Ipswich Town: Stoppage-time equaliser from captain Sam Morsy away at Southampton sees Blues unbeaten in three Premier League games

Sam Morsy’s stoppage-time strike ensured Ipswich Town went three Premier League games unbeaten as the Blues drew 1-1 with fellow newly-promoted side Southampton at St Mary’s

It looked as though Tyler Dibling’s early strike would settle the contest, but Town fought right to the end to earn what could prove to be a valuable point on an afternoon where the Saints earned their first point of the new campaign.

The Suffolk side were harshly behind at the interval and failed to get going during the second half, but Town’s resilience ensured they registered a third straight league draw.

They remain winless but are out of the relegation zone after five matches of the season following a score draw on the south coast.

Blues boss Kieran McKenna made one enforced change from the goalless draw at Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend, with Kalvin Phillips missing with a minor thigh issue.

Sweden international Jens Cajuste came in for his full Premier League debut.

Southampton manager Russell Martin made four changes from his last league XI against Manchester United, with captain Jack Stephens suspended following his sending off in their defeat.

Kyle Walker-Peters, Lesley Ugochukwu and Ben Brereton also dropped out, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Charlie Taylor, Adam Lallana and former Blues loanee Ryan Fraser taking their places.

Ipswich academy graduate Flynn Downes captained the Saints for the first time.

The first opportunity of the game went to Town after Omari Hutchinson won possession high up the pitch after two minutes. Wes Burns curled towards Sammie Szmodics at the back post, but the strike on goal was just wide of the near post.

Three minutes later, the Blues fell behind through Southampton’s first attack of the contest. Axel Tuanzebe was caught in possession, allowing Lallana to thread a perfectly timed through ball to teenager Dibling, who slotted beyond Aro Muric.

The Suffolk side, looking to respond from their early setback, saw a Burns cross met by Szmodics. His free header was straight at goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, but from an offside position regardless.

Despite the scoreline, the visitors were coming forward with more intent. Hutchinson’s deep cross was the next to threaten, missing Szmodics and Jacob Greaves who were both attacking at the far post.

By the 20-minute mark, Town were well on top. Szmodics and Liam Delap were both inches away from breaking free of the home defence before earning a corner.

Five minutes later, home left-back Charlie Taylor was shown the first yellow card of the game for a trip on Burns.

After an earlier period of Blues pressure, the home side began to find their feet and almost doubled their lead when they were denied by the woodwork.

After being sent racing away by Dibling, Cameron Archer rounded Muric but struck the post as the angle tightened under pressure from Greaves.

As the half drew to a close, Town returned to the front foot. Dara O’Shea met a deep Leif Davis corner, but his header was collected by the recovering Ramsdale.

Davis then went for goal himself after being found in space inside the box by Hutchinson, his low strike was kept out by the England goalkeeper at his near post.

Ramsdale was required again in stoppage time. Hutchinson twisted onto his left foot and fired towards the top corner, but he made a fantastic fingertip save to deny Town’s record signing an equaliser in what was the final action of the half.

Archer was able to get on the wrong side of O’Shea early in the second period, but Muric came to the Blues' rescue with a big save from close range.

Lallana was booked for a trip on Liam Delap near the touchline, then O’Shea joined him for charging through Archer either side of a big Town opportunity.

That saw Szmodics played through on goal by Hutchinson, but last season’s Championship top goalscorer lashed at one into the side-netting.

Mateus Fernandes was next to play a ball across for Archer, who somehow could not turn it home after an expert diagonal ball from Yuki Sugawara.

Hutchinson went into the book for a foul on Ross Stewart, then McKenna turned to his bench to replace Cajuste and Szmodics for Jack Taylor and Jack Clarke for the final half an hour.

A series of strong challenges began flying around, causing a melee in the middle. Referee Sam Allison dished yellow cards to Downes and Delap for the resulting aftermath.

Former Portsmouth duo George Hirst and Conor Chaplin were the next reinforcements for the visitors, with Delap and Burns making way on 73 minutes.

Tuanzebe then importantly defended across the face of goal as Sugawara’s cutback appeared dangerous with Ben Brereton lurking behind.

Brereton’s powerful strike was fired marginally over moments later after he was found just inside the area by Fernandes, before Ben Johnson replaced Tuanzebe for the Blues.

Fernandes was involved again in the next action, drawing a yellow card from Taylor as the Portuguese midfielder broke forward.

In the fourth minute of seven added at the end, Hirst forced Ramsdale into his best stop of the half to tip over the striker’s header from Clarke’s cross before Stewart was booked.

But the Blues were not to be denied as captain Morsy struck right at the death. After a Town corner was cleared only as far as the edge of the area, the Egyptian saw a deflected effort fly into the top corner to send 3,000 away supporters into raptures.

That proved to be the final action as McKenna’s men returned to Suffolk with a third Premier League point on the board ahead of next Sunday’s home clash with Aston Villa.

Southampton (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Taylor, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Sugawara; Lallana (Ugochukwu 59), Downes (c); Fraser (Brereton 59), Fernandes (Aribo 90), Dibling (Armstrong 82); Archer (Stewart 59). Subs: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Wood, Cornet.

Booked: Taylor, Lallana, Downes, Stewart.

Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Muric; Davis, Greaves, O’Shea, Tuanzebe (Johnson 82); Cajuste (Taylor 61), Morsy (c); Szmodics (J. Clarke 61), Hutchinson, Burns (Chaplin 73); Delap (Hirst 73). Subs: Walton, Ogbene, Townsend, Luongo.

Booked: O’Shea, Hutchinson, Delap, Taylor.

Referee: Sam Allison (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 31,117.

SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Sam Morsy. In a game without many standout performers, Town’s skipper proved to be the man of the moment with a dramatic late equaliser, which proved to be his first Premier League goal. A consistent performer in this side coming up with the goods once again.