Watford Vs Ipswich Town — watford vs ipswich town: Ipswich back to winning ways at Vicarage Road
In a match billed as watford vs ipswich town, Ipswich Town beat Watford 2-0 at Vicarage Road to return to winning ways. The result left Watford heading for their first defeat under head coach Ed Still and kept Ipswich on a favourable run at this venue.
Goals from Sindre Egeli and George Hirst settled the game
Sindre Egeli and George Hirst were the scorers as Ipswich secured a 2-0 victory. Sindre Walle Egeli fired home shortly before the break after Marcelino Nunez's free-kick hit the wall, giving Ipswich a deserved half-time lead. George Hirst doubled the lead from the centre of the box after pouncing on Jacob Greaves' cutback; the ball deflected in following contributions from Wes Burns and others, and Hirst celebrated with the away fans. That strike was noted as Hirst's second goal in 17 games.
Christian Walton's penalty save preserved the clean sheet
Watford were awarded a penalty after Tom Ince was pulled back in the area by Darnell Furlong, who received a yellow card for the foul. Tom Ince stepped up but his penalty was saved by Christian Walton, who guessed correctly and palmed the shot away with two strong hands to his left. The stop ensured Ipswich kept a clean sheet, a point underlined by commentary that Ince put his head in his hands following the miss and that it was a good save coming after Saturday's action.
Manager reaction: Kieran McKenna on intensity and the response from Wrexham loss
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna praised the squad'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 the team played with a really good tempo in the first half, praised the pitch — calling it probably the best they had played on since Coventry — and highlighted that Sindre stepped up with a "really good finish" to give a deserved half-time lead. McKenna said the subs helped to manage the game in the second half, and described Christian Walton's save as "brilliant" while calling the penalty a "poor penalty to give away from our point of view. "
Mick Mills and others reflected on first-half dominance and tactical tweaks
Mick Mills, described as a former Ipswich and England captain, summed up the opening period as "a super first half, " saying Ipswich dominated with over 60% possession and that "all the stats were going in our favour. " He noted the manager made two changes at half-time and that those substitutions worked. That assessment aligns with observations that Watford improved after the restart but could not overturn the scoreline.
Substitutions, game management and added time
Ipswich made several changes during the match: Benjamin Johnson replaced Jack Clarke, and the team prepared a double substitution that saw Anis Mehmeti come on for Marcelino Nunez and George Hirst introduced for Ivan Azon. Watford brought on Pierre Ekwah for Imran Louza. The fourth official signalled six minutes of added time at the end of the second half. Observers also noted the role of Wes Burns and Wesley Burns in the move that led to the second goal, described as instrumental and showing experience to influence the game.
Wider significance: a response and league implications
McKenna framed the victory as a crucial response after a 5-3 defeat to Wrexham on Saturday, saying the win eased pressure. The result also cut the gap on second-place Middlesbrough, who were held at home by Leicester City, a development mentioned in the context of Ipswich's league position.
