Stoke vs Ipswich live news, action and reaction

ShareCommentsByPeter SmithStoke City reporterUpdated08:35, 11 MAR 2026Bookmark Hello, good evening and welcome to our live coverage of Stoke City's Championship clash with Ipswich Town from the bet365 Stadium.

Stoke are back at headquarters hoping to dust themselves off after defeats on the road at Coventry and Swansea, with 10 games left to try to haul themselves up the league table.

Key man Sorba Thomas misses this match as he serves a one-game suspension for a controversial red card picked up in South Wales on Saturday.

Ipswich are still trying to gatecrash their way into the top two to secure automatic promotion and an immediate return to the Premier League. They were frustrated by being held by Leicester City at the weekend.

We will have all the news, action and reaction as it happens. Kick-off is at 8pm and team news will be confirmed around 6.45pm. You can have your say too. Click here to join in the debate through the day.

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Robins: "He did really well. He showed everything I wanted him to show, which is his attributes, pace, he's got some quality. There was a ball came to him really quickly that he took with the outside of his foot, a really good touch under a bit of pressure in difficult circumstances. He can be proud of that little cameo and hopefully he can grow and develop."

CommentsPeter SmithJunior Tchamadeu substitutionRobins: "Right. This is where everyone has to understand. Do I want to take Junior Tchamadeu off? No I don't. We've got a young kid there who has been here since he was eight years of age, Syd Agina, who came on and did pretty well.

"It was 2-2 at that point I think, knowing that I had to make that change because the medical team, rightly, say that he can only do 45 minutes. He played 70. I'm pushing and pushing and pushing to try to get him through. He didn't want to come off - but you leave him on and he gets injured in minute 73 then I'm kicking myself and going, 'What am I doing? I can't believe that.'

"He can't stick with it anyway because he was starting to run out of gas. So, no I didn't want to bring him off.

"Eric needed to come off. He spoke to me about a hamstring and I can't take any risks so I'm managing that.

"This isn't academy football and it's not pre-season football. One of the best parts of my day today was going to the training ground and watching eight first team players back on the grass. They're not ready for the game yet but they're back on the grass so it means they're close. There were eight of them - and two not involved in that. That's where we're at.

"I just need a bit of understanding because it is very, very difficult to manage through a football match in those circumstances.

"It was the same on Saturday when we lose Sorba Thomas. We get Sorba Thomas back now so that's another positive.

"We go into the game on Saturday now having not lost a game. It looked like we had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory but thankfully we stayed in the game and created another couple of chances and got that penalty. Incredible that it was the first penalty of the season."

CommentsPeter SmithMark Robins post-match press conferenceRobins: "We missed tackles in the second half. We didn't get the line high enough. Back line, too deep. We are playing against the wind. First half, we were playing into the wind, second we were with it. They are not kicking it over your head, defend it, go and head it, be prepared to run.

"It was almost like it was easy. First half we won the ball back, the transitions were brilliant, we forced them into mistakes. We picked the ball up and used it pretty well.

"We were playing against a team that's just come down from the Premier League, they're third or fourth in this division and they're fancied by everyone at the start of the season to go straight back up. They've spent money wisely, they've added to that with good players in the team and they've got a fully fit squad apart from Philogene.

"We've got... our circumstances at the moment. I'm not going to bleat about that because it is what it is. We've got good players. They played in the first half really well. They won the ball high up the field and converted two chances.

"The first one was Smudger's first goal for us after great work (from Talovierov) winning the ball and feeding Milly. He goes past Kipre in the box and hits the post. It comes out but Rigo is there to try to stab it in and Smudger is there to finish it off. Brilliant. First goal for him and it gets our noses in front.

"We keep doing the same thing and put pressure on and win the ball back high up. Junho scores a fantastic second goal so what's not to like? A really good first half.

"Second half, we spoke about doing the same things, making sure we win the duels, win the headers, don't have it so it's a game of two halves story - and straight away we come out and turn our backs, miss tackles, miss things. We're either ahead of the ball or in the wrong position and don't recover properly. Pressure isn't on the ball quite where we needed it to be and sometimes you tire.

"Those are the cirucmstances we've got at the moment. Average age of 23 in the first half by the way so it was a young squad - and I'm pleased. I said to them at full-time that I didn't know what to say. Part of me is really happy with a lot of that apart from three elements, three moments in the game where we've missed tackles, turned our back. A long throw-in, got first contact but not quick enough first contact and then didn't get out to the ball quickly enough. He has a shot and we turn our backs on it too easily. Goalkeeper is nowhere near it.

"Third one is even worse. Back line is not up quickly enough and it means that we've got Ash Phillips who is deeper than Maxi and you can drive a bus through the gap. He takes a touch and it's gone through the goalkeeper again. He's got to learn. He has to learn.

