IT wasn’t quite the full Lift Off, but Liam Delap scored a stunner to help Ipswich secure their first Premier League point of the new season and climb out of the bottom three.
Adama Traore’s equaliser denied The Tractor Boys their first win, but the performance will give their fans hope that they have a chance of fulfilling the dream and staying in the Promised Land.
It was meant to be third time lucky, as nobody expected Ipswich to get anything from their first two games back in the big time.
That’s because those opening games were against Champions League heavyweights Liverpool and Manchester City, the only teams to have won the Premier League in the last seven years.
The visit of Fulham to Portman Road was earmarked as the day when Kieran McKenna’s side would register their first points in their battle to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
McKenna was backed to the tune of £109m spent on 10 permanent signings and two loans during the transfer window. That made them the second-highest spenders in the window behind Brighton.
It looks like £15million was well spent in securing Delap from Manchester City. He wasn’t even born the last time Ipswich were in the Premier League, 22 years ago, but he made his mark in an entertaining battle.
Ipswich hearts got their first flutter after only five minutes. Leif Davis swung over a deep corner from the right and Jacob Greaves’ header back in was clawed off the line by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
It was an encouraging start, and with the nerves settled it got a lot better after 15 minutes.
Fed by Davis, Delap was allowed to run from just past the halfway line and unleash a shot from 20 yards which flew past the lunging Leno.
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It was a nice way for Delap to celebrate being named in the England Under-21s squad for games during the upcoming international break, against Northern Ireland in a UEFA U21 Championship qualifier next Friday before taking on Austria in a friendly three days later.
Ipswich got used to winning in the Championship last season, but this is another level, and they were reeled in after 32 minutes by Marco Silva’s men, who were facing their second successive game against a promoted team.
Antonee Robinson was released on the left by Alex Iwobi and his low cross was slotted home by Traore on the edge of the six-yard box.
Ipswich were let off two minutes later when Traore crossed from the right and Rodrigo Muniz was allowed a free downward header from five yards, but it lacked the power and direction needed to beat goalkeeper Arijanet Munic, who clutched it on his line.
It was 1-0 to Fulham before a ball was kicked as they beat Ipswich to the signing of winger Reiss Nelson on a season-long loan from Arsenal.
The 24-year-old – a former England Under-21 international – had been in talks with Ipswich before the Cottagers made their move on deadline day.
The visit of a Fulham side unchanged from their last Premier League outing saw home debuts for Kalvin Phillips – remember him? – on loan from Manchester City, and Chiedozie Ogbene, who arrived from Luton last week.
Fulham are a lesson to follow for Ipswich, as this is their third successive season in the Premier League.
Ipswich have never lost consecutive home league games under McKenna, with this his 59th at Portman Road. Don’t expect that record to remain intact this season.
It doesn’t mean they won’t fight for it, and Sam Szmodics roused the roaring full house a couple of minutes after the restart when he tried to out-muscle Calvin Bassey.
It wasn’t really a fair fight given Bassey’s superior size, and although Szmodics narrowly lost the battle he scored full marks for attitude.
Szmodics has already opened his account in the Premier League, against Manchester City no less, and the fans will enjoy his hunger.
Delap showed the same fighting spirit after 55 minutes, using his strength to hold off the defender and get in a shot on the turn which won a corner.
Omari Hutchinson, the other Tractor Boy named in England’s U21 squad, also impressed following his arrival from Chelsea with his skill and composure as Ipswich went for the win in the second half.
There were still moments of danger for the hosts, none more so than after 65 minutes when Emile Smith Rowe was teed up in the box, and Greaves made an important block.
Iwobi tried his luck from just outside the box but it was straight at the goalkeeper.
Substitute Raul Jimenez almost scored for Fulham with a late break, but Muric stood up well to keep out his angled drive.
The fairy tale ending almost came in the 93rd minute when man of the match Hutchinson hit a low drive which Leno did well to turn round the post.
The Premier League allows you to dare to dream, and after registering their first point, the Tractor Boys have at least started revving their engines.
