it into the goal.

It was the worst start imaginable in a week that has seen United’s crisis - on and off the field - again dominate the English football conversation, but at least, on this occasion against a relegation-bound team, their response was effective.

Alejandro Garnacho, back in the starting line-up, won the free-kick that led to United’s 22nd minute equaliser, as he was tripped by Jens Cajuste wide, and well outside of, the Ipswich area.

Bruno Fernandes’s delivery was near perfect and might have been converted either by Joshua Zirkzee or Rasmus Hojlund but, instead, was headed into his own goal by Sam Morsy, under extreme pressure from the United pair.

It looked a turning point and, four minutes later, United were in front from another Fernandes set-piece, a left-hand corner, which again found Ipswich’s defending lacking.

Alex Palmer did well, saving Maguire’s downward header and a follow-up shot from Diogo Dalot, before de Ligt was on hand to show decent composure and force the rebound into the roof of the goal, despite defensive pressure.

It all looked under control until the red card and, in the second minute of added time, United’s ten men were made to pay for yet more poor defending and their inability to manage games, as Philogene scored his second of the evening.

The winger whipped in a cross from the right that bounced beyond the lunge of Liam Delap, chaperoned by de Ligt, but Onana misjudged the flight and watched as it flew past him into the far corner.

To their credit, United’s ten men made a committed start to the second half and, within two minutes, had scored from a third set-piece of the evening.

Again, it was Fernandes with the excellent delivery and, again, Maguire was the intended target as he ran in and powered an unstoppable header past Palmer from ten yards.

At least United had something to defend and, against such mediocre opposition, they did so relatively well, content to operate on the break and allow Ipswich the ball in front of their packed area.

Jack Taylor’s late shot briefly threatened, but drifted wide and the visitors failed to test Onana - a fortunate situation for United given their goalkeeper’s earlier form.

MANCHESTER UNITED (3-4-2-1): Onana 4; Yoro 6 (Lindelof 90), Maguire 8, de Ligt 7; Dalot 6, Ugarte 7, Fernandes 8, Dorgu 4; Zirkzee 5 (Eriksen 90), Garnacho 7 (Mazraoui 44, 5); Hojlund 5 (Casemiro 67, 5). 

Subs not used: Graczyk, Harrison, Heaven, Obi.

IPSWICH (4-2-3-1): Palmer 7; Tuanzebe 6 (Broadhead 66, 5), O’Shea 5, Greaves 6, Davis 6 (Hirst 80); Morsy 5 (Taylor 66, 5), Cajuste 5 (Szmopdics 90); Philogene 8, Hutchinson 7 (Broadhead 66, 5), Clarke 6; Delap 7. 

Subs not used: Luongo, Muric, Townsend, Woolfenden.

Referee: D England 6