ITFC IMAGE - 24/08/26
ITFC IMAGE - 24/08/26
For Dara O’Shea, Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Fulham was about more than three points. The Ipswich Town captain headed home the winner in stoppage time to complete a stunning turnaround at Portman Road, bringing an end to what has already been one of the most memorable weeks of his life.
Just days after welcoming his second child into the world, O’Shea raced away in celebration in front of a packed West Stand after scoring his first-ever home goal for the Blues.
Finally off the Mark at Portman Road
Despite being a regular threat from set pieces since arriving at Ipswich, O’Shea had never scored in front of the Portman Road faithful.
That changed when he met Jack Clarke’s injury-time free-kick, sparking wild celebrations around the ground. The Republic of Ireland international admitted that the moment was extra special given the long wait.
“I really enjoyed it. I can’t believe it was my first goal [at home]. To be fair, I should have scored a lot more, but I’ll take it and at least that’s done now. Leif [Davis] has been giving me a lot of stick about it, so at least I can ride on that for a bit. I want to score more goals and I want to contribute more. If I keep getting in the right positions and putting my head to use, I certainly can.”
VAR checked the goal for a brief moment, but O’Shea was confident he had timed his run correctly.
Training Ground Work Pays Off
The goal wasn’t something that happened by chance. According to the skipper, the movement which created the winner had been worked on behind the scenes. That made the moment even more satisfying for both the players and coaching staff.
“I think I did. I thought when I got into that position, I’d slightly block the defender and put myself onside. It’s something we’ve been working on, so I’m really happy for the group and for the staff that it’s come off. It’s always great to see a goal that you work so hard on in training come to life, and that was one of them.”
The header was also Town’s first goal from a set-piece this season, something which O’Shea admitted had been a big focus during training.
“We’ve been banging on about a lot now that we need to score a set piece. This whole week since we’ve been back, we’ve practised a lot on set-pieces. Brought in a new set-piece analyst, his first game and we get a goal so it’s good. A lot more to improve on with that and keep kicking on. Set pieces are so important, they’re going to be vital for us this season.”
Late Winners Becoming a Habit
Saturday’s victory marked the third time this season that Ipswich have secured all three points with a late goal. Jack Clarke’s winner against Sunderland and Zian Flemming’s strike against Crystal Palace had already shown the Blues’ ability to keep fighting until the final whistle.
O’Shea believes those moments say a lot about the squad that Gary O’Neil has assembled.
“The best way. When you score late on like that, it’s amazing. To be a goal down and to win the game 2-1 is obviously amazing in itself, but to have that feeling after the game as a late winner and we can all celebrate together is really nice. The late goals are really important and it says a lot about us as a group, the character and the fitness levels that we can show.”
He also feels those experiences are helping to build belief throughout the squad.
“I’m really glad to score another late winner, hopefully that can give us even more confidence. Going into games we’re obviously confident and we know that if it goes down to the very end, we’re going to be there and we’re still going to be pushing. Today reaffirms that again, great points for us and moves us on up.”
A Very Different Feeling
The victory lifted Ipswich into ninth place after six matches and continued an encouraging start to the campaign. For O’Shea, the biggest difference compared to the club’s previous Premier League season is the confidence and experience now running throughout the group.
“It says a lot and shows a lot. We’re obviously really proud to win any game. The manner we’re doing it late on in games has shown that the work that we do on the training pitch is getting put to use. It’s important that we have players on the bench who can come on and affect games. That’s what’s happening every game and it’s really positive. It shows the competitiveness in the squad.”
The Town captain believes the entire football club is now in a better position than it was two years ago.
“The feeling is so different to last time. There’s a lot more confidence and a lot more experience in the group. That gives us the platform to go out and put on performances that we have been doing. To get points on the board as quickly as possible has always been the aim, and to do that again is unbelievable.”
O’Shea also pointed towards the club’s infrastructure, recruitment and ambition as major factors behind the progress being made.
“There’s lots that is different. The club’s in a totally different place, it’s got a lot more behind it now than it did. You saw the players we brought in this season, it shows the ambition and the training ground. Everything that’s going on is really high quality. I’m really happy to be part of it and happy to lead the team. Hopefully we can keep kicking on and this club can go all the way. I just want to be part of that.”
A Week He’ll Never Forget
The winning goal completed an unforgettable few weeks for O’Shea. After captaining the Republic of Ireland during the international break, he returned home to welcome baby daughter Vayda into the world before scoring arguably his most important goal in an Ipswich shirt. Now, he is looking forward to enjoying some well-earned family time.
“It’s been a mad time really, there’s been a lot going on. To welcome my little girl into the world was amazing. I haven’t really got enough time to spend with her and my family, so I’m really looking forward to that now. Day off tomorrow, put the feet up and help my missus around the house with her and spend some time together, which we haven’t had a lot of time to do.”
After a week like that, few would argue he hasn’t earned it.