Ipswich Town saw a first-half lead at Portman Road evaporate late on against AFC Bournemouth to spell a third straight defeat for Kieran McKenna’s side to leave them four points from safety and still without a home Premier League win.
The monkey on their backs looked like it was set to be finally lifted though as Conor Chaplin’s 21st-minute sweeping finish had sent them into the interval 1-0 up.
And that was how it remained until the 87th minute when Bournemouth’s substitutes came to the fore with a stopping header from Enes Unal then followed up by a crushing late denoument as Dango Ouattara rammed home at the far post after Aro Muric had pushed out David Brooks’ stabbed effort from Philip Billing’s cross.
Conor Chaplin scored his first Premier League goal to put Town into a 1-0 half-time Picture: Barry Goodwin
Blues boss McKenna opted to make five changes to his starting line-up for the visit of mid-table Bournemouth for the non-televised 2pm kick-off.
And for their third game in the space of eight days, following 1-0 losses to Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, McKenna freshened up his side with a quintet of changes. Jack Taylor came into central midfield alongside Sam Morsy for his first Premier League start with Swedish international Jens Cajuste, who had been revealed to be playing with a slight issue, dropping to the bench.
The other changes saw Ben Johnson come in at right-back for Harry Clarke, Australian international Cameron Burgess return in central defence in place of Jacob Greaves and Conor Chaplin and Sammie Szmodics preferred ahead of Wes Burns and Jack Clarke.
All but Greaves – with McKenna not favouring an out-and-out centre-back among his replacements – are on the bench.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has made just one envisaged change to the side that started Thursday’s 1-0 home win against Tottenham Hotspur with Lewis Cook, who came off the bench in that game on his return from injury, replacing Tyler Adams.
The Cherries also name two goalkeepers among their substitutes with Will Dennis alongside Mark Travers.
Bournemouth are 10th in the table after they followed up a 4-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers – with Justin Kluivert soring a hat-trick of penalties – with the single-goal win at home to Spurs on Thursday with centre-back Dean Huijsen scoring in the 17th minute.
After successive 1-0 defeats, Town are 18th in the table and looking for a first home Premier League win at the eighth time of asking. A victory would see the Blues close the gap to safety (Leicester City 17th) to one point.
There was a bizarre start to the game as Sam Morsy went down under a flailing arm of Justin Kluivert in the centre circle within seconds of Town’s kick-off. But VAR was not
Controversy at Portman Road as, seconds after kick-off, Kluivert clatters #ITFC cpt Morsy around the face with a flailin arm.... appears no VAR check done.... Town players incensed.
Play bizarrely re-started with a drop ball #IPSBOU
Liam Delap screwed an early chance well wide after taking a Taylor headed knock back from a Leif Davis corner on the volley while Taylor himself soon had a long-range effort blocked and Omari Hutchinson ran into traffic in the area as Town made a very much front-foot start with plenty of intensity.
Up the other end the Cherries signalled their danger by almost taking the lead in the eighth minute when Anotine Semenyo played Milso Kerkez into the box on an overlap run and his low ball whizzed across the face of goal with Marcus Tavernier somehow unable to get the decisive touch at the far post.
Delap picked up a yellow card 12 minutes in for a late challenge from behind on Illia Zabarnyi with the latter soon diverting a dangeorus low Chaplin delivery behind for a corner with Szmodics lurking.
Szmodics also soon saw his name taken for a late challenge on Bournemouth captain Adam Smith after Micahel Salisbury had allowed play to go on as Town broke froward, earnng another corner.
Some neat footwork from Hutchinson down the right saw the England Under-21 international hang up a cross which saw Burgess find the roof of the net with a header before Huchinson lifted an a half volley, following a long throw being knocked to the edge of the area, over the bar.
And Town duly made the breakthrough from a throw-in in a similar deep position on the left-hand side in the 21st minute.
Davis’ delivery was won in the air by Burgess before it bounced around with Dara O’Shea also gettng a notable touch before Burgess knoked the ball back into the path of Chaplin in the centre of the box wih the number 10 executing a sweeping first-time finish with his left foot into the bottom right corner. It duly brought up the vice captain’s first Premier League goal and was the first time the Blues had gone in front since their 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur four games ago.
Town went close to a quickfire double on two occasions, with Kepa having to make a flying save to keep out a Taylor deflected shot following a corner while, from the subsequent Davis corner, Burgess got up highest at the far post which saw the ball divert in off his marker Lewis Cook only to see it ruled out by the referee with a VAR check adjusting Delap was the offenreder, holding onto the keeper.
A frantic period of the game continued with Bournemouth almost drawing level as Marcus Tavernier striking the right-hand post after Kluivert burst into the area chasing down an uncharacteristically loose back pass from Morsy. The striker led the appeals for a penalty after clashing with O’Shea and Burgess, though the latest VAR check showed their was nothing illegal in it.
Up the other end the Blues continued to look for a second with the lively Taylor and Szmodics both finding the hands of Kepa with shots from the fringe of the box.
