Match report

Ipswich Holds Off Preston for a Thrilling Championship Draw (1-1)

Ipswich
Ipswich
1–1
FT
Preston
Preston
Jan 31, 2026

Ipswich staged a valiant comeback to secure a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Preston in their latest Championship clash at Portman Road. Despite falling behind to an early goal by L. Gibson, Ipswich rallied and equalized through a late penalty by J. Clarke, ensuring both teams left with a point.

Key Facts

  • • Preston's L. Gibson scored the opening goal at 72 minutes.
  • • Ipswich's J. Clarke netted an equalizing penalty in the final minute (90th).
  • • J. Thompson and Alistair McCann received yellow cards for Preston.
  • • I. Azon substituted George Hirst in Ipswich's first substitution at half-time.

Lineups

Ipswich

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Starting XI

  • 28 C. Walton (G)
  • 19 D. Furlong (D)
  • 26 D. O'Shea (D)
  • 4 C. Kipre (D)
  • 3 L. Davis (D)
  • 5 A. Matusiwa (M)
  • 12 J. Cajuste (M)
  • 7 W. Burns (M)
  • 33 A. Mehmeti (M)
  • 47 J. Clarke (M)
  • 31 I. Azon (F)

Substitutes

  • 1 A. Palmer
  • 18 B. Johnson
  • 24 J. Greaves
  • 6 D. Neil
  • 14 J. Taylor
  • 20 K. McAteer
  • 8 S. W. Egeli
  • 29 C. Akpom
  • 9 G. Hirst

Preston

Formation: 3-4-2-1

Starting XI

  • 13 D. Cornell (G)
  • 42 O. Offiah (D)
  • 6 L. Lindsay (D)
  • 19 L. Gibson (D)
  • 2 P. Valentin (M)
  • 15 J. Thompson (M)
  • 4 B. Whiteman (M)
  • 26 T. Small (M)
  • 8 A. McCann (F)
  • 21 A. Devine (F)
  • 9 D. Jebbison (F)

Substitutes

  • 12 J. Walton
  • 3 A. Vukcevic
  • 36 E. Nolan
  • 18 J. Lewis
  • 35 N. Mawene
  • 10 M. Frokjaer-Jensen
  • 17 L. Dobbin
  • 24 M. Smith
  • 22 M. Lukovic

Timeline

  1. Preston
    33' Preston Card · Yellow Card
    J. Thompson

    Foul

  2. Ipswich
    46' Ipswich subst · Substitution 1
    Off: I. Azon · On: George Hirst
  3. Preston
    50' Preston Card · Yellow Card
    Alistair McCann

    Foul

  4. Ipswich
    65' Ipswich subst · Substitution 2
    Off: J. Cajuste · On: Jack Taylor
  5. Ipswich
    65' Ipswich subst · Substitution 3
    Off: W. Burns · On: S. W. Egeli
  6. Preston
    72' Preston Goal · Normal Goal
    L. Gibson
  7. Ipswich
    78' Ipswich subst · Substitution 4
    Off: Darnell Furlong · On: Ben Johnson
  8. Ipswich
    78' Ipswich subst · Substitution 5
    Off: A. Mehmeti · On: C. Akpom
  9. Preston
    81' Preston subst · Substitution 1
    Off: A. Devine · On: M. Frokjaer-Jensen
  10. Ipswich
    82' Ipswich Card · Yellow Card
    J. Clarke

    Argument

  11. Ipswich
    90' Ipswich Goal · Penalty
    J. Clarke

Match Stats

Stat Ipswich Preston
Fouls 11 10
Pass Accuracy 83% 68%
Offsides 1 1
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 16 11
Corners 9 3
Total Passes 533 263
Yellow Cards 1 2
Blocked Shots 4 4
Shots on Target 5 4
xG 2.79 1.19
Shots off Target 7 3
Possession 68% 32%
Goals Prevented 0 0
Accurate Passes 444 178
Shots Inside Box 16 8
Saves 3 3
Shots Outside Box 0 3

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ Preston took the lead with L. Gibson’s goal, giving them a significant advantage entering the second half.
  • ▸ Ipswich managed to level the score through J. Clarke's penalty in stoppage time, ensuring they did not concede points at home.