Conor Chaplin is held aloft after giving Ipswich Town the lead.Conor Chaplin is held aloft after giving Ipswich Town the lead. (Image: Steve Waller)
JOINING THE CLUB
Sammie Szmodics and Sam Morsy had already joined the exclusive club of players to have scored in all four of English football's top four divisions this season. Now Conor Chaplin is in there with them too.
The Town forward insisted he would have scored at Nottingham Forest had Liam Delap not taken the ball off his toes. He proved that point with a trademark first time finish from the heart of the box to put the Blues ahead in the 21st minute.
The 27-year-old scored 17 goals in League Two for Portsmouth, 48 in League One for Portsmouth, Coventry and Ipswich, plus 28 in the Championship for Barnsley and Ipswich.
Netting in the Premier League, after so much hard graft and sacrifice, is something no-one can take away from him. He said in the build-up that he desperately wanted that moment to count for something though. That's why he had to be consoled as he left the field.
Sam Morsy was left floored by the swinging arm of Illia Zabarnyi within a second of kick-off.Sam Morsy was left floored by the swinging arm of Illia Zabarnyi within a second of kick-off. (Image: PA)
DING DONG MATCH
It was an open and entertaining first half. Both the flow of the match and noise from the stands was much better than during Tuesday night's 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. This was the sort of game we've become accustomed to at Portman Road.
Town's spell on top in the middle of it saw Chaplin score, Jack Taylor force a smart save out of Kepa and Burgess have a goal disallowed for a Liam Delap foul on the keeper.
McKenna felt the latter should have stood. Sadly, as much as I think goalkeepers are given too much protection these days, I do think it was the right call.
Either side of that, Bournemouth's quality showed. Marcus Tavernier was a whisker away from turning in Milos Kerkez's driven cross at 0-0. He then struck the inside of the post at 1-0.
Town deservedly left the field at half-time to a hearty cheer.
Cameron Burgess sets up Conor Chaplin for Ipswich Town's opener.Cameron Burgess sets up Conor Chaplin for Ipswich Town's opener. (Image: PA)
BIG BURG IMMENSE!
Cameron Burgess was so unfortunate to be on the losing side in this game.
Restored to the team after being dropped for the fit-again Jacob Greaves in midweek, the big centre-back's form picked up where it had left off.
He almost scored when glancing a header onto the roof of the net at 0-0. His assist for Chaplin was outstanding. First he won a towering header from Leif Davis' long throw, then he showed incredible vision to cut the ball back instead of lashing at a shot. It was penalty box composure on a level with his coolly taken goal at Coventry back in April.
At the other end, the Australian international made countless superb last-ditch tackles and won several aerial duels. Along the way, he took a bang to the head and was left hobbling after kicking into an opponent's studs. 'Immense' is the only word to describe his body on the line display.
He wasn't the only one. Dara O'Shea, head bandaged after suffering the nasty cut in midweek, showed some nice turns of pace to sweep up danger. I can remember some crowd-pleasing slide tackles from the like of Ben Johnson, Szmodics and Chaplin too.
Liam Delap is tackled by Illia Zabarnyi.Liam Delap is tackled by Illia Zabarnyi. (Image: PA)
RUNNING OUT OF JUICE
This was game number three in eight days. In the second half, Town looked increasingly leggy.
When Liam Delap spun his man on halfway, a roar went up. He wasn't quite able to charge away though in the manner he was earlier in the season. There was a moment where he should have passed to Leif Davis too, but delayed and ended up giving the ball away. That was a sign of mental fatigue.
"Liam was tired in the second half and so was Omari (Hutchinson)," said McKenna. "There's no two ways about it, the demands being placed on those two players are higher than what we'd want. It was never the plan that they would start every game and play 90 minutes pretty much every week, so we need to add and help those boys.
"Like the rest of the group they are doing everything they can to help the team and I'm proud of them."
Bournemouth introduced £60m worth of talent off the bench.Bournemouth introduced £60m worth of talent off the bench. (Image: PA)
SUBS THE DIFFERENCE
Bournemouth made a double change just after the hour. They made another couple of changes in the 75th minute. In Unes Unal, Dango Ouattara, Phillip Billing and David Brooks they'd been able to inject £60m worth of attacking talent.
McKenna, unusually, held back in freshening things up.
Eventually, in the 81st minute, he replaced Delap and Szmodics with Jack Clarke and Ali Al-Hamadi. Bournemouth scored. Town's next two changes, Wes Burns and Jens Cajuste for Jens Cajuste and Hutchinson, didn't come until the second minute of stoppage-time.
"It was hard to make subs early today because the players were doing so well," reasoned McKenna. "Everyone who watches us knows we normally make subs early because the team works so hard and by 60/70 minutes there's not much left to give.
"But we were controlling the second half really, really well. So until the point of exhaustion hit with a few there was no real reason to make changes."
Dango Ouattara scores Bournemouth's stoppage-time winner.Dango Ouattara scores Bournemouth's stoppage-time winner. (Image: PA)
MURIC MADNESS
Bournemouth's 87th minute equaliser came following a moment of madness from Town keeper Aro Muric. There was no need for him to rush off his line to try and meet a ball down the line. Antoine Semenyo lifted it past him and Unal was able to force the ball beyond the unfortunate Burgess.
It's not the first time he's had a brain fart late in a game either. The same happened at Brentford too when he let Bryan Mbeumo's cross go past him. There were a couple of costly errors at Man City earlier in the campaign too.
Does all the good things he does - some big saves and plenty of high catches - outweigh the bad? I've previously argued yes, but every time something like this happens adds fuel to the opposite side of the debate. There was a similar discussion around his performances for Burnley too.
That goal completely changed the mood inside Portman Road. Bournemouth suddenly smelt blood and went for the kill. Their stoppage-time winner was very well worked, with several of the fresh subs involved. Would that have happened without the equaliser? We'll never know.
Jack Taylor was one of three players in the Town team that have played at National League level.Jack Taylor was one of three players in the Town team that have played at National League level. (Image: Steve Waller)
A REMINDER
With Cajuste (who is managing a knee issue) not risked for a third game in quick succession, Jack Taylor was handed his first start of the season. The Irish international was among the best performers on the pitch.
"Jack starts the season as probably our fifth choice midfielder and look at how he's stepped in today," said McKenna. "That tells me that players are improving, adjusting and adapting.
"But do we have a bench, on paper, on the balance, like any other team in the Premier League? No. Do we have a starting team, on paper, on the balance sheet, like any other team in the Premier League? No, we don't.
"But do I believe in how the players work and how they'll give absolutely everything? I do."
Three of this latest starting XI - Taylor (Barnet), Burgess (Cheltenham) and Szmodics (Braintree) - have played as low as the National League.
Five of them of them - Burgess (Scunthorpe/Salford), Taylor (Barnet), Szmodics (Colchester), Chaplin (Portsmouth) and Morsy (Chesterfield) - have played in League Two. Al-Hamadi played in the fourth-tier as recently as January.
Bournemouth, to use just one example, had a goalkeeper who played for Real Madrid last season. You're probably sick of hearing it, but it's reality and it constantly needs to be kept in mind.