Kieran McKenna earned his first Premier League victory with goals from Omari Hutchinson, Freddie Ladapo, and Jack Taylor.
A second-string Ipswich team added another feather to manager Kieran McKenna’s cap after rallying from two goals behind to upset Wolves in the Carabao Cup third round at Portman Road.
McKenna, who has established a reputation as one of England’s sharpest coaches after masterminding Tractors Boys’ promotion to the Sky Bet Championship last season, saw his club fall behind 2-0 early on.
Hwang Hee-Chan and Toti scored within 15 minutes for the Premier League side, but they fell to their sixth defeat in eight games under new manager Gary O’Neil.
Omari Hutchinson kicked off the Ipswich comeback with a magnificent 28th-minute finish, but Freddie Ladapo ensured it was all square at the break. Soon after the break, Jack Taylor’s spectacular 25-yard strike gave former Manchester United assistant McKenna his first victory over a top-flight team.
Both clubs made 20 substitutions for this match, but it was Hwang, a starter for Wolves at Luton, who broke the deadlock in the fourth minute.
Ipswich’s Dominic Ball was at fault after he could only clear Pablo Sarabia’s cross to Sasa Kalajdzic, who passed through to the unmarked Hwang and the left-footed strike by the Wolves attacker was too powerful for Vaclav Hladky.
It silenced the expectant Portman Road crowd, which had seen the Tractor Boys making a flying start on their Championship return and win seven of their opening eight fixtures, but it was 2-0 after quarter of an hour.
Sarabia’s dangerous corner picked out full debutant Santiago Bueno and while Hladky made a fine save from point-blank range, Wolves defender Toti was on hand to smash home on the goal line to punish more slack Ipswich defending.
The narrative of McKenna’s all-conquering team being ready to claim a top flight scalp had not gone to plan so far, but the tide started to turn midway through the first half and Hutchinson reduced the deficit in the 28th minute.
The Chelsea loanee had looked a threat and when he was slipped in by Marcus Harness, he did not need a second invitation and rifled beyond Wolves captain Dan Bentley from eight yards with his weaker right foot.
It was Hutchinson’s stronger left foot which forced Bentley into action next but the visitors’ goalkeeper was able to tip over the 20-yard free-kick.
McKenna’s men were impressing now though and the equaliser arrived six minutes before half-time through Ladapo.
Harness played in Ipswich’s trusty back-up forward, and his low strike was too strong for Bentley, who got a touch to the effort but couldn’t prevent the hosts from regaining parity.
A Harness shot deflected wide 50 seconds into the second period signaled the Championship outfit’s intentions, and while Matt Doherty had a chance blocked for Wolves shortly after, the hosts scored their fifth goal of the game.
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