Brentford 4 Ipswich 3: Bryan Mbeumo breaks Tractor Boys’ hearts with 96th-minute winner

BRYAN MBEUMO broke Ipswich’s hearts with a lucky late winner in a sensational game.

Just when it seemed substitute Liam Delap had nicked a point for the ten-man Tractor Boys with a late equaliser, Mbeumo struck in the sixth of seven minutes of stoppage time.

The Bees’ forward was probably trying to cross the ball but instead it bounced in front of visiting goalkeeper Arjanet Muric and nestled in the net.

Even then there was time for Delap to hit the post.

But after an afternoon in which they experienced every possible emotion, Ipswich and their fans found themselves heading back to Suffolk defeated again.

What could and maybe should have been a dream day for Ipswich and Harry Clarke ultimately turned into a nightmare.

A first win of the season seemed within reach when they led 2-0 with barely a minute of the first half left.

But Yoane Wissa pulled one back and then Clarke was the victim of a triple whammy.

First the Ipswich full-back, making his first Premier League start, was credited with an own goal for the home team’s equaliser before the first half ended.

Then he gave away the VAR-assisted penalty from which Mbeumo put Brentford ahead just after the break.

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Clarke’s personal misery was complete when he was sent off for a second yellow card which replays suggested was harsh.

Yet the drama was not over.

Delap turned in a Leif Davis cross to send the away fans back into delirium after a game that gave them every possible human emotion.

But after Nathan Collins had missed a great chance to make it 4-3, Mbeumo snatched his second and all three points.

For most of the first half, you would never have predicted a six-goal thriller 

After what was surely one of the worst half hours or so of Premier League football this season, Ipswich suddenly found themselves in dreamland.

It started with a bit of good fortune when Kalvin Phillps’ pass came off George Hirst’s heel but rebounded off Brentford centre-back Collins into his path.

But Hirst’s lay-off to Sammie Szmodics was perfect, as was the Republic of Ireland international’s finish.

The second goal arrived within three minutes, again with a stroke of good luck.

Not for Ipswich winger Chiedozie Ogbene who went down in agony during the build-up and would later be taken off on a stretcher.

But Ogbene’s discomfort distracted Ethan Pinnock. As the ball fell for Conor Chaplin and he found Hirst with a fine pass, Pinnock was out of position.

The Ipswich striker took full advantage, clipping a lovely finish over and across Mark Flekken.

Incredibly, it should soon have been three.

Szmodics robbed Christian Norgaard as Brentford tried to play out but Flekken made a good save to keep out the shot.

Davis then fired wide before earning a yellow card for timewasting from a throw with 50 minutes of the game to go.

And Brentford showed how long that was by scoring twice in quick succession before the break.

Keane Lewis-Potter made a brilliant burst off the left flank and played in Vitaly Janelt, who squared it for Wissa to make it 1-2.

In the first of six minutes of stoppage-time, the Bees produced by far the best move of the match.

The ball went from back to front quickly and smoothly. Mikkel Damsgaard played the final pass in behind the away defence and there was Wissa again.

His shot beat Muric and a sliding Clarke could only help the ball into the net. 

A VAR check confirmed Wissa had timed his run to perfection.

Clarke and Ispwich’s day went from bad to worse within four minutes of the restart.

Lewis-Potter got on the wrong side of him and although Clarke started to pull the Brentford winger outside the box, he kept on doing it inside.

Referee Lewis Smith initially awarded a free kick and a yellow card.

But VAR upgraded it to a penalty and Mbeumo scored with Ivan Toney-style confidence from the spot.

Ipswich were now all over the shop. Philips had to tidy up after a Jens Cajuste back pass let Damsgaard in and Lewis-Potter had a shot blocked before his cross was headed off target by Norgaard.

Wissa had a great chance but Muric saved, and the Ipswich ‘keeper did even better to keep out a Damsgaard shot.

How crucial those stops seemed when Delap grabbed an unlikely equaliser with less than five minutes to go.

Brentford defender Collins should have swung the pendulum again in the third of seven minutes of stoppage time only to fire the ball wastefully over the bar.

But the Bees and Mbeumo provided the sting in the tail.