Watford Vs Ipswich Town: Ipswich back to winning ways with a 2-0 win at Vicarage Road
The watford vs ipswich town clash finished 2-0 at Vicarage Road, a result that saw Ipswich Town bounce back with goals from Sindre Egeli and George Hirst and keep a clean sheet that manager Kieran McKenna hailed for its intensity.
First-half control and a decisive opener
Mick Mills, former Ipswich and England captain on Radio Suffolk, said Ipswich dominated the first half, holding over 60% possession and enjoying most of the statistical advantages; that pressure produced the opening goal shortly before the break when Sindre Walle Egeli fired home after Marcelino Nunez's free-kick hit the wall, giving Ipswich a deserved half-time lead.
Watford Vs Ipswich Town: Hirst nets the second and fans celebrate
George Hirst doubled Ipswich's lead from the centre of the box after Jacob Greaves cut the ball back; the strike deflected in and was Hirst's second goal in 17 games, and he celebrated with the away fans. Wes Burns played an instrumental role in the build-up to that goal, using his experience to influence the move and help keep Watford at bay.
Penalty drama — Walton preserves the clean sheet
Watford were awarded a penalty when Tom Ince was pulled back by Darnell Furlong in the area; Furlong received a yellow card for the foul. Christian Walton guessed correctly and palmed Tom Ince's penalty away with two strong hands to his left, preserving Ipswich's clean sheet and prompting commentator Brenner Woolley of Radio Suffolk to note that "Town still have that clean sheet and Ince's head is in his hands, " calling it a good save on the back of Saturday.
Substitutions, added time and fine margins
Ipswich made tactical changes during the match: Benjamin Johnson replaced Jack Clarke, and the team prepared a double switch with Anis Mehmeti coming on for Marcelino Nunez and George Hirst replacing Ivan Azon. Watford also substituted Pierre Ekwah on for Imran Louza. The fourth official signalled six minutes of added time at the end of the second half.
McKenna: 'The absolute starting point' — intensity and response
Kieran McKenna praised his side's intensity after the 2-0 win, saying: "That's the absolute starting point for any game in this division, especially away from home. " He added that Ipswich played with a good tempo in the first half, praising the pitch as "probably the best pitch we've played on since Coventry. " McKenna said the side showed resilience when Watford pushed after the restart and that the subs helped Ipswich find the right balance between defending the clean sheet and pushing for the second goal.
Why the win mattered now
Ipswich needed a positive response after a 5-3 defeat to Wrexham at the weekend, and this 2-0 victory eased pressure while cutting the gap on second-place Middlesbrough, who were held at home by Leicester City. McKenna stressed the importance of learning from the Wrexham game: "It's important... it's really unlike us to concede those goals in a game... getting ready for the next one. "
Match coverage noted that AI assisted with reporting on the match page: AI helped to summarise radio journalists' commentary of the game, and the posts were checked by a journalist. A separate matchday guide carried the line "© Copyright 2025 Ipswich Town Football Club. "
Specifics of Ipswich's next fixture are unclear in the provided context; McKenna said the squad will take lessons from this result and prepare for the next one.
