3 key passes, 2 tackles: The Ipswich Town man who thrived in Cambridge United defeat

Ipswich Town’s play-off hopes took a blow at the weekend, as the side fell to a surprising 1-0 defeat against Cambridge United.

Prior to this game, the Tractor Boys had not lost a League One fixture since the end of January. However, that run was brought to a halt on Saturday and it has left the club in ninth place, six points off the play-off spots and with Sunderland having a game in hand on them too.

The top six is still possible for the side but they simply cannot afford to drop any more points in the run-in. It was disappointing for Kieran McKenna’s men to fall to a defeat when they least needed it but there are still five games left to do the business in the third tier.

One man who can certainly help them to get into those play-offs – and certainly played his part in spite of the weekend defeat – is Conor Chaplin.

The player didn’t bag a goal at the weekend but he played his part to perfection minus the ability to find the back of the net. As per SofaScore, he did threaten the opposition goal with two shots but neither managed to beat the opposition keeper. Aside from that, he was everywhere he needed to be.

He managed three key passes – more than anyone else on the field – and was unfortunate not to set up any of his teammates. He also had a total of 34 accurate passes, with a pass success rate of 85%.

Considering he operated in the final third of the field and that isn’t a bad stat either, showing that even taking on Cambridge’s defence, he could cut them open or spot runs and find a teammate.

He also wasn’t afraid to chase the ball down and win it back too, with two tackles and one interception to help keep his side on the front foot. In basic terms, Chaplin offered plenty in the game but it just couldn’t result