Ipswich Week in Review, Monday 26th October: Enciso Rescues a Storm-Hit Draw with Forest as Diop Survives VAR Drama
The big news of the week came under the Portman Road lights as Ipswich hosted Nottingham Forest on a wild, windy evening with Storm Austen blowing through Suffolk (East Anglian Daily Times) (East Anglian Daily Times). Neco Williams put the visitors ahead before Julio Enciso levelled things up with his first goal since returning to the club, earning the Blues a hard-fought 1-1 draw (TWTD) (TWTD) (East Anglian Daily Times). Gary O'Neil admitted he had to tear up his second-half game plan but was proud of how his side dug in for the point (Ipswich Star) (ITFC.co.uk), while Forest boss Oliver Glasner felt his team deserved more despite seeing their losing run ended (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport).
The major talking point of the night was Issa Diop's survival of a VAR review after a last-man foul on James McAtee, with the officials opting for yellow rather than red (Sky Sports) (Sky Sports). O'Neil felt the referee got the call right (East Anglian Daily Times), while Diop himself seemed unfazed by the controversy (TWTD). Glasner, unsurprisingly, saw it very differently, branding the decision confusing and saying it simply didn't make sense (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport). Elsewhere, pundits and former players weighed in too, with talkSPORT noting Diop was fortunate to stay on the pitch (talkSPORT), and fan reaction was mixed, with one supporter even calling it their worst performance of the season so far (BBC Sport).
In the build-up, there was plenty of team news and previews to enjoy. O'Neil praised Jaden Philogene as competition for the left-wing spot hots up (Ipswich Star), confirmed Sasa Lukic would be fit to face Forest (Ipswich Star), and spoke about the difficulty of facing Glasner's awkward side (East Anglian Daily Times). Chuba Akpom also previewed the test awaiting Town (East Anglian Daily Times), while referee Thomas Bramall was confirmed as the man in the middle (East Anglian Daily Times). O'Neil also took time to thank supporters, saying they make a real difference as Town sit in a promising position in the Premier League table (East Anglian Daily Times).
Away from the first team, Ipswich's academy sides had contrasting weeks. The U21s were beaten 1-0 by Anderlecht in the Premier League International Cup at Portman Road (East Anglian Daily Times), but bounced back with an impressive 5-0 win over Birmingham City, Josh Pitts bagging a brace, at Playford Road (East Anglian Daily Times) (Ipswich Star). It was tougher going for the U18s, who lost 6-2 to Crystal Palace (Ipswich Star) and were then beaten 4-1 by Chelsea at Cobham (East Anglian Daily Times) (Ipswich Star). On a brighter note, young academy prospects Tommy McLoughlin and Zac Wattley both earned international recognition, called up to England's U15 and U16 squads respectively (East Anglian Daily Times) (East Anglian Daily Times) (ITFC.co.uk).
On the women's side, there was real optimism as Ipswich Town Women look to continue their strong start to the WSL2 campaign, with boss David Wright speaking confidently about his side's progress (TWTD). Pundit Maria Boswell went further, suggesting promotion to the Women's Super League feels inevitable for the club (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport).
In loan news, goalkeeper Cieran Slicker made his long-awaited debut for Barnsley, though his side were beaten at Luton (Ipswich Star). There was also news from off the pitch, with former goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky announcing his retirement after an career that included Ipswich's promotion from the Championship (Ipswich Star), while long-serving stopper Christian Walton said he'd love to finish his career at Portman Road (East Anglian Daily Times).
Elsewhere around the club, Ipswich Town are set to open a new Planet Blue store in the Buttermarket (East Anglian Daily Times), and supporters have been reminded to arrive early for matches at Portman Road (ITFC.co.uk). On a lighter note, former NFL star Chad Johnson won plaudits from fans after being spotted wearing a retro Blues shirt online (East Anglian Daily Times). Less positively, a fan was banned after admitting to throwing a seat during the East Anglian derby at Carrow Road (East Anglian Daily Times).
Finally, there was a poignant moment as former striker Marcus Stewart opened up about his battle with a terminal illness in a new Sky documentary (Ipswich Star), while Ipswich and England great Terry Butcher spoke movingly about his bond with Sir Bobby Robson (BBC Sport), as well as giving his verdict on how well-equipped this Town side are for the physical nature of the Premier League (Ipswich Star).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.