Ipswich bottle a 3-2 lead and lose 5-3 to Wrexham in what was an epic eight-goal THRILLER that will go down in the Championship on Saturday.
Kieffer Moore had Wrexham ahead after just minutes, against his former club, before Anis Mehmeti levelled on 20 minutes.
Josh Windass’ header had Wrexham back ahead on 37 minutes, but Ivan Azón Monzón had Ipswich level just before half time.
Just after the break, Cedric Kipre put Ipswich ahead for the first time in the game, but George Thomason got his first Wrexham goal to make it 3-3.
Ipswich’s collapse continued, when Callum Doyle and Nathan Broadhead added their names to the scoresheet to make it 5-3.
The result put an end to Wrexham’s run without a home league win in 2026, the three points lifting them back into the play-off places (6th, 2 points clear of 7th-placed Birmingham).
Ipswich meanwhile sit 4th but are now 8 points off the automatic promotion spots (with two games in hand).
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson, per BBC Sport:
“I thought Kieffer [Moore] was back to his best today, I thought he was unplayable, particularly in the first half and Josh [Windass] does what he does, he produces big moments.
“But in general in the game, I said to the lads at half time, ‘don’t let the goal affect us at 2-2’. I think we were unlucky not to be ahead, and then lo and behold the centre-half smashes one in to make it 3-2.
“I think a lesser group of players could have started to let a bit of fatigue creep into them mentally, but we didn’t.
“We responded brilliantly and that’s a great effort from the lads and the subs obviously impacted it when we needed them the most. All in all, the team effort today was right up there.”
Parkinson, per Sky Sports:
“We went to Bristol on Tuesday and Bristol hadn’t had a weekend game. We’ve played Ipswich today, they didn’t have a midweek game and they completely changed the team from the Friday.
“The magnitude of the effort and the commitment the lads have given us today, if ever there was a game our supporters should be proud of the team, it was today.
“I said to the lads at half-time, ‘don’t let the goal affect us’. I thought we were unlucky not to be ahead. And then lo and behold the centre-half smashes one in to make it 3-2.
“I think a lesser group of players could have started letting a bit of fatigue creep into them mentally but we didn’t, we responded brilliantly, and that’s a great effort from the lads.”
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, per Ipswich Star: “We’re really, really disappointed with the outcome, disappointed with ourselves and obviously the goals that we conceded today.
“We’ve come away from home and scored three really good goals and that should be enough to win you the game, but we’ve conceded some really poor ones today.
“It’s really frustrating because it was on the cusp of being a really good day for us with some of the qualities that we showed. But ultimately the goals we conceded and mistakes we’ve made as a team or on an individual level have cost us the result we wanted.”
On if he’d been able top pick the bones out of the goals conceded: “We’ll have to analyse them all. The first goal is a really good strike from Kieffer, but we should defend the basic flick-on better (Josh Windass beating Jack Taylor in the air).
“We’re most disappointed with the second goal, to be honest. That was a phase where we weren’t defending with enough intensity as a team.
“We get back to 2-2, came out really well at the start of the second half, scored another really good goal to go 3-2 up, then we’re pushing for the fourth goal.
“Look, maybe at 3-2 you can say we didn’t manage the game well enough. We leave ourselves a little bit open on a transition where they’re able to counter through the middle of the pitch. I think at that point we were really pushing for the fourth, so we could have managed that situation better.
“Having said that, the goal is a little bit lucky as well. We had Dara (O’Shea), Darnell (Furlong) and Cedric behind the ball, defend the 18 well, block the shot and it just falls right to their player.
“Then at 3-3 you know it’s going to be really, really tough and you’re going to have to stand up well and we didn’t do that on the first corner, maybe, that they had in the second half. We don’t attack the ball well enough and they score almost unopposed on the six-yard box.
“With the last one… To be honest, goals like that can happen when you’re four-three down and you’re chasing the game.
“The ultimate feeling, of course, is the frustration at a loss and anger and disappointment with the goals conceded.
“That overrides the positives of the fact that we came back from behind and put ourselves in a winning position.
