Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna felt his side deserved to win a hard-fought 2-2 Championship encounter against top-six rivals West Brom at Portman Road.
Substitute Omari Hutchinson fired home through a crowd of players in the dying moments to rescue a point for the hosts but the result dented their bid to climb back into the automatic promotion spots and it is now just one win in nine league games for them.
The Baggies opened the scoring through Tom Fellows in the first half with Nathan Broadhead replying for Ipswich just after the start of the second, but a wonderful strike by John Swift – from nearly 30 yards out – was cancelled out by Hutchinson in the third minute of stoppage-time.
The Tractor Boys came close to gaining maximum points during a frenetic eight minutes of added time when Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer blocked a shot from Ali Al-Hamadi from point-blank range.
McKenna said: “I thought it was a really good game, great atmosphere, bar from a couple of inches from the end, we would have been talking about an absolute classic in terms of games we’ve had at this stadium.
“Lots of good things about the performance. I thought we deserved the three points to be honest. Lots of good things about the performance, on the ball, also off the ball, plenty of good things.
“Two moments that we did not defend well enough that leads to frustration that we haven’t won the game and another game that we feel like we’ve done enough to win the game.
“A lot of pride in the way we played, the effort given, the atmosphere the supporters created and stuck with and going behind twice to West Brom to put the pressure on that we did to get a point…we can take a lot from that.
“In plenty of games we have had better opportunities, better chances and more of them and not given too much away and that’s always frustrating when we don’t get the wins, but it’s always much more concerning when you’re not giving away chances, that’s not been the case.
“You have spells in the season when we were extremely clinical and made some big interventions at the other end as well so you usually hope and trust your performances are consistent and you are creating more than you are giving away, you’ll pick up plenty of points.
“They (West Brom) are a really fit team who work hard. The energy levels we had at the end, the impact of the substitutes – that’s something that we can take big positives from.”
Visiting head coach Carlos Corberan said his Baggies outfit put “a lot of energy and a lot of effort” in their performance to gain a point but was satisfied with the stalemate.
He said: “We scored a goal after we started to make more passes and we started to make them suffer more.
“If you leave too much and give a goal to them, it’s very difficult to win the game.
“We put a lot of energy and a lot of effort in to try and win the game.”
Corberan admitted the injuries to both Kyle Bartley and substitute Daryl Dike contributed to his side losing the lead and ultimately, dropping two points.
He said: “Everyone is effected when you see an injury. I think the injury of Bartley has effected the rest of the team.
“He was fantastic in the middle of the pitch but I understand that with the skill in the set-pieces, he was the best.
“We were stable in the first half and it was something we tried to fix for the second half but before we started the game (again), they scored a goal in the second phase of one throw-in and again, they scored a goal again in the second phase of another throw-in. It’s off another set-piece.
“But I think the team showed some positives in the second half. We attacked but we did not attack enough.”
Reggae Boy Michail Antonio undergoes surgery after horror car crash
Jamaican international and West Ham United striker Michail Antonio is recovering after undergoing surgery on a lower limb fracture sustained in a horrific car crash on Saturday. The 34-year-old remains in a London hospital under close observation as he begins his recovery.
The football community was left in shock following the accident, which saw Antonio's Ferrari crushed in a woodland area near Theydon Bois, Essex. Images of the wrecked vehicle circulated widely, prompting an outpouring of concern and support from fans and fellow players.
In a statement released on Sunday, West Ham confirmed Antonio's surgery and expressed gratitude to those involved in his immediate care.
“West Ham United can confirm Michail Antonio has undergone surgery on a lower limb fracture following a road traffic accident on Saturday afternoon. Michail will continue to be monitored in hospital over the coming days," the statement read.
"Everyone at the Club wishes Michail a speedy recovery and wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the football family at large for the overwhelming support shown since yesterday’s news, as well as extending a heartfelt thank you to the emergency services and first responders who attended to Michail in the immediate aftermath of the incident, and the medical team who continue to aid him in his recovery. The Club will provide further updates when appropriate.”
Hours after the accident on Saturday, West Ham assured fans of Antonio's condition, stating he was "stable," "conscious," and communicating with medical staff.
The footballing world has since rallied around the player, with the Premier League issuing a statement of support: “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Premier League are also with Antonio, his family, friends, and all at West Ham.”
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker paused the show to acknowledge the accident, while former teammate Jobi McAnuff shared his well wishes on social media, saying, "Thoughts and prayers to Michail's family."
Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts and Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren both offered words of encouragement to Antonio in the statement sent out by the federation on Saturday.
