Ipswich Town 2-1 Sunderland: Industrious display unravels with familiar issues and pointed striker chants

Sunderland fell a 2-1 defeat against Ipswich Town on Saturday evening, a result which saw them drop out of the the play-off positions for the time being.

Jack Clarke had given his side a valuable lead with a stunning strike, but Kayden Jackson equalised within minutes and Conor Chaplin scored the winner in the second half when left free to head home a set piece.

Here's the story of the game and it's key talking points from a Sunderland perspective...

TWO SIDES TRADE CHANCES BUT IPSWICH IN THE ASCENDANCY

It was a game that promised good football between two attacking sides and that was very much the case in the opening exchanges. Beale had raised eyebrows by dropping Nazariy Rusyn to the bench but his decision to push Jobe Bellingham forward almost yielded an immediate dividend as the youngster drew a decent stop from Hladky. It had all been about Aji Alese's work in the build up, the defender doing superbly to rob Harry Clarke of possession before teeing up his team-mate.

Ipswich themselves looked dangerous early on, working the ball niucely out to their two wing-backs. Wes Burns on the right was the most threatening player through the first quarter of the contest and was inches away from an assist when his low cros was just inches away from the boot of Jackson.

Sunderland were then indebted to Luke O'Nien for a superb block to deny Jack Taylor inside the box, before Jackson then pushed an effort from inside the box just wide. Sunderland wre doing OK, but their inability to retain the ball for a long period of time was inviting pressure. Part of that was credit to an Ipswich side excellent in their structure out of possession.

CLARKE DELIVERS MORE MAGIC - BUT HOSTS STRIKE BOUNCE STRAIGHT BACK

Against the run of play Sunderland worked a big chance, Jobe feeding Pritchard and the attakcing midfielder then finding Clare free inside the box. It was a big chance, but his effort was straight at Hladky. From the following corner Abdoullah Ba did superbly to keep the ball alive, dribbling into the box and finding Clarke on the edge. Hladky shifted to his left, but was caught out as the winger instead smashed an effort to his left. It was a stunning goal, arguably his best of an outstanding campaign to date.

It was a huge platform in a tough game, but Sunderland couldn't hold on for long. Patterson made an excellent save from Clarke within a minute but the hosts were not to be denied, a pass from Lewis Travis somehow finding its way through midfielder and into the box. Jackson broke beyond O'Nien and finished emphatically, levelling the scores.

It was a fair scoreline at the halfway stage, Sunderland had produced a solid and industrious performance on the road but Ipswich had created more than enough to get on the scoresheet.

BIG CHANCES GO BEGGING

Sunderland would have been pleased with their start to the second half, even if significant openings were few and far between. Their structure off the ball was very good and they nicked the ball in some decent areas, forcing Ipswich into a string of yellow cards as they shut down dangerous attacks.

One excellent move almost undid all that hard work, however, as the home side worked a big chance for Harry Clarke as he made an overlapping run, The centre back was in acres of space to shoot but his effort was weak, an easy height for Patterson to palm clear. Moments later, Sunderland had an even bigger chance. Hladky played a woeful pass to from the back and allowed Clarke to tee up Aouchiche, who had been introduced from the bench only a couple of minutes previous. it was a huge chance for the attacking midfielder, but he could only drive his effort wide of the near post.

IPSWICH PUNISH SUNDERLAND LAPSE

Aouchiche's miss felt like a key moment in the game and so it proved. Ipswich forced a foul deep in the Sunderland half, and Davis whipped an excellent delivery into a dangerous area. Though far from the tallest player on the pitch, no one tracked Chaplin's run across goal and he was able to head into the top corner. Patterson had no chance. A soft, soft goal that undid all the hard work the visitors had done in the half.

Ipswich should have put the game to bed just minutes later, more lapse set piece marking leaving Woolfenden with an open goal. Thankfully, he could somehow only turn his effort wide. It continued to be Ipswich and not Sunderland who created the chances, with a huge penalty appeal for a foul on Hutchinson waved away.

INDUSTRIOUS DISPLAY UNRAVELS - WITH POINTED CHANTING FROM THE AWAY END

No one could doubt the application of this Sunderland performance and it's also true that they had some big chances at key time sin the game. It was a bitterly disappointing, finish, though - with Iposwich the side far more the likely to score even as they defended their lead in the closing stages. Sunderland barely registered a shot after falling behind, with the issues that have defined the season so far once again apparent.

The frustration in the support is evident, with the away end pointedly chanting 'we want a striker' for a prolonged spell after Chaplin's winner. Beale eventually obliged in the 82nd minute by introducing Nazariy Rusyn, bit time was ticking away for his side. Mason Burstow was also introduced, but not until the 87th minute. It's still all to play for this season and there were positives to take with Dan Neil outstanding once again, but Sunderland's achilles heel is painfully obvious and threatens to undermine their play-off push.

Sunderland AFC XI: Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O'Nien, Alese; Neil, Ekwah; Ba (Aouchiche, 65), Pritchard (Rusyn, 83), Clarke; Jobe (Burstow, 89)

Subs: Bishop, Seelt, Triantis, Hemir, Matete, Bennette

Ipswich Town XI: Hladky; Clarke, Woolfenden, Edmundson; Burns (Hutchinson, 68) Taylor, Travis (Ball, 68), Davis; Broadhead (Harness, 89) Chaplin (Tuanzebe, 90), Jackson (Sarmiento, 68)

Subs: Walton, Ladapo, Aluko, Humphreys

Bookings: Clarke, 23 Taylor, 51 Edmundson, 53 Ba, 53 Burns, 59 Hume, 82 Sarmiento, 86