Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest shared a point at Portman Road after Julio Enciso’s composed first-half equaliser cancelled out Neco Williams’ early finish in a 1-1 Premier League draw.
Forest had the sharper start and spent much of the second half pressing for a winner, but Ipswich stayed in the contest through a busy, at times rather ragged, evening which produced chances at both ends, a VAR reprieve for Issa Diop and eight anxious minutes of added time.
How the match unfolded
- Forest threatened inside six minutes when Jair Cunha’s left-footed effort from close range was saved. Liam Delap then fired wide after Morgan Gibbs-White supplied him, while Ipswich’s Abdul Fatawu sent an effort over following Exequiel Palacios’ pass.
- The visitors went in front on 13 minutes. Daniel Muñoz delivered from the right and Neco Williams arrived centrally to strike a right-footed finish into the middle of the goal.
- Ipswich gradually found their footing. Julio Enciso missed from distance, then saw another long-range effort stopped after Palacios set him up. Jaden Philogene also had a shot from the centre of the box saved after Emersonn’s headed lay-off.
- Forest remained a threat on the break, with Gibbs-White shooting high and wide, while Dan Ndoye headed a Neco Williams corner off target from close range.
- Enciso brought Ipswich level in the 41st minute, driving a low left-footed strike from outside the penalty area into the bottom-left corner.
- The key early second-half flashpoint came when Diop fouled James McAtee. A red card shown to the Ipswich defender was overturned following a VAR review, although Diop was subsequently booked for dangerous play.
- Forest applied sustained pressure around the hour. Neco Williams had a shot blocked, Murillo forced a save with a left-footed effort and Xaver Schlager narrowly missed from the ensuing corner sequence. Murillo was also booked after a foul on Emersonn.
- The visitors continued to miss opportunities: Murillo headed wide from another Williams corner, Ndoye and Muñoz both failed to hit the target, and Delap sent one effort narrowly wide before heading over from close range.
- Ipswich turned to their bench, introducing Zian Flemming and Jack Clarke on 60 minutes, Daizen Maeda on 73 minutes, then Azor Matusiwa and Chuba Akpom late on. Forest brought on Callum Hudson-Odoi, replaced the injured Neco Williams with Luca Netz, and sent Chris Wood on in stoppage time for Delap.
- McAtee’s low effort from outside the box was saved in the 76th minute, before Nikola Milenkovic headed a Gibbs-White free-kick wide. Hudson-Odoi then went close in the 90th minute, pulling a left-footed strike just past the right post.
- With eight minutes added, Clarke missed Ipswich’s clearest late opening, shooting wide from the middle of the area. Dara O’Shea was then caught offside after Diop’s through ball as the home side sought one final opening.
Forest pressure, Ipswich resistance
Forest created the greater volume of second-half openings but could not turn their territorial edge into a second goal. Milenkovic, Murillo, Ndoye, Delap and Hudson-Odoi all had sights of goal, while McAtee’s effort required a save.
Ipswich had their own moments, particularly through Enciso, whose equaliser gave the home side a route back after Williams’ opener. Their late substitutions added fresh legs, though Clarke’s stoppage-time miss meant neither side could find the decisive touch.
There was also an enforced change for Forest when Netz replaced the injured Neco Williams in the 84th minute. The final whistle arrived with the scores still level, leaving Portman Road with one point apiece after a match that rarely lacked incident.