“So we will be really honest and harsh with ourselves on those goals when we watch them back now as a group and really try and rectify the mistakes we made.”
On Ipswich still without a comeback win to their name this season, and why that has proved elusive: “I’m not sure. I don’t think it’s ever one thing.
“I do think there’s actually a step towards it in there today, to be honest, in terms of how we reacted to going behind early, how we came back and went from a losing position to a winning position against a good team away from home. So there is a step forward in that way.
“What’s cost us today is not seeing a game out when ahead. And that’s something that we’ve done really, really well this season consistently.”
On conversations had been had in the dressing room: “Everyone’s really disappointed. Of course, really frustrated. I don’t think it’s like us. I think we’ve generally been good defensively this season but to concede five goals in a league game for us is really strange.
“We’re not hiding from the fact that we conceded three at Sheffield United. But that’s not been like us over the course of the season. We know we need to stand up and do better in some situations as a team from a defensive point of view. We need to redouble down on the things that have made us a good defensive team this year and got us lots of clean sheets.
“By the time we get to Tuesday, we need to take the positives from some of our attacking play, the goals that we scored and the way that we came back into today’s game.
“Anis gets his first goal. There were some really good team moves. We need to make sure that we don’t lose those things.
“But ultimately the biggest reflection piece in the dressing room and when we get back to the training ground will be to say that we know we can’t concede those goals and we need to do better.”
On the away league form of W5 D4 L6, compared to W10 D5 L1 at Portman Road: “It’s something that we’ve been cautious to speak about with the group.
“Of course, it’s easier to play at home, it’s better to play at home. We like playing at home. But we’ve shown that we can go and win away from home in tough places. We’ve shown that we can do it against the best team in the league (Coventry).
“But the Championship presents some big challenges away from home and, up to this point, we haven’t overcome those challenges as often as we would have liked.”
Here’s how fans reacted after Ipswich bottle their 3-2 lead and lose 5-3 to Wrexham in an epic eight-goal THRILLER…
@TownTreats: If anybody made both trips to Wrexham, for both diabolical performances, fair play to you. #itfc
@lomasnj: Piss weak defending, midfield no where to be seen and a considerably soft underbelly shown today. Poor. Poor. Poor. O’Shea has a lot of questions to answer as captain. #itfc
@ThomasGermany3: The lack of this mentality in this team is shocking. One win in four, transfer business astoundingly bad considering how much we have spent. Really not looking good going into the run in. Is anything going to change?
@chazitfc: Take that armband off o’shea now, spineless as fuck
@w00kiee77: Glad you rested all those players, but maybe too much rest? They certainly couldn’t stay on their feet for long. At least the team that played out the FA Cup game didn’t let in 5 goals and managed to stay on their feet without being the dirtiest bunch of grubs we’ve seen in ages
@Brooks19732001: I’m so glad we rested everyone last week so we were nice & fresh today, pathetic team with absolutely no hunger or desire.
@sussextractor: The overreaction on here is unbelievable, what on earth, we lost a game, questioning everything about the running of the club is ridiculous the amount that has been invested to protect the long term future of the club is being completely overlooked, Wow #itfc
@BlaineAdams96: Once again, we’re not allowed to criticise McKenna. So many people need to get their head back in the modern day. What he did in the past isn’t relevant now. He’s been found out, has 1 way of playing and refuses to adapt in games. That’s on him. Accept it #itfc
@Horty86: I’ll say it. It’s not entitlement either. You can spend all the money in the world but if you have no leadership or game IQ. You will get absolutely nothing. You never ever know what you’re getting with this bunch. Gutless. Again. #itfc
@63blueevans: Blimey those North Wales lads have properly mugged us off twice in a week & fair play to them. You get nothing in football if you dont fight, work hard & do the basics. We are a decent lot in Suffolk and can handle not winning but the players have to do better #itfc
@LukeHuddyHudson: This might be a headless reactionary post but I don’t think I’d be unhappy if McKenna left at the end of the season, has to take responsibility for last seasons failings and this seasons #itfc