Bournemouth vs Ipswich Report

Scorers: Evanilson 67’; Broadhead 34’, Delap 60’

Ipswich Town breathed new life into their Premier League survival bid with a shock 2-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium — their first win of 2025, and one that ended a long barren run and ignited renewed belief for Kieran McKenna’s side.

Goals from Nathan Broadhead and Liam Delap handed the Tractor Boys all three points, despite a second-half strike from Evanilson and heavy late pressure from the Cherries. The defeat leaves Bournemouth in 10th place and at risk of sliding out of the European conversation.

Sluggish Cherries Pay the Price After FA Cup Exit

Having been knocked out of the FA Cup quarter-finals by Manchester City just days earlier, Bournemouth entered this clash with little time to recover both physically and emotionally.

Their lethargy was evident in a disjointed first half that failed to meet the intensity expected of a team still dreaming of a historic campaign.

Despite that, the Cherries started with some promise. Antoine Semenyo forced Alex Palmer into a save with a low effort from distance, and Alex Scott was denied a near-certain goal by a last-ditch block from Dara O’Shea. Another close-range effort from Scott was also dealt with by Palmer, who kept Ipswich in it.

Clinical Ipswich Strike Before and After the Break

Ipswich, having absorbed the early pressure, struck against the run of play with their first shot on target in the 35th minute.

Julio Enciso slipped a beautifully weighted ball through to Nathan Broadhead, who showed excellent composure to skip past Dean Huijsen and slot between Kepa Arrizabalaga’s legs to give the visitors a surprise half-time lead.

Things got even better for Ipswich on the hour mark. A long ball forward found Liam Delap, who held it up and laid it off to Conor Townsend before continuing his run into the box.

Townsend picked him out with a return pass, and Delap rifled his finish high into the net to make it 2-0 — sending the away fans into dreamland.

Bournemouth Pull One Back but Ipswich Hold Firm

The hosts looked to respond immediately and were initially awarded a penalty for a foul on Semenyo by Axel Tuanzebe, only for VAR to determine the challenge occurred just outside the box.

Moments later, however, Evanilson gave the Cherries hope by pouncing on a rebound after Palmer had parried Lewis Cook’s shot, tapping home from close range to reduce the deficit.

Despite being camped in their own half for the final 15 minutes, Ipswich defended heroically. Palmer, O’Shea, and Tuanzebe were all key in repelling a late Bournemouth barrage, as the visitors clung on for a result that could yet prove vital.

What It Means

Ipswich remain in 18th place, nine points adrift of safety, but this win — their first league triumph since December — offers belief that the great escape is still possible. With tough fixtures ahead, McKenna will hope this result galvanises his squad for the run-in.

As for Bournemouth, their top-half position is now under threat. They stay 10th, but this shock defeat could be costly in their pursuit of European qualification, especially with teams around them gaining ground.

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Bournemouth v Ipswich, 2024/25 | Premier League