Ipswich Town defeated Coventry City 4-1 at the CBS Arena to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 18 years.
The Blues took an early lead with a penalty from George Hirst, but their opponents equalised through Joel Latibeaudiere. However, a brace from Jack Clarke and a second-half goal from Jaden Philogene helped Kieran McKenna’s side advance to the next round of the competition.
Town attacked right away, with Coventry starting the game. They pursued the ball after Jack Taylor won control and played a pass over the top to Hirst, who spun away down the left. The attacker squared the ball for Sammie Szmodics, who was shoved over in the box by Liam Kitching in the box.
Referee Ben Toner quickly pointed to the spot, awarding Ipswich a penalty in the 20th second of the game. Around a minute later, Hirst stepped up and fired low past Oliver Dovin into the bottom corner.
Coventry quickly responded, with Conor Townsend forced to knock the ball behind for a corner following Luke Woolfenden’s shanked clearance. In the eighth minute, Jack Rudoni’s delivery found Latibeaudiere’s head, who flicked it into the net to equalise.
Ben Godfrey’s placement created an opportunity for the Sky Blues to attack down the left, with Rudoni feeding Brandon Thomas-Asante into the box in the 14th minute. He moved the ball around Alex Palmer, who pulled him down for what would have been a straightforward penalty except for the linesman’s offside flag.
Although the hosts appeared more dangerous, Ipswich were able to use Jaden Philogene as an outlet down the right. His cross was cleared for a corner in the 22nd minute, but Kalvin Phillips’ following pass left Szmodics with no opportunity of scoring.
After a shaky start, the Blues found their footing. A cross over the top to Hirst left him in a tight spot, but he was able to turn and find Jack Clarke, who glided into the box before unleashing a pinpoint low strike past Dovin, putting his team ahead in the 28th minute.
Unfortunately, Szmodics sustained a knock in the 35th minute. Having only recently returned to training after his ankle injury, this was a significant blow. Nathan Broadhead replaced him.
Nonetheless, the Wales international made an immediate impact, chasing down a lost ball and putting Clarke into space. The winger was promptly clamped down, but he still managed to score his second goal, putting Ipswich ahead 3-1 in the 37th minute.
A two-goal advantage is always perilous, and Kalvin Phillips’ errant pass gave Tatsuhiro Sakamoto an opportunity to pull one back. Palmer came down just in time to deflect the ball wide, allowing Town to clear the subsequent corner.
Although Coventry gained confidence after the break, Ipswich had several opportunities to seal the victory. Hirst was about to take up the ball inside the box in the 53rd minute, but Luis Binks stopped him with a well-timed challenge. Three minutes later, Philogene challenged Dovin from a tight angle, resulting in a solid stop.
Frank Lampard’s team felt they had gotten back into the game in the 61st minute when Thomas-Asante headed past Palmer, but the goal was subsequently disallowed for offside.
Two minutes later, however, Town sealed the victory with Broadhead recovering the ball in midfield and pressing forward. He passed Clarke into space down the left, where he squared the ball for Philogene rather than attempting a hat-trick, allowing the January addition to score his maiden goal for Ipswich.
Coventry had a few late chances, but Palmer was able to save them, sapping the energy out of the home crowd. Finally, the Blues cruised to a comfortable victory, advancing to the fifth round for the first time since 2006/07.
Coventry XI: 3-5-1-1: Dovin; Thomas, Binks, Kitching; Latibeaudiere (Burroughs 88′), Allen (Raphael 75′), Eccles, Rudoni (Torp 62′), Dasilva; Sakamoto; Thomas-Asante (Bassette).
Palmer: Godfrey, Woolfenden, Burgess, Townsend; Phillips (Luongo 67′), Taylor (Cajuste 79′), Philogene (Johnson 79′), Szmodics (Broadhead 35′), Clarke; Hirst (Delap 79′).
Attendance: 30,055.
