Premier League match report: Southampton 1-1 Ipswich Town

The Blues fell behind to Tyler Dibling's early goal and struggled to wrestle control of the match aside from a few brief spells. However, just as it looked like they were heading for a disappointing defeat at St. Mary's, captain Sam Morsy fired a deflected shot into the top corner to earn a big point.

Town started the game in Southampton’s half, creating an early chance as Adam Lallana was robbed in possession. That allowed Wes Burns to curl a cross towards Sammie Szmodics at the back post, with the former Blackburn Rovers man firing just wide.

Tyler Dibling's first senior goal opened the scoring for Southampton (Image: PA)

But it took just one mistake for the Saints to score the first goal of the game as Axel Tuanzebe failed to properly clear the ball on the right. It ended up out at Lallana, who picked out youngster Dibling, allowing him to turn into the box and tuck the ball under Arijanet Muric to make it 1-0 in the sixth minute.

Ipswich looked to respond, with Burns the clear outlet on the right. He cut inside in the 12th minute, delivering a cross onto the head of Liam Delap, who headed into the gloves of Aaron Ramsdale from an offside position.

They continued to turn the screw, primarily threatening from the right flank. Two corners allowed them to get the ball into the box, but Southampton dealt with the threat. A third, which came from a free-kick a few yards outside the box, was headed out by Yukinari Sugawara with 19 minutes on the clock.

The Blues responded well to going behind in the first half (Image: Ross Halls)

It was one-way traffic, but Town lacked the killer touch to turn the ball into the net. Sammie Szmodics just ran out of space to turn a through ball past Ramsdale, winning yet another corner. Leif Davis’ delivery was cleared out to Jens Cajuste, but the Napoli loanee smashed his shot well over the bar.

A crunching tackle on Delap allowed Southampton a rare foray into Ipswich’s box, but it almost saw them double their lead as Cameron Archer was played through on goal. He worked the ball around Muric but was worked into a tight position by Jacob Greaves, with his shot trickling off the post before the Kosovo international could gather it.

The hosts grew into the game more and more as the half wore on, but crucially for them, they significantly limited Town’s threat, putting more numbers on their left flank to limit the likes of Burns and Hutchinson, forcing them to pass the ball around deep in their own half while looking for limited gaps to break the lines.

Cameron Archer had two good opportunities to double the hosts' advantage (Image: PA)

Ipswich looked to swing the pendulum from yet another corner, with Davis whipping the ball onto the head of Greaves, who found the gloves of Ramsdale. Seconds later, Omari Hutchinson found space to curl a pass over to Davis, who tested Ramsdale from close range.

The former Chelsea man came inches away from an equaliser after picking up a short corner and firing at goal from outside the box, but Ramsdale denied him with an acrobatic stop.

The Saints came close soon after the restart as Flynn Downes' through ball picked out Archer. His touch allowed him to find a space between Dara O'Shea and Greaves before firing at Muric, forcing him into a good save.

Sammie Szmodics missed a clear-cut opportunity to equalise for the Blues (Image: Ross Halls)

A quick break allowed Ipswich to come forward in the 53rd minute, with Hutchinson's pass to Szmodics cutting open Southampton's back line. He had time to pick his spot but ended up smashing it against the side netting.

Two minutes later, a strong tackle on Szmodics gave Southampton a break of their own. Sugawara's raking pass picked out Mateus Fernandes, who tried to find Archer in the middle for a tap-in, but the striker couldn't make contact.

The game soon became scrappy, with a foul from substitute Jack Taylor sparking a scuffle that saw Downes and Delap booked. Chances came less and less frequently and the visitors started to grow frustrated when giving away needless fouls.

Sam Morsy's maiden Premier League goal saw Ipswich earn a point at the death (Image: PA)

Southampton looked to kill the game off in the final stages. Stewart failed to connect with a pass across the face of goal before Ben Brereton Diaz fired wide from inside the box. Up the other end, Tuanzebe rescued a poor pass from Jack Clarke before Hutchinson picked out George Hirst with a cross from the right. The striker flicked his header just wide in the 81st minute.

A late free-kick provided an opportunity to salvage something from the match, but Morsy's strike from outside the box was blocked before Southampton cleared. Soon after, Hirst forced Ramsdale to tip a header over the bar, giving Town one last corner.

The ball was cleared up the skipper, who took a touch before taking aim from outside the box. It took a deflection, flying up and into the top corner as the away end at St. Mary's erupted. Southampton were haunted by a late goal at Portman Road last season, but who could've guessed that it would happen again in the Premier League?

Southampton XI: 4-2-3-1: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Taylor; Lallana (Ugochukwu 59'), Downes; Dibling (Armstrong 82'), Fernandes (Aribo 90+1'), Fraser (Brereton Diaz 59'); Archer (Stewart 59')

Town XI: 4-2-3-1: Muric; Tuanzebe (Johnson 82'), O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste (Taylor 61'); Burns (Chaplin 73'), Hutchinson, Szmodics (J. Clarke 61'); Delap (Hirst 73')

Attendance: 31,117