Everton finally work out how to hold on to a two-goal lead

Twice Everton have thrown away two-goal leads this season – 2-0 up finished as 3-2 down against both Bournemouth and Aston Villa – but Ipswich never looked like making it an unwanted hat-trick for Sean Dyche.

There was no reply to first-half goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane, which were very much in the preventable category. Kieran McKenna’s hosts, who saw a penalty award overturned by VAR at 1-0, lacked conviction and as a result are still chasing a first Premier League win since April 2002.

“Obviously there was a lot of noise about two-goal leads,” said Dyche. “I thought we delivered a very strong performance defensively to make sure we looked after that lead.

“It wasn’t so much work on the training pitch but reminders of games when we have seen it through, through our professionalism, effort and work ethic, and also the shape of the team. I thought all of that was on show.”

Mostly, yes. Ipswich should nevertheless have been ahead within a handful of minutes of a kick-off delayed by 15 minutes because of turnstile problems when Wes Burns set up Jack Clarke in space near the penalty spot. Somehow, however, the summer signing from Sunderland shinned harmlessly over.

Ipswich errors proved costly

Town deficiencies soon manifested themselves at the other end. Kalvin Phillips’ poor pass allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to go through only to be denied by goalkeeper Aro Muric.

Dwight McNeil kicked Clarke instead of the ball as Ipswich errors served up another opportunity but Everton were nonetheless ahead in the 17th minute.

Burns, a star of promotions from both League One and the Championship, served up a lower-league touch in his own box that was seized on by Ndiaye, who rammed a first-time shot high into the corner.

Fortune again failed to favour Clarke and his team when referee Michael Oliver awarded Ipswich a penalty only for VAR take it away. Oliver ruled that McNeil had again kicked Clarke but a look in the monitor indicated the opposite was actually true.

McKenna infuriated by VAR interference

McKenna remained unconvinced however. “I find it inexplicable,” he said. “McNeil lunges across the line of the ball. He made no attempt to play the ball, and he stopped Jack taking his shot.

“I can’t understand how all the directives we have had say that unless it is a clear and obvious error, then it won’t be reviewed and the referee’s decision on the field will stand.”

Ipswich confidence was eroded further by an Everton second five minutes before the break. Cameron Burgess, on his Premier League debut, needlessly conceded a corner that was just about cleared out of the box – but Keane was quickly located in space on the left of the area and the centre-half produced a finish to match Ndiaye’s.

The second half was less memorable, with the hosts only looking like they might make a comeback once McKenna began sending on fresh legs.

Jordan Pickford was required to make saves from Omari Hutchinson, Conor Chaplin and Jack Taylor, with Calvert-Lewin again denied by Muric.

Keane answering his critics

Keane, last capped by England in 2020, was the big winner on a day when Everton moved four points away from a cluster of clubs on four points that includes Ipswich.

The centre-back, 31, was a Dyche stalwart at Burnley and a regular pick for the Toffees for five seasons. The emergence of Jarrad Branthwaite, deemed not quite fit enough to make a comeback from injury in this one, has seen him eclipsed in recent months.

“Keano has had a lot of question marks over him – and haven’t we all, by the way?” said Dyche. “I thought he delivered a very good performance with a very good goal – he is an excellent finisher.

“Of course I was loyal to the ones who played last season because they were excellent. He is earning the right to play and that is all you can ask of players.”