Ipswich 2 Sunderland 1: Clarke scores 90th-minute winner against old club as Premier League new-boys get opening-day win

SUPER-SUB Jack Clarke sent Portman Road into bedlam with a deliciously curled winner over Sunderland as the match entered injury-time. Two years ago, the Tractor Boys lost too many points from winning positions, especially at home, and slipped back down into the Championship with barely a whimper. Jack Clarke scored a 90th-minute winner against Sunderland Credit: Getty Clarke fired the winner into the bottom-right corner Credit: Reuters Gary O’Neil’s new side are adamant that they won’t be doing that again this season. A rip-roaring game that crackled from the first whistle appeared to be destined for a draw which would have brought uncomfortable memories for those in Suffolk. After new signing Emersonn had scored a debut goal in the 24th minute to match his £24m transfer fee from Toulouse, visitors Sunderland fought back through a stunning Nilson Angulo free-kick. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! That paved the way for Clarke to play the hero from the subs bench, curling the ball into the bottom corner with ice-cool precision in the 90th minute. Two seasons ago, Ipswich largely stuck to the players who had hauled the club up from League One in successive seasons only to discover that the step up in class was too great for most of them. This summer, led by new manager O’Neil who has no bond to last season’s team under Kieran McKenna, they have tried another way. The Sunderland way. Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris brought in 14 new players to his promotion-winning squad and took them into the Europa League places. So far in this transfer window, Ipswich have signed 12 new players, seven of whom were thrust into the opening day line-up by O’Neil. The returns will not be instant but the points gained from this tight encounter will give them breathing space. Two of the new signings combined to glorious effect in the 24th minute to send Portman Road wild with delight. Julio Enciso, who was on loan at the club two seasons ago, sped away from two challenges, hurdling his way past Luke O’Nien before picking out Emersonn, who turned the ball over the line. BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK The 22-year-old Brazilian, signed from French club Toulouse, fell to his knees in a mixture of delight and relief at starting to repay his hefty transfer fee. He almost returned the favour for Enciso minutes later but the Ecuador international found himself crowded out. It was another new signing who maintained their lead on the half-hour. Dutch keeper Kjell Scherpen is the tallest player to ever play in the Premier League. With arms like rotor blades, he had to contort his giant frame inwards to push away a Noah Sadiki header from a free-kick. For all the excitement swarming around Portman Road whenever an Ipswich player broke a tackle, it was Sunderland who kept opening up the Ipswich defence, with a succession of crosses just evading players in red and white stripes. The Sunderland players have the advantage of knowing each other’s play. They also have the experience confidence gained from last season’s stellar campaign as they surged into Europe behind the leadership of manager Regis Le Bris and his lieutenant on the pitch, Granit Xhaka. They began to break up the Ipswich play more frequently and carved out a number of promising attacks. Emersonn broke the deadlock for Ipswich in the 24th minute Credit: Reuters Nilson Angulo equalised for Sunderland with a stunning free kick Credit: Reuters Ipswich’s luck ran out seven minutes before half-time after new central defender Issa Diop clumsily fouled Xhaka just outside the Ipswich area. The Switzerland international appeared poised to take the free-kick with his left foot. Instead, it was Nilson Angulo who stepped up from the other side to whip his right-footed shot up and over a static Ipswich wall and in off the underside of the bar. The equaliser punctured the Suffolk air and brought a reality check to the home fans who remember only too well how many times their side led at Portman Road on their last visit to the Premier League, only to succumb later in the game. O’Neil clearly had no intention of allowing that to happen, sending his team back out super-charged after the interval super-charged. The second period began like a basketball game with chances at first one end, then the other. Abdul Fatawu used his trickery to beat defenders at will and sent over a number of enticing crosses, one of which almost converted by Enciso with an imaginative floated effort, before he flicked another Fatawu delivery just wide of the far post. Daizen Maeda also went close with a glancing header that missed the far post by inches. It didn’t seem possible that the scoreline would end up at 1-1. Brobbey was usual combative self, muscular as well as determined and it took two Ipswich defenders to charge down his shot following a Reinildo Mandava pass. It was left to substitute Clarke to send Portman Road into raptures which gave way to unaduterated joy minutes later at the final whistle. See how the action unfolded below… Comment now