Aberdeen 1 - 3 Ipswich Town

The Scottish Cup holders returned home for the first time since lifting the trophy at Hampden Park, taking on EFL Championship side Ipswich Town in the final pre-season friendly, a useful workout for the Dons ahead of the trip to Hearts in just over a week.

Dimitar Mitov was in action on two minutes with a fine save. A raking pass from deep from Ipswich picked out Davis making a darting run forward, but from the edge of the box, he couldn’t get enough height on his lob to beat Mitov who was swiftly off his line. Taylor launched a rocket from distance three minutes later, but Mitov had it covered all the way as it flashed over the bar. 

The Dons should have been in front on eight. Topi Keskinen bundled his way past three challenges to get to the by-line and pull the back. Alexander Jensen came onto it six yards out but couldn’t get enough on his effort and Palmer was able to make a good block. Adil Aouchiche wasn’t far away a minute later, a bending effort just going wide of the far post. 

Philogene tested Mitov from distance midway through a busy first half, but the goalkeeper was down quickly to his right to save. Philogene was on target in the 28th minute though as Ipswich grabbed the lead. As the Dons tried to play out from the back, the visitors’ press won the ball 40 yards out, Matusiwa then picking out Hirst just outside the Aberdeen box. He laid the ball off to Szmodics who was free to square the ball for Philogene to tap in from six yards.

Graeme Shinnie made an important block five minutes later as Szmodics’ volley from a Davis cross looked goalbound, the visitors upping the tempo after the goal. They did double the advantage on 38 minutes though. Szmodics lashed a swerving shot at goal from 25 yards, Mitov down to his right to save, but as the ball squirmed away from his body, Hirst was quickest to react, knocking in the loose ball from a couple of yards out. 

HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 IPSWICH TOWN 2

Nicky Devlin and Nicolas Milanovic replaced Jensen and Morris for the Dons at the break. 

A lovely pass from Keskinen picked out Milanovic on the edge of the box in the 50th minute. Creating space for a shot, he drilled the ball across the face of goal and just wide of the far post. 

A reverse pass from Milanovic started a probing run across 50 yards from Leighton Clarkson which got him to the edge of the opposition box to fire a shot at goal. Palmer could only parry, but as Yengi closed in on the rebound, Greaves was across to clear. 

Milanovic continued his busy start to the half on 58. After taking an air shot at a dropping ball on the edge of the box, he was onto it at the second time of asking to force a good save from Palmer.

But from there, Ipswich were straight up the other end to make it 3-0. Szmodics fed Davis who played a neat reverse ball into the path of Philogene. He clipped the ball across goal from the corner of the six yard box and the shot found its way underneath Mitov and in. 

Wholesale changes came on 64 minutes as Heltne Nilsen, Dorrington, Kjartansson and Boyd replaced Keskinen, Milne, Clarkson and Palaversa. Four minutes later, Ipswich changed their entire team and brought on Walton, Clarke, Humphreys, Al-Hamadi, Kipre, Chaplin, Ogbene, Baggott, Towsend, Woolfenden and Broadhead.

Good footwork from Chaplin took him inside from the right flank after 77 minutes but he couldn’t get enough purchase on his shot and it was an easy save for Mitov.

Aberdeen brought on Ambrose, Molloy and Polvara for Yengi, Shinnie and Aouchiche on 79. Ambrose made an instant impact, getting on the scoresheet inside 20 seconds. Good passing play involving Polvara, Boyd and Devlin across the top of the Ipswich box ended with Milanovic having a shot brilliantly cleared off the line, but Ambrose was poaching six yards out to hammer in the rebound.

The Dons came close to a second goal shortly after as Polvara forced a fine save from Walton in the 83rd minute, the American midfielder chasing onto a ball over the top of the Ipswich defence, Walton standing tall to keep his effort out. 


1 minute added at end 1st half.
0 minutes added at end 2nd half.