Pre-Season Friendly: IPSWICH TOWN 1 WEST HAM UNITED 2
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West Ham United’s preparations for their forthcoming Premier League campaign saw them travel to Suffolk on Tuesday night, as they took on EFL League One hosts Ipswich Town in a friendly.
Brentwood-born former Ipswich midfielder Flynn Downes – Hammers’ new recruit from Swansea City – lined up in a Claret and Blue shirt against the club for whom he began his career and made 99 appearances before his move to South Wales last year, as did one-time Town full-back Aaron Cresswell.
West Ham were without several players on recent international duty, including England internationals Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen but despite the inclusion of a few untried youngsters, manager David Moyes put out a strong side.
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna gave starts to two new recruits to his squad, midfielder Dominic Ball – newly arrived from Queens Park Rangers – and striker Freddie Ladapo, signed from Rotherham United.
The home side began brightly, Sam Morsy dispossessing Downes to set up Ladapo, who struck the outside of visiting goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski’s left post in the 16th minute.
But West Ham came close to scoring themselves ten minutes later, striker Mikhail Antonio hitting the post to the left of Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton.
Then just after the half-hour mark, Kurt Zouma gave the Hammers the lead after Walton had kept out his initial header.
And early in the second half, Antonio blew a great chance to double the Hammers’ lead when he was caught napping by Ipswich substitute Corrie Ndada, who stole the ball from him and cleared the danger.
But United doubled their lead with just over an hour gone, when Harrison Ashby’s effort rebounded off the post and Daniel Chesters scored from the rebound.
Then with 15 minutes left, Kane Vincent-Young headed home for Ipswich to give the home side some consolation.
A useful win for West Ham, but League One title favourites Ipswich will have been pleased with the account they gave of themselves in what proved to be an entertaining encounter.
Ipswich Town (Manager – Kieran McKenna) : Town: Walton (Hladky 73), Donacien (El Mizouni 61), Woolfenden (Edmundson 61), Burgess (Ndaba 46), Burns (Vincent-Young 61), Morsy (c) (Harper 61), Ball (Evans 46), Penney (Leigh 46), Chaplin (John-Jules 61), Aluko (Humphreys 61), Ladapo (Jackson 61).
West Ham (Manager- David Moyes): Fabianski, Cresswell (c), Zouma, Fornals, Antonio, Downes, Coventry, Oko-Flex (Earthy 89), Alese, Ashby, Chesters.
Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).
Attendance: 15,129 (West Ham: 1,528).
