If Ipswich could be forgiven for having next season’s Championship already in mind, Bournemouth are plunging their own depths of disappointment. Winless since mid-February, cherry-flavoured European dreams are fading fast; a home defeat by struggling visitors following the weekend’s exit from the FA Cup.
Now nine points shy of safety, Kieran McKenna’s team’s survival chances remain remote but alive. The only certainty is that Liam Delap, scorer of their brilliant second goal, will be playing Premier League football next season but with eight games to play, after a first league win in 2025, a small chance is better than no chance at all.
“You need the wins across the season,” said McKenna. “You do need them, as fantastic as this group is. You need the validation they give you.”
Revivals from Everton, West Ham and, crucially, Wolves, have been trampling on any seeds of a comeback. Wolves’ win against the Hammers on Tuesday had been another dagger to the heart. Ipswich host Wolves on Saturday, the gap can be closed to six points.
“We know what the challenge is,” said McKenna, downbeat but finding the positive. “We can only control ourselves. It’s going to take something extra special.”
Winter has seen harsh lessons learned, and at the Vitality Stadium, they were acted on. In December at Portman Road, Ipswich took the game to Bournemouth only to lose at the last. Come spring they set up with far greater pragmatism.
Six changes from their 4-2 home defeat by Nottingham Forest suggested McKenna had done plenty of thinking. Too late? Very possibly, though beating Andoni Iraola’s team represents a significant coup for a coach whose reputation has taken a jolt after the heroics of hauling Ipswich up the divisions.
Bournemouth dominated the early proceedings but the snap and swing of their best football was lacking, and remained so throughout, particularly when chasing the game late on. “Everything is costing us,” said Iraola. “It’s not the clarity we have shown in other parts of the season.”
After Bournemouth’s Alex Scott twice went close, Ipswich’s Julio Enciso set off on a solo run and, having drawn defenders to him, played in Nathan Broadhead, whose finish was ice cool for someone scoring their first ever Premier League goal.
Injuries and ill fortune have provided significant mitigation for Bournemouth’s slump. The return of Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen, suspended in the FA Cup defeat by Manchester City, failed to lock Bournemouth’s defence down.
At half-time, Iraola threw on Tyler Adams. The club captain, Adam Smith, starting for the first time since December, lasted just 45 minutes. Justin Kluivert, Bournemouth’s top scorer, was missing. Without him, a cutting edge was scratched around for but never found.
Delap’s goal, his 11th of the season, after an exchange with the overlapping Conor Townsend, showed how it was done.
“Fantastic execution,” said McKenna of the striker. “His performance tonight was better than in recent weeks. There’s loads more to come from Liam.”
