In a replay between two historic clubs, Ipswich Town secured their appearance in the second round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Early into the game, Latics broke the deadlock as Harrison McGahey’s looping header found the back of the net before Conor Chaplin levelled the scores prior to the interval with the aid of a defensive mistake.
In the 80th minute, Idris El Mizouni won the cup replay for the visitors in an impressive fashion as the youngster rifled a volley into the far top corner from distance in front of the travelling support.
Latics’ Head Coach made one change ahead of the visit of the opposition from a higher division as Dylan Fage returned to the side and operated in the right wing-back role.
The Tractor Boys, playing at Boundary Park for the first-time since August 1996, found themselves on the backfoot throughout the early stages of the encounter in Greater Manchester.
The first opportunity of the match arrived when Fage got in behind their backline to race into the box before he picked out Davis Keillor-Dunn inside the six-yard box, but the attacker somehow smashed his effort straight at the ‘keeper.
In the 1977/78 campaign, Ipswich lifted the FA Cup after beating Arsenal at Wembley and the former winners were behind in the 29th minute of the replay.
Carl Piergianni, who was being fouled, managed to steer an attempt on target from a corner which Christian Walton saved, but the Brighton & Hove Albion loanee parried into the path of McGahey and the central-defender flicked his header past a sea of bodies on the goal line to get his first goal for the club.
Paul Cook’s side found an equaliser just seven minutes later courtesy of an error from Latics’ shot-stopper Jayson Leutwiler. Joe Pigott produced a cross into the box from the right-wing and the goalkeeper initially claimed the delivery, however, he couldn’t keep hold of the ball which resulted in Chaplin tapping into an empty net.
Early into the second-half, Jamie Bowden nearly made it two goals in two games for himself as he drilled an effort goalwards from the edge of the penalty area, but a defender managed to make a vital block to deny the midfielder.
On a positive note, Keith Curle introduced Jamie Hopcutt from the bench which gave him his first appearance at Boundary Park and Sam Hart entered the pitch after a lengthy period on the sidelines with injury.
The Suffolk-based outfit found the divisive goal in the 80th minute as El Mizouni illustrated his abundance ability. The attack-minded midfielder received the ball around 30-yards from goal before he thundered a volley straight into the left-hand top corner to the relief of the away dugout.
As the final whistle sounded around the ground, it confirmed that Ipswich will be facing Sky Bet League Two side Barrow AFC on home turf in the next round of the famous competition.
Oldham Athletic XI – Leutwiler (GK), Clarke (Dearnley 86’), Piergianni ©, McGahey, Fage, Whelan, Keillor-Dunn (Hopcutt 68’), Bowden, Couto (Hart 68’), Bahamboula (Adams 86’), Hope.
Unused Subs: Southerington (GK), Cisse, Stobbs, Vaughan.
Goals: McGahey 29’
Ipswich Town XI – Walton (GK), Harper (Edwards 75’), Edmundson, Woolfenden (Burgess 46’), Burns (Vincent-Young 75’), Pigott (Jackson 84’), Fraser, El Mizouni, Chaplin, Aluko ©, Clements.
Unused Subs: Hladky (GK), Barry, Carroll, Kenlock, Celina.
Goals: Chaplin 36’, El Mizouni 80’
Attendance: 2,801 (496 away)
Referee – Carl Boyeson