Massimo Luongo nets winner as Ipswich beat Blackburn in seven-goal thriller

Posted Sunday, September 24, 2023 by PA

Australian midfielder Massimo Luongo struck a late winner as Ipswich recorded a 4-3 victory over Blackburn in a pulsating game at Portman Road.

The result elevated Town to second place and they have now won 19 of their last 22 matches in league football, amassing a total of 59 points in the process.

Goals from Harry Clarke, Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst put Town in control in the first half after Arnor Sigurdsson equalised.

An own goal from Clarke cut the deficit before Sammie Szmodics levelled but Luongo’s effort made it seven wins from eight league games this season for Town.

Clarke smashed a shot into the top corner in the fourth minute to open the scoring for Ipswich.

Referee Keith Stroud then turned down a penalty appeal for Rovers when Harry Leonard fell in the area following a challenge from Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.

The visitors hit back when Sigurdsson played a neat one-two with Lewis Travis and slipped the ball past Hladky in the ninth minute.

Ipswich restored their lead in the 18th minute as Broadhead picked up the ball from just outside the penalty area and rifled a shot past Aynsley Pears.

Hirst put the Tractor Boys further ahead seven minutes later when Cameron Burgess played a pin-point ball for the striker to race through to toe-poke the ball past the on-rushing Pears.

In the final moments of the half, Broadhead struck the base of the post with a shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Hladky spread himself to deny Rovers substitute Andrew Moran but Rovers pulled a goal back when Clarke diverted the ball into his own net under pressure from Leonard.

Hladky came to Town’s rescue when he palmed away a header from Leonard but he was helpless when Szmodics scored the equalising goal for Blackburn in the 65th minute when he beat Burgess on the edge of the box to fire the ball into the back of the net.

However, Ipswich grabbed the winner in the 79th minute when Luongo bought the ball down on his chest to volley home and send the majority of the 28,792 crowd into sheer delight.