"He's a young goalkeeper and he's made some brilliant saves and I keep saying it. But we're talking about too many mistakes. I expect him to save that. So you end up 3-2 down and it's infuriating because we've done so well and put so much effort into it.

"What we didn't do well enough is the use of the ball wasn't great until after that moment. We start to use the ball again and get into a good position again and have another chance when we headed it over inexplicably. We kept going and then got a penalty and that penatly is our first of the season believe it or not.

"Smudger gets his second goal which I'm deilghted with. He showed courage and quality and finished it off so we got a point, which I felt was the least we deserved."

CommentsPeter SmithMark Robins on the penaltySoft penalty?

Robins: "I don't care. I do not care. That's our first penalty of the season and we have had some bankers not given. So I do not care."

CommentsPeter SmithStoke's early second halves at home- They were 1-0 up at half-time v Hull on November 29 but Semi Ajayi scored in the 48th minute and Stoke lost 2-1.

- It was 0-0 at half-time v Sheff Utd on December 29 but Jairo Riedewald scored in the 47th minute, Tom Cannon scored in 53rd minute and Stoke lost 2-1.

- They were 1-0 up at half-time v Middlesbrough on January 21 but Alan Browne scored in the 48th minute and Stoke lost 2-1.

- They were 1-0 down at half-time v Southampton on January 31 then Flynn Downes scored in the 52nd minute and Stoke lost 2-0.

- They were 1-0 up at half-time v Leicester but Divin Mukasa scored in the 52nd minute and it finished 2-2.

- They were 2-0 up at half-time v Ipswich but an Eric Bocat own-goal went in in the 49th minute and it finished 3-3.

CommentsPeter SmithMcKenna on the windThe Ipswich boss has made a few references to it being very difficult conditions. The wind was blowing pretty strong.

Comments22:27Peter SmithIpswich reactionMcKenna: "It's a really devastated dressing room at the minute about how we dealt with the last minute, as well as a really soft penalty. We're really unhappy with how that's panned out - but other than there are so many ways to dissect the games. Things we didn't do well enough in the first half and we went in at half-time in a bit of a spot. Then we showed outstanding character."

CommentsPeter SmithKieran McKenna reactionMcKenna is not happy at all with the penalty decision, comparing it to decisions that went against Ipswich against Leicester at the weekend.

CommentsKEY EVENTPlayer ratingsRollercoaster.

READ THE RATINGS

Comments21:56Peter SmithFull-timeWell. Ay caramba.

Comments90+7Peter SmithStoke 3 Ipswich 3That was Stoke's first penalty of the season.

Comments90+5KEY EVENTGOAL!SMIT!

Calm as you like. Into the bottom corner.

Comments90+5Peter SmithSmit to take....

Comments90+5KEY EVENTPenalty!Cisse fouled by Cajuste.

Comments90+2Peter SmithYellow cardMehmeti for a shove.

Comments90Peter SmithFive added minutes Come on Stoke.

Comments89Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 3Stoke corner. Rigo takes short and it's passed over to Seko to completely waste it with a punt into the Boothen End.

Comments88Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 3Rak-Sakyi has a dribble into the box but can't get a clean shot away.

Comments84Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 3What a sickener.

Ipswich have been outstanding going forward this half but Stoke fans look absolutely forlorn.

Comments82KEY EVENTGOAL! Stoke 2 Ipswich 3 - George HirstGeorge Hirst.

Manhoef is tackled on the break and Junho can't make the next tackle. It's passed by Kipre to Hirst, who is behind Talovierov and kept onside by Phillips. He's one-on-one with Simkin and buries it.

Comments81Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 2Two more corners for Stoke to defend. Agina scrambles the first behind. Stoke can't properly clear the second.

Comments81Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 2Davis at the back post but his volley is blocked by the midriff of Agina.

Comments77Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 2It definitely feels like there's at least another goal in this.

Ipswich corner. Davis's delivery goes through the six-yard box and out the other side.

Comments74Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 2Oh no! Phillips over from one yard.

Junho's cross from the six-yard box and Phillips is stretching back and it's a pretty open goal. He can't believe it.

Comments74Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 2Rak-Sakyi's corner almost goes straight in. Walton is scrambling and concedes another corner.

The second corner is useless.

Comments73Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 2Syd Agina has a couple of excellent touches on the right and he sets up Manhoef to win a corner.

Comments70Peter SmithStoke double subBocat and Tchamadeu are both shattered.

On come Gibson and Syd Agina, making his Stoke debut.

Comments64KEY EVENTGOAL! Stoke 2 Ipswich 2 - Jack TaylorJack Taylor.

Ipswich are level and it's no surprise.

A long throw from their right is headed out only as far as Taylor on the edge of the box. He hits it through Seko and it bounces in.

Comments62Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 1Stoke are playing a really dangerous game here. They need to find a way to relieve some of the pressure.

Comments62Peter SmithStoke 2 Ipswich 1Stoke back off Clarke as he runs into the area. Simkin saves. Corner.