Jordan Ayew’s stoppage-time equaliser denied Ipswich a first Premier League win of the season as Leicester snatched a 1-1 draw.
Ipswich were on course for their first three points in the top flight since April 2002 when a superb volley from Leif Davis put them ahead. But the home side had Kalvin Phillips sent off with 13 minutes remaining and the 10 men were unable to hold on. Ayew’s last-gasp strike meant Kieran McKenna’s immensely watchable side have squandered a lead five times in 10 league matches this season.
Leicester, with their manager, Steve Cooper, serving a touchline ban, should have gone ahead in the third minute when Jamie Vardy got in behind Ipswich’s back four. But the 37-year-old opted to square the ball rather than shoot and Stephy Mavididi made a mess of his finish.
Moments later Leicester almost gifted the hosts a goal when Jannik Vestergaard miscontrolled a pass from goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. Omari Hutchinson nicked the ball away from the defender and stood up an inviting cross for Sam Szmodics, who headed wastefully over.
Facundo Buonanotte, who is on loan at Leicester from Brighton, then embarked on a mazy run into the penalty area, beating four players before his deflected shot was saved by Arijanet Muric.
After half an hour Dara O’Shea met a Davis corner unmarked at the back post, but the Ipswich defender planted his header into the ground and wide. Ipswich, however, were playing some eye-catching stuff, and Liam Delap’s extravagant pass was collected by Conor Chaplin, who curled inches wide of the far post.
Hermansen had to come out bravely to deny the onrushing Delap and then hold Ben Johnson’s drive with Ipswich, as so many times this season, unable to convert some wonderful chances into goals.
That changed nine minutes into the second half when Davis scored with a beautiful far-post volley. The left-back met a sweeping cross-field pass from Sam Morsy with a measured, cushioned effort back past Hermansen and inside the opposite post.
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The mood inside Portman Road changed after a chaotic couple of minutes. First Chaplin was bundled over by Abdul Fatawu in the area, but the referee Tim Robinson waved away Ipswich’s penalty appeals. Then Robinson further angered the locals when he showed Phillips a second yellow card for a foul on Fatawu.
Leicester sensed their chance but Buonanotte blazed over from 15 yards and Ayew’s goalbound shot was cleared by Cameron Burgess.
However, in the fourth minute of stoppage time Morsy was dispossessed by Boubakary Soumaré. Soumaré fed fellow substitute Ayew, who played a neat one-two with Vardy before slipping the ball under Muric to leave Cooper celebrating from the press seats and Ipswich utterly crestfallen.
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