Delap double helps Ipswich draw with Aston Villa

Bengaluru — Ipswich Town played out a fourth straight Premier League draw after they held Aston Villa 2-2 on Sunday at Portman Road where Liam Delap opened the scoring for the home side before grabbing the equaliser in the second half.

Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins scored for Villa in the first half before Delap grabbed his second, but neither side could find a winner as promoted Ipswich continue to wait for a first win on their return to the Premier League.

Villa missed the chance to go level on points with leaders Liverpool as Unai Emery’s side are in fifth place on 13 points — behind Chelsea on goal difference — while Ipswich are 15th with four points.

Ipswich took the lead in the eighth minute when Villa failed to clear the ball and Jack Clarke cut the ball back for Delap, whose first-time shot slipped through goalkeeper Emi Martinez’s glove even though he had the near post covered.

But Villa responded seven minutes later when Jacob Greaves gave the ball away in a poor clearance, with Rogers picking it up in the box and playing a one-two with Watkins before firing home the equaliser.

Portman Road was quickly silenced soon after when Leon Bailey whipped in a cross that took out both Ipswich centre backs and Watkins made it 2-1 with a header for his fourth goal of the season.

Ipswich had two glorious opportunities to level but Martinez came to Villa’s rescue when he palmed away a rocket of a shot from Kalvin Phillips before sticking a leg out to deny Delap when he was clean through on goal.

The second half was not as chaotic as the first as the two teams played with more composure.

Ipswich equalised on a counterattack after 72 minutes, however, when Delap beat the offside trap and got the better of defender Diego Carlos with a sublime shimmy before beating Martinez.

Reuters