Brentford 4-3 Ipswich: Bryan Mbeumo's 96th minute strike earns Bees dramatic win after Tractor Boys' blew a two-goal lead
- Szmodics and Hirst put Ipswich up before Clarke own-goal and Wissa's strike
- Mbeumo gave Bees the lead and Delap equalised before the hosts' late winner
- LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
There’s a reason why Kieran McKenna is so revered among Ipswich fans and behind only Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson in the list of the greatest managers in the club’s history.
The Northern Irishman has taken the Tractor Boys to unimaginable heights, leading them from mid-table in League One back to the Premier League after a 22-year absence during a period that has been accompanied by several remarkable late rescue acts.
But, down to 10-men and 3-2 behind at Brentford having thrown away a 2-0 lead, Ipswich looked like they had completed one of their best yet when Liam Delap levelled late on.
Yet as the clock ticked to 96 minutes, Bryan Mbeumo’s cross caused panic in the box before going all the way in, leaving the visitors broken as they ended on the wrong end of one of the most remarkable games in Premier League history.
‘I’ve been told we’re in the entertainment business so I thought we had to give you a little bit for your money,’ Bees boss Thomas Frank joked post-match.
Brentford came from two goals down to earn a memorable 4-3 win over strugglers Ipswich
Bryan Mbeumo scored a brace to extend the Tractor Boy's winless start to the season
Ipswich were left dejected at full-time as their wait for a first win of the season goes on
‘It’s always easy to be on the end of a win but I feel for Kieran. They did very well and were deservedly 2-0 up.
‘On the flip side I thought that in the first 40 minutes we were bad, as bad as we’ve been in the Premier League with a lot of things. But it was a great mentality and personality and a fantastic comeback in many ways.
‘And that’s just football, it is relentless, especially in the Premier League.’
Frank was particularly full of praise for match-winner Mbeumo, who continues to step up after Ivan Toney’s summer departure, with the Cameroonian making it eight goals in nine games.
‘I hope they recognise him as one of the best players in the league,’ the Dane added. 'Eight in nine games. That’s hugely impressive from a winger from a team in the middle of the league. That's not normal.'
Despite the cruel ending to this mad encounter, McKenna remained upbeat. ‘It was an incredible game,’ he said. ‘It’s obviously a mixture of great pride in the performance on an individual and team level.
‘The quality and resilience we have shown through a really challenging week led to so many good things and three goals away from home.
‘But of course it’s extreme disappointment and devastation about the late goal that means we don’t get any points for our efforts. But we showed today that we are back on the right track.’
Ipswich had taken the lead through Sammie Szmodics's finish inside 28 minutes
George Hirst doubled the visitors' lead by lifting the ball over Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken
Yoane Wissa halved the deficit before Harry Clarke's own-goal levelled the match
For 44 minutes, everything had been going so perfectly for Ipswich. The Tractor Boys were on course for a first Premier League win of the season - and first since 2002 - back to a time when Tony Blair was Prime Minister and The Hindu Times by Oasis was top of the charts.
They had played some of their best football yet and brilliant goals from Sammie Szmodics and George Hirst had the away end bouncing.
Brentford looked all at sea and Mark Flekken prevented an already irate crowd from exploding when he saved brilliantly inside the box from Szmodics.
But seven minutes later and a collapse for the ages had seen all of that good work undone.
Yoane Wissa netted on his comeback after good work from Keane Lewis-Potter, before a second effort from the striker was helped over the line by Clarke to leave the visitors kicking themselves.
Mbeumo scored from the penalty spot to put Brentford ahead following Clarke's foul
Clarke, left, saw his nightmare Premier League debut come to an end when he was sent off
Liam Delap came off the bench to level the game at 3-3 for his fourth goal of the season
Mbeumo’s cross caused panic in the Ipswich defence before going all the way in for the winner
A crazy match concluded with Ipswich hitting the crossbar through Delap with the final kick
The turnaround was complete six minutes into the second half when Clarke pulled down Lewis-Potter. Referee Lewis Smith initially awarded a free kick, before VAR official Peter Bankes recommended that a penalty be given instead and Mbeumo made no mistake.
Clarke, a boyhood Blue, was then sent off on his full Premier League debut having already conceded a penalty and scored an own goal - only the second player to ever suffer that ignominy - highlighting the madness of this clash.
Ipswich were down and out but when Delap levelled, they looked set to pull off another one of those remarkable escapes they have become used to.
But football is brutal, and Mbeumo’s cross left everyone in Ipswich’s defence looking at each other to cap off a crazy game, although not before Delap struck the bar with the last kick of the game.
