Match report

Ipswich Stuns Watford 2-0 in Championship Clash

Watford
Watford
0–2
FT
Ipswich
Ipswich
Feb 24, 2026

In an unexpected turn of events, Ipswich Town secured a solid victory over Watford with a scoreline of 2-0. This result marks a significant win for Ipswich in the Championship and highlights their improved form under manager Marcus Smith. Despite Watford's early efforts, two crucial goals by Stephen Egeli and George Hirst steered Ipswich to an important triumph.

Key Facts

  • • Ipswich Town defeated Watford 2-0 in the Championship match.
  • • Stephen W. Egeli scored the first goal at minute 37.
  • • George Hirst netted the second goal for Ipswich at minute 77.
  • • Watford's T. Ince missed a penalty in the 84th minute, costing them a crucial opportunity to level the score.

Lineups

Watford

Formation: 5-4-1

Starting XI

  • 1 Egil Selvik (G)
  • 29 Jeremy Petris (D)
  • 25 James Abankwah (D)
  • 6 Matthew Pollock (D)
  • 21 Stephen Mfuni (D)
  • 16 Marc Bola (D)
  • 66 Nestory Irankunda (M)
  • 23 Nampalys Mendy (M)
  • 10 Imrân Louza (M)
  • 8 Giorgi Chakvetadze (M)
  • 9 Luca Kjerrumgaard (F)

Substitutes

  • 2 Jeremy Ngakia
  • 15 Edoardo Bove
  • 20 Mamadou Doumbia
  • 7 Thomas Ince
  • 17 Pierre Ekwah
  • 12 Nathan Baxter
  • 27 Formose Mendy
  • 39 Edo Kayembe
  • 18 Vivaldo

Ipswich

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Starting XI

  • 28 Christian Walton (G)
  • 19 Darnell Furlong (D)
  • 26 Dara O'Shea (D)
  • 4 Cédric Kipré (D)
  • 24 Jacob Greaves (D)
  • 5 Azor Matusiwa (M)
  • 6 Dan Neil (M)
  • 8 Sindre Walle Egeli (M)
  • 32 Marcelino Núñez (M)
  • 47 Jack Clarke (M)
  • 31 Ivan Azón (F)

Substitutes

  • 7 Wes Burns
  • 12 Jens Cajuste
  • 9 George Hirst
  • 33 Anis Mehmeti
  • 1 Alex Palmer
  • 18 Ben Johnson
  • 14 Jack Taylor
  • 20 Kasey McAteer
  • 29 Chuba Akpom

Timeline

  1. Watford
    25' Watford Card · Yellow Card
    J. Abankwah
  2. Watford
    28' Watford Card · Yellow Card
    N. Irankunda
  3. Ipswich
    37' Ipswich Goal · Normal Goal
    S. W. Egeli
  4. Watford
    46' Watford subst · Substitution 1
    Off: G. Chakvetadze · On: E. Bove
  5. Watford
    46' Watford subst · Substitution 2
    Off: Jeremy Petris · On: Jeremy Ngakia
  6. Ipswich
    56' Ipswich Card · Yellow Card
    C. Kipre
  7. Watford
    59' Watford subst · Substitution 3
    Off: L. Kjerrumgaard · On: M. Doumbia
  8. Ipswich
    66' Ipswich subst · Substitution 1
    Off: S. W. Egeli · On: W. Burns
  9. Ipswich
    66' Ipswich subst · Substitution 2
    Off: D. Neil · On: J. Cajuste
  10. Watford
    73' Watford subst · Substitution 4
    Off: J. Abankwah · On: T. Ince
  11. Ipswich
    74' Ipswich subst · Substitution 3
    Off: M. Nunez · On: A. Mehmeti
  12. Ipswich
    74' Ipswich subst · Substitution 4
    Off: I. Azon · On: George Hirst
  13. Ipswich
    77' Ipswich Goal · Normal Goal
    George Hirst · Assist: J. Greaves
  14. Watford
    80' Watford subst · Substitution 5
    Off: I. Louza · On: P. Ekwah
  15. Ipswich
    83' Ipswich Card · Yellow Card
    Darnell Furlong

    misses next match

  16. Watford
    84' Watford Goal · Missed Penalty
    T. Ince · Assist: T. Ince
  17. Ipswich
    85' Ipswich Card · Yellow Card
    C. Walton
  18. Ipswich
    89' Ipswich subst · Substitution 5
    Off: J. Clarke · On: Ben Johnson

Match Stats

Stat Watford Ipswich
Fouls 14 16
Pass Accuracy 82% 81%
Offsides 3 3
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 10 11
Corners 3 4
Total Passes 367 399
Yellow Cards 2 3
Blocked Shots 3 3
Shots on Target 2 3
xG 1.31 1.12
Shots off Target 5 5
Possession 48% 52%
Goals Prevented 0 0
Accurate Passes 300 324
Shots Inside Box 5 5
Saves 1 2
Shots Outside Box 5 6

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ Ipswich took the lead with Stephen Egeli’s goal at minute 37, which marked a significant shift in momentum.
  • ▸ George Hirst's second goal for Ipswich at minute 77 secured their victory and further dampened Watford's spirits.