"On behalf of the entire group of players, support staff and technical staff, I would like to wish Michail a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with him at this time,” McClaren said.
“On behalf of the entire Jamaica Football Federation family, I would like to wish Michail a safe and speedy recovery. At this point let us keep him in our prayers as he recovers,” Ricketts added.
This incident is not Antonio’s first car-related mishap. On Christmas Day in 2019, he famously crashed his Lamborghini into a garden while dressed as a snowman. Despite these incidents, Antonio has remained a vital figure at West Ham since joining in 2015, amassing 323 appearances and scoring 83 goals. His contributions were pivotal in the club’s historic UEFA Conference League victory in 2023.
Khadija Shaw brace powers Manchester City to commanding 4-0 win over Leicester City in WSL
Jamaican forward Khadija "Bunny" Shaw delivered a stellar performance on Sunday, scoring twice as Manchester City Women cruised to a 4-0 victory over Leicester City in the Women’s Super League (WSL). Jess Park and Mary Fowler also found the net in a dominant display that underscored City’s title ambitions.
The win was a much-needed bounce-back for Gareth Taylor’s side, who were coming off a disappointing loss to Chelsea. The victory keeps Manchester City second in the WSL standings and reinforces their strong start to the season.
City wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Shaw finding the back of the net just two minutes into the match. Kerstin Casparij whipped in a pinpoint cross, and the Jamaican striker rose above the Leicester defense to head home from close range.
Shaw doubled her tally in the 22nd minute, this time benefiting from Leila Ouahabi’s precision delivery from the left flank. The goal capped an electrifying first-half performance from Shaw, who showcased her aerial prowess and clinical finishing.
Jess Park made it 3-0 early in the second half with a stunning strike from distance, leaving Leicester’s goalkeeper with no chance. Mary Fowler completed the scoring with a superb half-volley after a defensive miscue from Leicester, sealing a comprehensive victory for City.
Despite the emphatic win, there was a minor concern for City late in the game as midfielder Jill Roord required treatment for an apparent injury. Roord left the pitch as a precaution, and City finished the match with 10 players.
The result marks another chapter in Khadija Shaw’s sensational season, with the Reggae Girlz star continuing to cement her reputation as one of the league’s top strikers. Manchester City will look to carry this momentum into their next fixture as they push for WSL glory.
Galaxy dedicate record-extending MLS Cup triumph to 'special' Puig
The LA Galaxy won a record-extending sixth MLS Cup title with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, with their triumph motivated by Riqui Puig's injury.
The Galaxy found themselves two goals in front after 13 minutes thanks to strikes from Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic before Sean Nealis reduced the deficit.
Greg Vanney's side were able to hang on to seal the victory after the break, with many of the Galaxy players paying tribute to the absent Puig.
The Spaniard missed Saturday's showpiece after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in their Western Conference final victory over the Seattle Sounders.
Puig had been instrumental for the Galaxy this season, registering 31 goal involvements (17 goals, 14 assists) across all competitions.
He also created more chances (70) than any of his Galaxy team-mates, who dedicated their victory to Puig.
"It’s really special," said Mark Delgado. “When Riqui went down in the last game, and that final whistle blew, we were all happy. But to see him go down, we all felt so sad for him.
"It was just more of a motivation and another reason to step out there and win. A brother of ours went down, and we got to win this thing. We’re so happy to win this for him.”
After opening the scoring in the ninth minute, Paintsil was swarmed by his team-mates after tucking his shot past the onrushing Carlos Coronel.
But among the madness, the Ghanaian looked to the bench to grab Puig’s jersey and raise it toward the Galaxy faithful, with Joveljic following suit after his strike.
“This guy is unbelievable. One of the best players in the league, Riqui," added Diego Fagundez. “And today showed, even though he wasn’t on the field, we’re a family in here.
"We’re with each other so much that we’re like brothers. And it doesn’t matter if someone goes down, we’re all together. And today, we did it for him, and we did it for ourselves.”
“The first message that he said before we were in the huddle was ‘don’t do it for me, do it for each other,’ and that’s the right kind of mentality we want to have.
"He, as a player, he deserves everything. I know this is what he wanted.”
Puig was in the stands to support his side during the match, and despite not being able to help on the pitch, the Spaniard expressed his gratitude to his team-mates.
“Honestly, I’m very happy," Puig told MLS El Resumen. “It’s been a very complicated week for me, but people are giving me a lot of support, sending me messages.
"I apologise for not being able to respond to almost anybody because it’s been really complicated for me to face this type of injury.
"I was very afraid of it, even more so for nine months, to wait for this match. And I think today the team played spectacularly.”
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