Ipswich Town marked their return to the Premier League with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sunderland at Portman Road.
Ipswich started brightly and took the lead in the 24th minute through Elkanah Bamidele Correia da Silva. Sunderland responded before half-time, with Nilson Angulo producing a fine finish to level the contest.
The second half became a tense battle, with both sides pushing for the winning goal. Just when the match appeared to be heading for a draw, former Sunderland player Jack Clarke stepped up in the 90th minute.
Clarke curled home a brilliant late winner, sending the Ipswich supporters into wild celebrations and giving new manager Gary O’Neil a perfect start to his reign.
The victory was particularly special because Ipswich had returned to the Premier League after earning promotion again last season. They had also gone into the match with plenty of questions surrounding their ability to compete at the highest level.
Instead, they showed character when it mattered most.
For Sunderland, the defeat will be extremely frustrating. They had fought back from a goal down and looked capable of leaving Portman Road with a point, only for Clarke, a former player, to deliver the decisive blow.
Ipswich now have three valuable points from their opening fixture and plenty of confidence heading into the rest of the campaign.
For Clarke, meanwhile, scoring against his former club in the 90th minute could hardly have been more dramatic. It was the kind of moment that can quickly become one of the defining memories of a season.
