Alex Palmer
Lobbed twice when he was a little too far off his line. Nothing he could have done about Stansfield’s goal. Distribution hit and miss. 6
Ben Johnson
Looked a little unsure of himself at times. A few occasions where Keshi Anderson got the better of him. Some good moments shielding the ball, but not an overly strong EFL debut. 5
Dara O’Shea captained Town in the Championship for the first time (Image: Ross Halls)
Dara O’Shea
Stood his ground but could have reacted faster when Kyogo’s shot hit the post before the goal. Missed a good chance from a header. 6
Jacob Greaves
Incredibly fortunate to avoid conceding after letting the ball bounce past him, drawing a soft foul. Made up for it with an excellent block and battled hard after having a few nasty whacks on his ankle. 6
Leif Davis
Didn’t look himself. Wasn’t rushing up and down the left as we’ve seen him do so often. Clearly not quite at his best. 6
Azor Matusiwa
Not an easy debut. Struggled in possession, giving the ball away too many times. Off the ball, he was pretty anonymous for much of the game. This is his first in the division, and the opponent couldn’t have been much harder. Improvement will come. 5
Jack Taylor
Aggressive, perhaps too much. Booked for an early scrap and had to limit himself. Some good bits on the ball. 6
Chiedozie Ogbene
Didn’t look like a player Swho hadn’t played a competitive game since October last year. Some good flashes, but didn’t have many opportunities to showcase his pace. 6
Sammie Szmodics
Missed one of Ipswich’s better chances as a goal kick fell straight to his feet. Found it tough and scrappy in the final third. 6
Jack Clarke
The odd bit of quality but not enough. Far too quiet against a right-back on a booking. 5
Hirst was presented a chance from the spot after Lyndon Dykes’ hand ball (Image: Ross Halls)
George Hirst
Cut a frustrated figure for much of the game, but battled defenders and scored the decisive penalty late on. Hopefully the first of many. 7 (Man of the Match)
Sub: Ashley Young (68′)
Handled the hostile reception at St. Andrew’s well. Looked more secure at right-back. 6
Sub: Conor Chaplin (68′)
Linked up well, slotted in as a like-for-like replacement for Szmodics. Didn’t have much to do. 6
Sub: Nathan Broadhead (68′)
Despite everything, put in a good shift, running at defences and trying to create chances. 6
Sub: Ali Al-Hamadi (79′)
Acted as a direct runner down the right and got Ipswich up the pitch. 6
Sub: Cameron Humphreys (85′)
N/A