Burgess had also been standing out and executed a fine sliding challenge in the area on Kluivert to thunderous applause after Morsy was caught in possession.
The game continued to have a great pace about it with Szmodics the next to draw a comfortable save from Kepa with an angled shot which came not long after Evanlison glanced a header over from a corner with Kluivert having also seen an effort easily saved by Aro Muric.
It had been a half which had seen Town create a shade more chances (10 to 8) with Bournemouth edging the possession 57 per cent to 43 per cent and marginaly ahead on expected goals (XG) 1.24-0.82 which told the story of a close opening period where both teams had decent claims to be ahead, though it felt the Blues were deservedly so. Half-time replays for the corner disallowed goal suggested it could have been given by another set of officials.
It was the Cherries who began the second half on the attack but not troubling the home defence until Kluivert pulled the ball back for the unmarked Cook to rifle over form the edge of the box on 52.
A mishit shot from Kluivert let Morsy off the hook as Town were caught down their right-hand side, not for the first time, and Burgess – twice – and Chaplin soon had to be on hand at the same near post area that danger came from to provide blocks to another cut-back move.
Town had not threatened in the way they had throughout the first half with long balls for a leggy-looking Delap to chase not sticking in the first 20 minutes of the period while a promising driving Davis run had been halted and a throughball for Szmodics through the middle just cut out.
Bournemouth continued to ask questions in their search for an equaliser with Enes Unal, who had replaced Adam Smith in a double change that also saw Kluivert leave the pitch for Dango Ouattara, glancing a header wide from Dean Huijsen’s cross while Ryan Christie soon found room for a shot from the edge of the box which Muric was comfortably behind.
With 20 minutes to go, Delap and Szmodics linked up well following a move started by Hutchinson for the latter to fire in a shot that drew a parried save from Kepa with Delap just missing out on stretching into the rebound.
It was certainly a chance that visibly lifted the Blues, who had been having to suffer in their own half for significant periods, and caused the home fans to increase the noise levels.
Chaplin had a volley blocked in the area following a free kick with some half-hearted calls for a handball following from the scramble in the aftermath with Delap prominent.
Taylor coughed up possession cheaply half way into his half, leading to Zabarnyi playing in Semenyo ino the area with the former Bristol City man denied by a parried save by Muric with Burgess on hand to clear the loose ball.
Town’s first changes arrived later than usual, in the 80th minute, with Ali Al-Hamadi and Jack Clarke replacing Delpa and Szmodics.
Chaplin saw an effort deflected wide, then was livid at not receiving a corner, following a throw in being worked back into the box.
Blues fans had their hearts in their mouths as Bournemouth broke onto a long ball with a three on two in their favour before thunderous cheers greeted Burgess, again, cutting out the danger as Semenyo looked to cut the ball back across.
Town continued to press in their best attacking spell of the half with Taylor’s fizzing half volley blocked in the box ahead of Chaplin firing wide of the post.
But the Blues were caught on the break in the 87th minute with Milos Kerkez’s incisive pass sending Ouattara racing down the left with Muric deciding to fly off his line ahead of the cross going over him to the far post where fellow sub Unal met it with a stopping header with Burgess unable to keep it out.
Jens Cajuste and Wes Burns came on for Taylor and Hutchinson after six additional minutes were signalled as the Blues looked to get themselves back ahead .
But in the fifth minute of stoppage time there was a sucker punch as the Cherries’ substitutes combined to steal the three points.
After working the ball from left to right with some crisp passing, Semenyo fed Philip Billing down the right and from his low cross Dale Brook's stabbed effort was saved before rebounding out Ouattara to slam the ball into the net at the far post.
There was barely any time for Town to launch a response with the away fans soon celebrating a memorable late comeback victory which provided a kick in the teeth to the Suffolk side in what was a third straight defeat to leave them four points from safey in 18th.
McKenna’s men will now have to dust themselves down ahead of returning to action at the side level with points with them but below them on goal difference, Wolverhampton Wanderers, on Saturday (3pm).
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Muric, Johnson, Burgess, O’Shea, Davis, Morsy, Taylor, Hutchinson, Chaplin, Szmodics (J Clarke 80’) , Delap (Al-Hamadi,80’).
Unised Subs: Walton, H Clarke, Burns, Phillips, Cajuste, Townsend, Broadhead.
Booked: Delap (12’), Szmodics (17’).
AFC Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Kepa, Smith (Unal63’), Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez, Cook, Christie (Hill 86’), Kluivert (Ouattara 63’), Semenyo, Tavernier, Evanilson.
Unused subs: Dennis (gk), Travers (gk), Brooks, Billing, Aarons, Kinsey.
Referee: Michael Salisbury (Preston). VAR official: Paul Tierney.
Booked: None.
Attendance: 29,180 (2,144 away).
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Cameron Burfess. The Australian international came back into the side, having been left out for Jacob Greaves against Crystal Palace, with exactly the powerful, physical defensive display the Blues had notaly lacked in Tuesday’s game.