Ouattara snatches last-gasp win for Bournemouth to break Ipswich hearts

This was cruel on Ipswich. Belief must sag after repeated reverses and bitter experiences like Bournemouth’s late equaliser through Enes Unal and then Dango Ouattara’s winner, especially when the latter came as late as the 95th minute.

Perhaps the ride to get to the Premier League was the fun part. There is plenty of suffering yet to come, Bournemouth held their hand to the fire in dominating possession and opportunities in search of an equaliser of Conor Chaplin’s first-half strike and once it came they did not let up. As Ipswich sagged after the equaliser, Bournemouth coolly, almost surgically cut through, and Ouattara reduced Portman Road to a hush beyond the corner full of away fans.

Thrilling to the last, here was a further demonstration the provincial outposts of the Premier League in late 2024 boast players of huge talent and invention. Ipswich and Bournemouth went at each other from the get-go, caution thrown to the biting winds of Storm Darragh, risk-heavy football played at warp speed. If Ipswich are to survive, they will have done it Kieran McKenna’s way but there may be more pain to come. A lack of game management cost them a major coup, as well as a first home win of the season. Bournemouth, a smaller, less historic club with a reputation for taking down big dog are almost precisely what Ipswich aspire to.

Beginning with an opening-seconds clash between Justin Kluivert and Sam Morsy, the Bournemouth player appearing to wrench the Ipswich skipper to the floor, was set fair to be hard-fought. The pace barely dropped from then on.

In Milos Kerkez and Leif Davis, a sodden Sunday in Suffolk offered the opportunity to see two of English football’s blossoming left-sided defenders, both of whom may interest the elite one day soon. The Hungarian was first to show, blazing to the byline after a Kluivert pass. Marcus Tavernier’s run towards what should have been an open goal was badly mistimed, perhaps the best chance of many to come and go.

Bournemouth initially looked the brighter amid the gloom of sour weather conditions but the home fans were lifted when Davis went on a trademark overlap. It was from the opposite flank, and a cross from Omari Hutchinson that Cameron Burgess nodded over Ipswich’s first real chance.

Their goal was not long in coming. When the ball dropped to Burgess from Davis’ long throw, when most players’ instinct would be to shoot, the centre-back coolly laid it up Chaplin to guide home. More might have swiftly followed. Kepa was asked to save a deflected Jack Taylor shot. Next, Burgess headed in, only for Delap’s second-row rugby-style jostling at a corner to be ruled illegal.

Andoni Iraola was then booked as the contest was further heated by Tavernier looking to be upended in chasing down a loose ball in the Ipswich box. This time, VAR ruled in Ipswich’s favour but tempers were boiling in the stands and on the field. A breathless first half closed with Bournemouth chasing hard, penning Ipswich in their own half but only able to create a series of snatched half-chances.

Such a pattern was repeated from the start of the second half though repeated Hail Mary runs into enemy territory from Delap and Davis relieved the pressure on an Ipswich defence asked to make last-ditch tackles and interceptions as Bournemouth piled forward, Ben Johnson asked to deal with the constant threat of Antoine Semenyo, Evanilson forever buzzing around. Whether Bournemouth, whose better days have come via the counter, are comfortable in being asked to pick through an opponent was the question being asked, and eventually answered. They stuck to the process and reaped their rewards.

Sammie Szmodics, otherwise engaged in chasing down and clearing lines, then forced Kepa into a save, the rebound agonisingly diverting beyond Delap. The centre-forward next laid on another chance for the Irishman, this time blocked. Iraola removed the disappointing Evanilson and Tavernier, with the craft of David Brooks and the muscle of Philip Billing. Semenyo, having moved left, forced a scrabbling save from Arijanet Muric.

Chaplin scooped wide when his second goal beckoned, while Burgess, at that point headed for man of the match status, read Semenyo’s mind when the winger had broken free. The home support surged with belief, anxiety and triumph whenever a Bournemouth attack broke down.

But then came disaster and pessimism. Muric’s rush of blood towards Semenyo opened up the goal, Burgess couldn’t clear the ball and Unal, the substitute, was on hand. As full time sounded after the further felling blow, McKenna stood still. The applause that followed him down the tunnel showed he retains home support even in the eye of such bitter, cruel disappointment.