Stoke City beat Ipswich Town 3-1 on Tuesday evening in a contest that the home side controlled for long stretches, though Ipswich made them work harder than the scoreline suggests.
The opening exchanges were relatively even, but Stoke moved in front when Milan Smit finished on 35 minutes. Jack Clarke added a second before half-time on 42, and Jun-ho Bae made it three just before the break at 44. Three goals in nine first-half minutes gave Stoke a commanding position that Ipswich would spend the rest of the night trying to unpick.
Ipswich responded after the restart. Eric-Junior Bocat pulled one back on 49, and Jack Taylor then struck twice in quick succession, on 58 and 64 minutes, to draw the visitors level at 3-3 and transform the match entirely. The momentum had shifted, and for a period Stoke looked vulnerable.
A flurry of substitutions followed on both sides, and the game became fragmented. Ben Gibson and George Hirst were introduced by Stoke, alongside several other changes, as both managers sought fresh legs and tactical adjustments.
Stoke ultimately reasserted themselves. Anis Mehmeti and Cédric Kipré both found the net in the final minutes, with Milan Smit also adding to his tally late on, to give the scoreline a more comfortable appearance.
The three-goal first-half burst set the platform. The final score of 3-1 reflects Stoke's overall authority, even if Ipswich briefly threatened to overturn it.
Recap generated from the event timeline. Editorial team review by request. How we use AI.
