Alexander Isak helped himself to a hat-trick as Newcastle United sent Ipswich Town to a record home defeat under Kieran McKenna’s management, firing in four goals without reply at a rain-lashed Portman Road this afternoon.
On a day where the Blues’ defending could only be described as woeful - especially in the first half - the Swedish international had the ball in the net within 25 seconds of kick-off for Newcastle’s quickest ever away goal in the Premier League.
The striker fired in off the turf with Aro Muric unable to keep it out after Sam Morsy deflected a Jacob Murphy cross into his path It was initially signalled as offside but VAR was not able to save the home side after careful examination of the lines - with the decision taking more than two-and-a-half minutes to be confirmed.
Like Isak, former Norwich City academy twin Murphy was a player Town had undoubtedly ran into at the wrong time as he ran the show from the right wing, showing a great touch in the box before rifling in from Anthony Gordon’s pass to double the Magpies’ lead just after the half-hour mark.
The Blues looked a totally different outfit in attack without the power and guile of the suspended Liam Delap and found themselves going into the break three goals down and requiring a Sir Bobby Robson miracle from above.
With two minutes of first-half stoppage time elapsed, keeper Aro Muric made his latest costly miscalculation, seeing his pass for Jens Cajuste in the area knocked on by the hard pressing of Bruno Guimaraes for the unmarked Isak to comfortably roll into the net.
The second half soon saw further punishment arrive for the Suffolk side as Isak completed his treble in the 54th minute after a sublime back-heel into his path from Murphy.
In a bit of symmetry it saw the Swede become the first away player to score a hat-trick at Portman Road against Town since Kevin Nolan back on what was termed ‘Sir Bobby Robson Day’ in a 4-0 Championship victory shown live on the BBC in September, 2009 on the first meeting between the sides since the former England manager’s death.
It could have been a greater scoreline this time around while there was only faint glimpses of the Blues, who had Ali Al-Hamadi having a couple of snatched chances after coming on at half-time, getting themselves on the scoresheet.
A fifth goal for the Geordies at the death, from a close-range tap-in from centre-back Dan Burn, was ruled out for offside after VAR deliberations in the 93rd minute to save Town the ignomity of a record defeat under McKenna, with the Blues having been hit for four at Leeds United a year ago.
It was a result which saw the Blues’ winless start at home in the Premier League extend to nine matches while it also saw them miss the chance to lift themselves out of the relegation zone with Leicester City not playing until hosting Wolves tomorrow.
Newcastle, meanwhile, who had only three days to recover from their Carabao Cup quarter-final victory at home to Brentford, followed up their 4-0 victory in the north east against Leicester with another three points that lifted Eddie Howe’s side up to seventh.
With striker Delap and central midfielder Joelinton, for the visitors, both serving one-match suspensions, [there was one enforced change for each side](https://premium.suffolknews.co.uk/ipswich/sport/attacking-midfielder-given-the-nod-to-lead-town-s-attack-aga-9397305/).
McKenna opted to go with last season’s Championship top goalscorer (27) Sammie Szmodics in a more advanced central role over recognised number 9 Ali Al-Hamadi while Eddie Howe promoted Joel Willok from the bench.
Centre-back Jacob Greaves was back among the Town substitutes in place of Luke Woolfenden.
It was as bad a start for the hosts as they have had under McKena with Davis caught out high on the left as Fabian Schar’s raking pass found Murphy unmarked down the right and he carried well before putting in a low cross that Morsy could only deflect into the path of Isak who fired in via Muric’s hands powerfully off the turf. It had appeared VAR might have come to the Suffolk side’s rescue with offside signalled but Isak got to celebrate for a second time, with Cameron Burgess deemed to be found to be level with Murphy after a long delay to examine it.
And Howe’s side were soon banging on the door for another with Tonali seeing a swerving 25-yard shot in the 10th minute clip the back stanchion of the goal before England international Anthony Gordon headed a hanging Murphy cross into the turf and over the bar.
Murphy himself also went close when curling wide of the left-hand post form the edge of the area.
Jens Cajuste proved a rare bright spark in the first half for Town, having their first significant chance 20 minutes in.
The Napoli loanee, like Isak a Swedish international, shifted the ball well out of his feet from a Conor Chaplin pass to get into the inside edge of the area in the 20th mnute before firing a left-footed effort not far over Martin Dubravkas’s crossbar.
Town did look a threat themselves at this stage of the game with Chaplin almost putting Szmodics through with a threaded pass into the area with the defender just getting the crucial toe on it.
Newcastle were quick on the transition all game though and broke three on three from a deep home throw-in before Morsy put in a great sliding block on Murphy on the side of the area to thunderous applause.
Isak went close to a second from Murphy’s next piece of creativity, finding him in the area with the Swedish international only able to lift the ball into the hands of Muric
Up the other end Wes Burns whipped a ball across the face of the area with no-one able to get on it with Delap’s presence notably missed.
There was no such problems for Newcastle who finally doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute after further poor defending from Town.
