“Unacceptable, this is my job”- Angry Ryan Mason explains Ipswich game plan and makes ‘lack of belief’ claim after conceding late winner

Ipswich Town 1–0 West Brom: Championship Match Report (Rephrased Version)

Ipswich Town left it late to claim a vital 1–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Portman Road, ending their brief losing streak and returning to winning ways.

In a match short on clear-cut chances, it was Ipswich’s substitutes who made the difference. Three of them combined to set up Jack Clarke, who struck home the winner in the 83rd minute — a much-needed boost after back-to-back defeats.

Team News

Kieran McKenna made sweeping changes following the midweek 3–0 loss to Charlton Athletic, rotating nine players from that lineup.

The only enforced change came in goal, where Christian Walton made his first league start of the season, stepping in for Alex Palmer, sidelined with a calf injury.

Captain Dara O’Shea and Leif Davis were the only players to retain their spots from the Charlton defeat. Former Albion duo Darnell Furlong and Cedric Kipre also started against their old club.

Azor Matusiwa returned from suspension to partner Jack Taylor in midfield, while Sindre Walle Egeli, Sam Szmodics, and Jaden Philogene supported lone striker George Hirst.

Ipswich XI (4-2-3-1): Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, Kipre, Davis; Matusiwa, Taylor (Cajuste 76’); Walle Egeli, Szmodics (Akpom 21’, Nunez 60’), Philogene (J. Clarke 76’); Hirst (Azon 76’)

West Brom XI (4-2-3-1): Griffiths; Campbell (Dike 88’), Phillips, Mepham, Taylor; Diakite (Styles 82’), Mowatt; Iling-Junior (Grant 71’), Price, Johnston; Heggebo (Maja 82’)

Mason Frustrated by Lack of Belief

A visibly frustrated Ryan Mason criticised his West Brom players after they conceded late at Portman Road, suggesting a lack of self-belief cost them the result.

In what was Albion’s third game of a demanding week, Mason’s side largely stifled Ipswich but created very little themselves. With just one effort on target — an Isaac Price header in stoppage time — they looked set for a goalless draw before Josh Griffiths’ costly mistake handed Ipswich the win.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Mason said:

“I’m disappointed and angry — there are so many emotions. The way we conceded was extremely frustrating. I thought we improved in the second half, but I’m not sure the players truly believed they could win it. They were there for the taking, but we lacked conviction in the final third.”

He added that belief and creativity remain key areas for improvement:

“We lost some creativity over the summer, but it’s my job and my staff’s job to help the players develop. We know what needs fixing — that’s what we’ll focus on.”

Decisive Moment

The decisive moment came when Griffiths played a poor pass into Alex Mowatt, who was quickly dispossessed. Although the keeper initially made a save to recover the error, Jack Clarke reacted quickest to smash home the rebound.

Reflecting on the mistake, Mason said:

“These things happen. With such a quick turnaround from Wednesday, we came here with a slightly different plan to frustrate them. The goal went against that, but it’s a learning curve. We have to take lessons from moments like this and make sure they don’t happen again.”

Ipswich’s late breakthrough keeps them firmly in the promotion race, while West Brom will need to rediscover their cutting edge as they continue to search for consistency.