Gary O’Neil defends VAR decision to spare Issa Diop red card in Ipswich Town draw

Ipswich Town manager Gary O’Neil has backed the officials’ decision to show Issa Diop a yellow card rather than send him off during his side’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, insisting Leif Davis was closing in on James McAtee when the incident occurred.

The controversial moment came in the second half at the City Ground when Diop brought down McAtee, who appeared to be through on goal. Referee Thomas Bramall initially waved play on without awarding a free-kick before the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened to review whether the defender had denied his opponent an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

After consulting the pitchside monitor, Bramall opted to issue a yellow card instead of the red many had anticipated.

O’Neil, speaking to Sky Sports after the match, admitted he had not watched the incident again but supported the decision, pointing to the recovery run of Davis and the presence of defensive cover.

“I thought it was a well-worked out decision by the officials but I haven’t watched it back,” he said.

“It is a foul and I think Leif is catching up. I think we had cover so it would be difficult to say it was a denial of a goal scoring opportunity. Sometimes they go your way and sometimes they don’t – tonight it did.”

Enciso rescues point after Williams opener

Ipswich continued their encouraging return to the Premier League by earning a point against a Nottingham Forest side O’Neil described as a strong team despite their position near the bottom of the table.

Forest took the lead after just 13 minutes through Neco Williams, putting the visitors under pressure early in the contest.

However, Julio Enciso restored parity shortly before half-time, ensuring Ipswich went into the break on level terms.

Neither side could find a winner after the interval, with Ipswich having to withstand Forest’s direct approach to secure a share of the points.

O’Neil acknowledged his team had struggled to impose themselves with possession but praised their determination to recover from going behind.

“We had to hang on and fight, that’s what we needed. Tough game in tough conditions. We were never good enough with the ball and it ended up being Forest direct balls that took control,” he said.

“We had to try and match that but the conditions were tough. They are a good side but to go 1-0 down and fight back, there are lots of ways to be successful in football matches and we rolled our sleeves up and dug in.”

The Ipswich boss also highlighted his side’s defensive effort after the break, adding: “Massive second half to get a point and keep a clean sheet in the second half.”

O’Neil admits Ipswich struggled with possession

Despite being pleased with the result, O’Neil acknowledged that Ipswich repeatedly surrendered possession in dangerous areas during the second half.

The manager explained that although he wanted his players to continue playing through the opposition, the conditions and Forest’s pressure forced them to adopt a more direct approach.

“We lost the ball too often in the second half in dangerous areas trying to play. I want us to play but not in dangerous areas,” he said.

“We went a bit more direct but that comes with risk too. We tried to grind it out and see if we could win that way but it didn’t work out in the end.”

Ipswich had a late opportunity to snatch victory, but they ultimately had to settle for a point in a demanding away fixture.

Premier League survival remains the priority

O’Neil declined to set a specific target for Ipswich this season, although he made it clear the club would aim to finish as high as possible while seeking to extend their stay in the top flight.

“There’s no aim. Of course we want a second year in the Premier League but we will try and finish as high as we can,” he said.

The manager also warned against underestimating Forest, arguing that their squad quality and investment make them a difficult opponent despite their position in the league.

“Anyone who thinks it’s going to be easy can watch tonight’s game back because Forest are down the bottom of the league but they’re a top side with top players,” he said.

“They should be a good side, the amount of money they have spent and well coached. Newly promoted sides can find it difficult but we have bridged that gap well. We have found a way most weeks to find a way to bridge the gap.”

Ipswich will take encouragement from their resilience after falling behind, while O’Neil’s side will look to build on another result as they pursue their ambition of remaining in the Premier League.