‘Our best achievement’ – Ipswich enjoy historic home win

The last time Ipswich Town won a home match in the Premier League, forwards Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson weren’t even born.

But both were on target in a historic 2-0 win over Chelsea that gave the Tractor Boys their first top-flight victory since they beat Middlesbrough in April, 2002, with a Darren Bent strike.

Ipswich were relegated a month later. Delap and Hutchinson were born in 2003.

Since then the club has been to League One and back, while Chelsea have won five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues during the same period.

But, at a bouncing Portman Road on Monday night, the fourth-placed Blues were blown away as Kieran McKenna’s side finally recorded their first home league win of the season.

“In the last game of 2024 against Chelsea is pretty special,” said McKenna who had been linked with the Chelsea managerial job in the summer.

“It is our best achievement.”

Over the past two seasons Ipswich have achieved back-to-back promotions. But despite collecting 96 points last term, finishing a point behind champions Leicester City, Town have struggled making the step up to the Premier League.

The Suffolk side were winless across their first 10 games before stunning Tottenham away from home in a 2-1 win in November.

They beat Wolves on the road earlier this month too, but it had been a struggle for that elusive success in front of their own fans.

That was until Chelsea came to town.

“Tonight belongs to Ipswich,” former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live while covering Monday night’s game.

“What an incredible result for this football club. The noise inside this stadium is outstanding, the team were outstanding.”

Delap stars as Ipswich deliver Chelsea title blow
Delap a ‘different beast’

Delap, who McKenna described as “a different beast”, opened the scoring for Ipswich with a 12th-minute penalty.

Incredibly, it was Town’s first penalty goal in the Premier League in more than 23 years – Marcus Stewart’s strike in November 2001 also came against Chelsea.

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Delap took his goal tally to seven in the league this season – and only Cole Palmer, James Maddison and Ollie Watkins have scored more among English players.

So there are no surprises then that Chelsea are one of the top clubs monitoring the former Manchester City forward.

“His rate of improvement for a young player is really high,” said McKenna.

“His style is enjoyable to watch for anyone. There’s not many like him out there and he’s playing incredible Premier League defenders every week.”

Delap also teed up Ipswich’s second for Hutchinson and the former Chelsea winger, just like all the home fans inside Portman Road, was head over heels when it hit the net.

He celebration was apt – a backflip.

“Everyone’s been asking me to do it so I thought I would for the first home win,” Hutchinson, also 21, told Sky Sports.

“It’s good to write history.”

Despite their victory, Ipswich remain in the bottom three, although they cut the gap to 17th-placed Wolves and safety to just one point.

The Tractor Boys’ next home league match is against Brighton on January 16.

With Delap and Hutchinson in this form, and the pressure of that first home win off, that night might belong to them too.