Ipswich ease past Bristol Rovers to reach Carabao Cup second round

By Sports Desk August 09, 2023

Goals from Jack Taylor and Sone Aluko saw Ipswich through to the second round of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Bristol Rovers.

The 2-0 scoreline confirmed the Tractor Boys’ dominance but the visitors had their chances and Ipswich goalkeeper Cieran Slicker kept a clean sheet for Town when he stuck out a foot to deflect a shot from Jevani Brown.

Ipswich took the lead in the 12th minute when a cross from Kayden Jackson was met by Taylor who fired the ball past Bristol’s goalkeeper Matthew Cox.

Rovers’ keeper was robbed of the ball by Freddie Ladapo and Taylor chipped towards an empty net but Tristan Crama rushed back to clear off the line.

Slicker was called into action for the first time in the 36th minute when he parried the ball away following a 25-yard effort from former Town midfielder Grant Ward.

Cox then pushed the ball out for a corner following a close-range effort from Ladapo and Slicker came to Ipswich’s rescue when he deflected Brown’s shot away.

Town sealed the win in the 76th minute through second half substitute Aluko, who was picked out in the penalty area by George Hirst.

Related items

  • De Jong doubted ankle injury would heal ahead of Netherlands return De Jong doubted ankle injury would heal ahead of Netherlands return

    Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong doubted whether his troublesome ankle injury would ever go away but is now looking forward to resuming his international career after a pause of more than a year.

    De Jong spent almost six months on the sidelines before returning for Hansi Flick's LaLiga leaders last month, but he has not represented the Netherlands since September 2023.

    A series of ankle issues prevented him from featuring in the majority of the Oranje's Euro 2024 qualifiers and caused him to miss the final tournament in Germany, where they went out in the semi-finals to England.  

    He will likely get playing time in the Nations League on Saturday when Ronald Koeman's team host Hungary in Amsterdam in their penultimate Group A3 match.

    "Did I wonder whether I would ever fully recover? That crossed my mind sometimes, but I always had the confidence that I would eventually be able to play football again," De Jong told reporters on Wednesday.

    "There was uncertainty about how long it would take and whether my ankle would be completely the same as it was before."

    The 27-year-old said the hardest part was missing this year's European Championships, as a late Ollie Watkins goal dashed the Netherlands' dreams of repeating their Euro 1988 triumph.

    "That was tough. I watched all the matches of the Dutch national team but not much of the rest. I did not want to be confronted with it every time," De Jong said.

    He was taken off on Sunday when Barcelona lost at Real Sociedad in LaLiga, but fears he would miss out for the Netherlands again were later abated.

    "I first got a blow on the muscle next to my shin and then another kick, but it was nothing to do with my knee or ankle," he said. 

    "I knew it was not a serious injury, but it did bother me a lot."

  • Belgium must be 'given time' to emulate Golden Generation, says Onana Belgium must be 'given time' to emulate Golden Generation, says Onana

    Amadou Onana is happy to accept leadership responsibilities for Belgium's upcoming Nations League fixtures, but called for patience with the Red Devils' current crop of players.

    Onana has become an integral part of Belgium's midfield since making his debut in June 2022, appearing a further 19 times, including at Euro 2024 earlier this year. 

    The 23-year-old has also impressed since his arrival at Villa Park from Everton in July, starting 12 of his 14 outings in all competitions for Unai Emery's side. 

    Onana has registered the most interceptions (16) for the Villans in the Premier League this season, while only Youri Tielemans has won more tackles (18) than the Belgian midfielder (15) in the top-flight. 

    But his importance has now transferred to the international stage, and with two must-win Nations League encounters on the horizon, Onana is happy to lead his side from the front. 

    "Many players see me as a leader and I have to show that on the pitch. That won't change," Onana said.  

    "The coach expects the same from me. I have a good understanding with him."

    Onana's influence on the national side has increased in recent months, as the Red Devils aim to emulate the 'Golden Generation' that impressed at major tournaments. 

    Kevin De Bruyne has taken over as the captain of the team but has since asked for time off from the national team due to managing his workload. 

    Domenico Tedesco, however, has recalled Romelu Lukaku to his latest squad, with the Napoli striker missing Belgium's opening four games of the Nations League. 

    Along with De Bruyne, Lukaku played a huge role in Belgium's rise on the international stage, becoming the nation's all-time record goalscorer in the process. 

    Belgium, however, fell at the round of 16 stage at Euro 2024 against France in another disappointing major tournament campaign, though Onana said supporters should give the new-looking side time to gel. 

    "We cannot be compared, it is a different era. We have to be given time to make our mark," said Onana. "Personally, I think there should be a bit more patience.

    "Everyone is talking about that golden generation, but success in 2018 was not created in 2018, but rather long before that, in 2010.

    "Do you understand? We also need time to make our mark.

    "I think you cannot compare these youngsters with the stars of that time. There are a lot of young boys coming in. That's good for Belgian football. We can be quite satisfied."

    Belgium know defeat to Italy on Thursday will end their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Nations League, with the Red Devils currently on four points in Group A2, five points behind second-placed France. 

  • Aguero: City players must adopt Guardiola mentality to rediscover form Aguero: City players must adopt Guardiola mentality to rediscover form

    Manchester City all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero thinks that the players need to be more like manager Pep Guardiola if they are to continue their golden era.

    Aguero's rallying cry came after City's fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions on Saturday, the first time Guardiola has gone this long without a victory in his career.

    The Citizens have lost four straight games for the first time since August 2006, when Stuart Pearce was manager of the club and are 11 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League. 

    But despite their recent run, the Argentine, who 260 times in 390 appearances for City, is confident that his former side can finish the season with more silverware.

    "I think City are favourites to win everything, including the league, the [FA] Cup, the Club World Cup and the Champions League," he told Sky Sports News.

    "Whatever City has to play for, they'll be the firm favourites. I think it all depends on the mentality they have because it's not easy to always be the favourites."

    Last season, City became the first team in history to win four consecutive Premier League titles but, with their form taking a dip and Guardiola out of contract at the end of the season, there is the potential for instability at the Etihad.

    But, according to Aguero, their manager is the key to their past and future success.

    That frame of mind is understandable, given that Guardiola is the most successful Manchester City manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies – 50% of the major honours in the club's history – with a win percentage of 72%.

    "I think City are where they are because Guardiola knows very well how to keep that mentality," Aguero said.

    "For me, he's the key man for the club so that the players have the same winning mentality.

    "Sometimes it gets difficult to win and it's normal, but Pep's team has been up there since he took charge, and that's something many people don't see.

    "I think we have to acknowledge he's the reason his players have a winning mentality. He's strict and he makes the team be consistent every single game throughout the season.

    "We should take our hats off because it's not easy to be there with the players every day, especially considering the players we're talking about.

    "All the time, he's like, 'come on, we have to keep winning!' Living that every day can get exhausting sooner or later, but he's been doing this for days, months, even years, and I think that's why City are one of the favourites because Pep never rests and he never gives a rest to his players.

    "That, for me, is the key to success for any team."

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.