Coventry City 1 Ipswich Town 4: Jack Clarke at the double as Blues end losing run in style to seal FA Cup progress to fifth round

Jack Clarke scored twice as Ipswich Town progressed to the fifth round of the Emirate FA Cup for the first time since 2007 with an impressive 4-1 victory against Coventry City at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

The Blues’ Premier League quality appeared too much for their Championship hosts as Town ended their four-match losing run in style with a comfortable win over Frank Lampard’s Coventry.

George Hirst gave the Blues the perfect start when he struck a penalty inside the opening two minutes after Sammie Szmodics was bundled over in the area by Luis Binks.

Slotting to the goalkeeper’s left, Hirst ensured his second start of the season was rewarded with a goal just as it had at Brentford earlier in the campaign.

The home side equalised just six minutes later when Joel Latibeaudiere’s glancing header found the net from Jack Rudoni’s corner, but Clarke struck twice in the first half to take the game away from the Sky Blues.

His first was trademark Clarke, cutting inside beyond a defender and curling a right-footed effort into the bottom corner after Hirst dragged a number of defenders away to the corner.

Then it was Coventry who gifted Town their third, with Nathan Broadhead pouncing on Binks’s error, allowing Clarke the time to pick and choose his spot when presented one-on-one against Oliver Dovin.

The fourth goal came in the second period when Clarke turned provider. Broadhead’s ball down the line found the winger in space and despite being presented with a chance to shoot, he unselfishly laid up Jaden Philogene to score his first goal in Ipswich colours.

Town had made a full 11 changes but did not play like it, earning their spot in Monday’s draw with their third straight victory at Coventry’s home ground in a clash between two former cup winners.

Clinical Clarke

Clarke had only scored one goal for Ipswich before the trip to Coventry – and that came in the previous round of the FA Cup against Bristol Rovers.

But against the Sky Blues the lively left-winger left Coventry’s defenders quaking in their boots.

Prior to scoring his own first half double, Town got themselves a flying start when referee Ben Toner pointed to the penalty spot after just 20 seconds, allowing Hirst to score from 12 yards.

Their lead would not last long, but it was once the game was level where Clarke began to make his impact on proceedings known.

His switch of play to Conor Townsend ended a fine passage of Town possession where Kieran McKenna’s much-changed side did not look to be lacking the cohesion many had previously feared.

Clarke’s first was a goal that Sunderland fans had become accustomed to seeing throughout his time on Wearside, cutting in from the left and firing a right-footed effort into the corner of Dovin’s net.

His second came shortly after as Broadhead, on the pitch for a matter of minutes after Szmodics’s withdrawal, pounced on a loose ball before Clarke found the net.

Philogene was playing on his 23rd birthday and while he didn’t have much to celebrate in the first half, he began to make more of an impact during the second.

After forcing a powerful save out of Dovin early in the second period, he got his goal soon after with Clarke once again involved in the play to add an assist to his two earlier strikes.

Championship chore

With a buoyant home crowd, there was the hope from the locals of Coventry emulating their famous run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup last season, when they were only beaten on penalties by eventual winners Manchester United.

Both teams tend to score in this fixture, so it was perhaps no surprise when, despite falling behind early, the Sky Blues soon got themselves back on level terms through Latibeaudiere.

Town debutant Alex Palmer was not majorly tested until early in the second half when he tipped Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s strike past the post before picking the ball out of his net.

That goal did not stand, though, as Brandon Thomas-Asante was judged to be offside during what was a bit of a scramble, with the Sky Blues’ task made impossible soon after as Town added to their lead.

It did not prevent the home side having a go, as Liam Kitching and Victor Torp both tested Palmer as the deadline day signing’s afternoon became somewhat busier as the clock ticked nearer the end.

Coventry City (3-5-1-1):Dovin; Binks, Kitching, Thomas; Dasilva, Rudoni (Torp 62), Allen (c) (Borges Rodrigues 75), Eccles, Latibeaudiere (Burroughs 88); Sakamoto; Thomas-Asante (Bassette 62). Subs: Wilson, Collins, Simms, van Ewijk, Sandiford.

Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Townsend, Burgess, Woolfenden (c), Godfrey; Phillips (Luongo 68), Taylor (Cajuste 79); Clarke, Szmodics (Broadhead 35), Philogene (Johnson 79); Hirst (Delap 79). Subs: Slicker, Davis, Morsy, Tuanzebe.

Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire).

Attendance: 30,055.

SuffolkNews Man of the Match:Jack Clarke.Ipswich fans are yet to really see the best of Clarke so far in a blue shirt but he certainly made his mark in a pink one at Coventry. The left-winger struck his second and third Blues’ goals and looked lively from the off. He certainly enjoyed the fist pumps at the end with the Blue Army and is hopefully the confidence booster he needs.