Ipswich Town 3-4 Leeds United: Whites register first league win of season

Leeds United came from behind to register their first Championship win of the season and end Ipswich Town’s perfect start in a seven-goal thriller at Portman Road.

Forward Georginio Rutter scored his first goal for the Whites to equalise, and then Wilfried Gnonto, back in the side after apologising for refusing to play, poked home to put the visitors ahead in the 14th minute.

Debutant Joel Piroe soon extended the lead when the Dutch striker was on hand to convert after Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky failed to deal with a low shot from Luis Sinisterra.

A mix-up at the back allowed Nathan Broadhead to pull one back and make it 3-2 deep into first-half stoppage time and keep Ipswich in the contest, but Sinisterra seemed to have made the game safe with 15 minutes remaining when the Colombian winger swept home from inside the box.

There was still time for Ipswich to score again in injury time through Conor Chaplin, but Leeds held on to register their first win in 13 league outings.

Daniel Farke had endured a difficult start to life in the Leeds dugout following his appointment in July, and could have been expecting another long afternoon when centre-back Rodon slid in and diverted a low Kayden Jackson cross in past Illan Meslier.

But Leeds were soon level when Rutter, a £36m signing from Hoffenheim in January, showed good strength to turn on the edge of the box and then advance into the are before sending his finish across Hladky and into the bottom left-hand corner.

Then Gnonto, reintroduced into the side after sitting out three games and handing in a transfer request, ghosted in at the far post to turn home Sam Byram’s deep cross from the left.

Piroe made it a perfect few minutes for the visitors when he tapped in from six yards out after Hladky spilled Sinisterra’s shot, opening his Leeds account following his switch from Swansea City on Thursday.

Byram was forced off through injury and a weak backpass from his replacement Cody Drameh helped give Ipswich a route back into the game, as Jackson capitalised on the loose ball before pulling back to Broadhead to sweep in via a deflection.

Sinisterra, back in the side following injury, showed his class with a finish across the keeper from a narrow angle to make it 4-2, and Chaplin’s low strike into the bottom right-hand corner in the seventh added minute came too late for Ipswich.

Promoted Ipswich had won their first three games on their return to the Championship for the first time since 2018-19, and Kieran McKenna’s side suffered their first defeat in 23 league outings – a run stretching back to a 2-1 reverse at Oxford in January.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

“It was a really good game and I thought we had the better of most departments. There are so many positives we can take from the game.

“We conceded some poor goals in the first half, and part of that is the level of the opponent. We’ll improve while we adjust to this level.

“How we played as a team, the bravery we showed on and off the ball… there were lots of good things. We had 20 shots overall and played with intent.”

On their unbeaten run coming to an end: “This is a different division and we are not going to put another 22-game unbeaten run together in this league.

“So many of those games are very happy memories. To start with three wins and a win in the cup was a big positive, but we are going to lose more than we did last year.”

Leeds boss Daniel Farke told BBC Radio Leeds:

“I was in general pleased with our offensive firepower, especially because we played a side who won their first four competitive games with three clean sheets.

“To dig in and grind out a result and score four times was really, really good. It’s good for the mood and good for confidence.

“Luis and Wilfried looked really sharp and focused and disciplined during training this week, but it was a trickier situation with Joel as we have only just signed him, but he knows the league inside out and is in good shape.

“There is no replacement for a winning feeling. These players have suffered some difficult months in the Premier League and had to wait a pretty long time for a league win again.

“They should enjoy this, but this league is relentless and you can’t allow yourself to be happy too long.”