Willock, in the centre of the pitch, found Isak who was able to move the ball across to the unmarked Gordon down the left of the area. The former Everton man then cut across the inside edge of the area, drawing four players into him before finding the unmarked Murphy whose wonderful turn set himself up to lash into the roof of the net, giving Muric little chance.
The Magpies looked hungry to inflict further damage before the break with Isak’s curling shot from inside the area having Muric jumping to his left to claim.
Up the other end a driving run from Szmodics saw him get into the area before losing his compsure with his left-footed shot flying well over.
In the second minute of four added on for stoppages, Town were punished for trying to play out of the back with a third goal.
Muric decided to lay it out to Cajuste just inside the area but Guimaraes pounced on it, appearing to nudge the ball from behind him, which was later demeed acceptable by VAR, knock it into Isak’s path and, with plenty of time and space, he rolled the ball into the net.
There was almost a fourth before the half-time whistle with Gordon sliding over at the far post stretching for Isak’s chipped pass to the far post.
It was as bad a half as the home faithful had witnessed since promotion, and the boos that rang out seemingly aimed at it or possibly for the lack of decisions their side had received. If for the former, you could not balme them.
Town were out significantly earlier than Newcastle for the second half with Al-Hamadi replacing Omari Hutchinson earlier than Mckenna would have envisaged but the lack of an outball and making things stick had been standing out like a sore thumb.
Chaplin threaded a clever pass through for the Iraqi international five minutes after the restart but the former AFC Wimbledon man seemed to turn back into traffic on the edge of the box before firing a shot against the sizeable frame of Burn.
Hall whipped in a cross for Guimaraes up the other end with the Magpies skipper sending his free header wide.
But the fourth goal duly arrived in the 54th minute for Isak to complete his hat-trick after the Town defence were unable to deal with another sweeping attack, with Burgess only half-clearing before Murphy’s fine footwork ended with a back heel setting up the Swede. He sifted it well from one foot to the other before placing it in through Leif Davis’ legs.
There was a lull in the action as the Geordie party continued in the away end before Gordon drove in from the left wing, sending a low shot straight at Muric while, up the other end, Burns came inside off the right before curling a left-footed effort well wide to ironic cheers.
Kalvin Phillips and Jack Taylor replaced Szmodics and Chaplin in the 62nd minute as McKenna looked to spark something in his faltering side.
It was three minutes later that the home side’s misery was compounded when a less-than-heavy challenge from Morsy on Guimaraes saw the Blues skipper receive the game’s first yellow card which will see him the trip to Arsenal on Friday night (8.15pm), having trodden the tightrope of four bookings successfully for eight matches.
Newcastle substitute Harvey Barnes blazed a volley over the bar following a knock-back header from Tonali after Burn kept the ball in play at the far post.
Nathan Broadhead and Ben Johnson both entered the fray for Szmodics and Burns as the game entered the final 12 minutes.
And Broadhead went closer to any Town player to providing a home goal as he picked up the ball on the fringe of the area with Dubravka getting a rare call into action, though he comfortably got down to it.
It was not long before Al-Hamadi had a chance from inside the area but ended up snatching at it on his left, sending it significantly off target.
There was little in the way of chances thereafter for either side until, in the third minute of stoppage time, Burn thought he had grabbed a fifth only to see his close-range finish overturned for offside following another VAR check that decided Morsy did not get a touch on Sean Longstaff’s pass acrosss the area.
To their credit, the home fans that had remained to the bitter end had done so creating plenty of noise and that was also how they greeted the players after the whislte did go, showing they are very much behind McKenna’s men on an afternoon all connected with the club will want to quickly put behind them.
The first chance to do that will come at Emirates Stadium against last season’s runners-up on Friday night, two days after Christmas which comes ahead of Chelsea visiting on Monday, December 30 (7.45pm).
It looks a punishing run, but if the Blues can get back to their competitive best, who knows what they could still get out of their festive fixtures.
**_Ipswich Town:_** _Muric, H Clarke, O'Shea, Burgess, Davis, Cajuste, Morsy (C), Burns, Chaplin, Hutchinson, Szmodics. Subs: Walton, Phillips, Taylor, Al-Hamadi, Johnson, Townsend, Greaves, Broadhead, J Clarke._
Booked: Morsy (65’).
**_Newcastle United:_** _Dubravka, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Guimaraes (c), Tonali, Willock, Murphy, Isak, Gordon. Subs: Vlachodimos, Trippier, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Longstaff, Miley._
Booked: None.
_Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)._
_VAR: John Brooks._
**_Attendance:_** _29,774 (2,991 away)._
**_SuffolkNews Man of the Match:_** A hard one to pick out a home player but **Jens Cajuste** once again stood out in central midfield and his calm presence will be vital without Sam Morsy at Arsenal on Friday. From an away perspective, Alexander Isak will take the headlines but Jacob Murphy was the man who did the damage in an electrifying display coming in off the right wing.