Six New Faces For Town at Wimbledon: Carabao Cup Clash
Ipswich Town fielded six debutants in their Carabao Cup second-round encounter against AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane on Wednesday, 28th August.
The new signings, Dara O'Shea, Conor Townsend, Kalvin Phillips, Jens Cajuste, Chiedozie Ogbene, and Jack Clarke, were all handed their first starts for the Blues. Ben Johnson was the only player from Saturday's starting lineup to remain in the team.
Former Wimbledon striker, Ali Al-Hamadi, was included in a star-studded Town XI that boasted six full internationals. He started against his former side, looking to make an impact in his new colours.
Wimbledon, meanwhile, made six changes from their 1-0 victory over Cheltenham on Saturday. Former Blues forward Joe Pigott was named among the substitutes for the Dons.
The match kicked off with Ipswich Town lining up with: Walton, Johnson, O'Shea, Burgess, Townsend, Phillips, Cajuste, Ogbene, Chaplin (c), J Clarke, and Al-Hamadi. The substitutes were: Slicker, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Davis, Taylor, Harness, Hutchinson, Delap.
AFC Wimbledon's lineup was as follows: Goodman, Johnson, Lewis, Ogundere, Tilley, Ball, Reeves (c), Maycock, Biler, Bugiel, and Stevens. The substitutes were: Ward, Furlong, O'Toole, Kelly, Neufville, Smith, Hippolyte, Williams, and Pigott. James Linington (Newport, Isle of Wight) officiated the encounter.
The clash between the two sides was a captivating one, with Town eventually emerging victorious. Al-Hamadi proved to be the hero, scoring the only goal of the game. His performance left many wondering if the Blues had found a worthy replacement for the departed Broja.
The match provided a glimpse of what the future could hold for Ipswich Town, with their new recruits showing flashes of their potential. Whether they can maintain the momentum and build on this solid start remains to be seen.
