Jack Taylor scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Ipswich Town earned their second Premier League victory of the season with a 2-1 win over struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
Taylor headed home Jack Clarke’s 94th-minute corner to send the visiting supporters into delirium at the death and move the Blues to within one point from safety.
It looked as though the first-ever Premier League meeting between the sides would end all square after Matheus Cunha struck his eighth goal of the season.
Jack Taylor secured Ipswich Town a big three points with his 94th minute header at Molineux Picture: Barry Goodwin
That came after the Suffolk side took an early lead through a Matt Doherty own-goal where Conor Chaplin’s shot cannoned off Wolves pair Toti and the unfortunate Doherty.
The result condemns Wolves to their fourth straight defeat and pile even more pressure on under-fire boss Gary O’Neil, while the Blues opened up a three-point gap over their West Midlands opponents.
Victory, especially in such stunning fashion, will give Kieran McKenna and his side a much-needed confidence boost ahead of a tricky-looking run of fixtures through Christmas and New Year.
**Turning the crowd**
So often this season taking the lead has not been Ipswich’s problem and instead keeping hold of it had proven to be the challenge.
But perhaps the first goal in this game had extra significance due to the volatile home crowd at Molineux given their own form so far this season.
When the Blues pounced after a scrappy opening period, it was as comical a goal from Wolves’ point of view as any you are likely to see.
Having been handed the captaincy earlier this week, Nelson Semedo could only watch as Liam Delap powerfully ran past him and created the chance from which a pinball player would be proud.
Doherty was the only survivor from the sides’ last league meeting in January 2018 and scored the only goal that day, but the Irishman will be credited with an own-goal on this occasion after Toti’s block hit him at point-blank range.
The nature of the goal was perhaps an indication of Wolves’ defensive frailties as the hosts conceded for the 39th time in the Premier League this season and 19th at Molineux.
The Old Gold faithful had already been chanting for a change of ownership, but ‘sacked in the morning’ was the latest tune being voiced, emphasising the pressure on boss O’Neil.
O’Neil stated in the week that he was ‘not concerned’, but there was plenty for the Wolves head coach to be scratching his head about early on.
**Last-second drama**
Once the Suffolk side were in front on opposition turf, the onus was all on Wolves to create a positive atmosphere and get themselves back in the game.
They sought about doing so as Jean-Ricner Bellegarde wasted an opportunity to punish Dara O’Shea’s misplaced pass as the Frenchman fired over the crossbar from close range.
Jorgen Strand Larsen tried his luck on a couple of occasions before the first half drew to a close, but it was Town that would have the next clear cut opportunity.
Wes Burns was on the end of some Morsy’s through pass but saw his powerful shot saved by Sam Johnstone.
The next opportunity was the biggest of all. Burns raced away down the right and fizzed a cross for Delap, but the Blues’ top scorer only made contact with his knee and missed from only a few yards out. It would prove to be a costly miss.
Despite having only had one second half shot beforehand, Wolves found the leveller their fans dearly craved. The in-form Cunha finished off a neat move with a first-time finish beyond Aro Muric to spark life into the Molineux crowd.
From then, it was the hosts doing all of the attacking. Strand Larsen will have wondered how he did not score as the Norwegian had three more opportunities to find the net, including sending Goncalo Guedes’s inch-perfect cross a fraction past the post.
Cunha raced away and was denied by Muric late on which allowed time for the late drama.
Taylor provided it, with Wolves’ frailties at set pieces proving once again to leave the Blues man completely unmarked as Town earned a dramatic victory at the death.
The Irish midfielder is the latest to join the elusive club of scoring in each of the top four divisions in English football, with four of those now in the current Town squad.
**_Wolverhampton Wanderers_** _(3-4-2-1):Johnstone; Toti, Bueno, Semedo (c); Ait-Nouri, Lemina, Andre (Doyle 46), Doherty (Guedes 64); Cunha, Bellegarde (Hwang 73); Strand Larsen. Subs: Bentley, Dawson, R Gomes, Forbs, Meupiyou, Lima._
_Booked: Ait-Nouri._
**_Ipswich Town_** _(4-2-3-1): Muric; Davis, Burgess, O’Shea, H Clarke; Cajuste (Taylor 75), Morsy (c); Hutchinson, Chaplin (J Clarke 75), Burns (Johnson 84); Delap (Al-Hamadi 84). Subs: Walton, Woolfenden, Phillips, Townsend, Broadhead._
_Booked: H Clarke, Taylor._
_Referee: Simon Hooper(Wiltshire)._
**_SuffolkNews Man of the Match:Jens Cajuste_**_.It was Jack Taylor who provided the dramatic moment, but it was the man he replaced who was a presence in midfield once again. The Swede came back into the lineup after dropping out last week, but continued from where he left off with another combative and tidy performance in the centre of the field._