Ipswich Town 2-0 Bristol Rovers: Tractor Boys progress in Carabao Cup
- Published
- comments
Sone Aluko's goal was his first for Ipswich in almost 22 months
Ipswich Town won a Carabao Cup tie for just the second time in six seasons as they beat Bristol Rovers 2-0 at Portman Road.
Town made a great start when Jack Taylor put them a goal up from close range early on while the hosts had chances to increase their advantage.
Rovers improved after the break but were hit by a sucker punch with 14 minutes to go when Sone Aluko slotted home George Hirst's cutback.
Hirst almost made it 3-0 10 minutes from full time, but he scooped his close-range effort over the bar as Town booked a second round tie away at Reading.
Rovers' poor marking allowed Ipswich to go ahead as Taylor was found unmarked in the box after Omari Hutchinson's flick-on.
Ipswich could have been further ahead had Freddie Ladapo's 24th-minute header been on target or Tristan Crama had not headed Taylor's goal-bound effort off the line 10 minutes from half time when keeper Matthew Cox had been caught outside his penalty area.
Ladapo had a 50th-minute effort saved by Matthew Cox while 13 minutes later Ipswich keeper Cieran Slicker did well to keep out Aaron Collins' deflected effort.
Rovers grew into the game as the second half went on - John Marquis and Jevani Brown went close inside the final 20 minutes before Aluko put the tie to bed.
Ipswich assistant manager Martyn Pert:
"We changed the whole team and it shows the level that the lads have been working at for the last six weeks that they can work and understand the structure and everything we want and they can go and deliver the performance like that.
"So very pleasing and it was a good night.
"A lot of the players have been here a while and understand the way we play."
Bristol Rovers first-team coach Andy Mangan:
"There were so many positives, we've just got to be better in certain areas on the counter mentality-wise.
"When Ipswich have got the ball our shape was difficult to break down and our lads have got to trust the process and be confident in those situations but all in all a positive performance.
"I think we had more chances in the first period of the second half and like I said we just have to be better in those moments."