Ipswich Town vs Burnley match report: Hosts take inspiration from Ainsley Maitland-Niles to claim early lead in Championship

Ipswich Town 2 Burnley 0

David McGoldrick, left, celebrates scoring Ipswich's second goal with Luke Chambers (Reuters)

Ipswich have unearthed a little gem in 17-year-old Ainsley Maitland-Niles – a winger on loan from Arsenal – who played a part in both Town goals and took them to the top of the early Championship table.

Maitland-Niles’s pass after 66 minutes set Brett Pitman clear and the low cross was well met by Freddie Sears for his second league goal in three games.

The teenager then delivered a fine far post corner five minutes later for David McGoldrick to beat the Burnley’s giant defenders to head in the clincher.

The home side lost on loan Brentford winger Ryan Fraser to injury midway through the first half with McGoldrick replacing him, forcing Daryl Murphy to play wider until he was replaced by Pitman at the break.

Murphy twice squandered decent chances, while Sears fired a shot straight to goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

Burnley were able to counter with wide men George Boyd and Michael Kightly stretching Ipswich with some ease.

Kightly got past his marker, Maitland-Niles, and found Jelle Vossen, who failed to connect cleanly. The ball fell to Kightly who hit a post and the ball rebounded back into a grateful Bartosz Bialkowski’s arms.

Vossen forced a good save from Bialkowski, while midfielder David Jones curled a free-kick over the bar before the Burnley manager, Sean Dyche, introduced German striker Rouwen Hennings, whose international clearance arrived just in time to be available.

Ipswich have a habit of losing games from winning positions but contained the Clarets this time, despite a scare in added time. Bialkowski made a super reaction save to thwart centre-half Michael Keane’s powerful header.

Mick McCarthy’s side prevailed as they took their third home win in seven days and are already laying a marker down to go better than their semi-final play-off place last season.

Ipswich Town (4-4-2): Bialkowski; Chambers, Smith, Berra, Knudsen; Maitland-Niles (Coke, 84), Skuse, Douglas, Fraser (McGoldrick, 28); Murphy (Pitman, h-t), Sears. Substitutes not used Gerken, Tabb, Emmanuel, Toure.

Burnley (4-4-2) Heaton; Darikwa, Duff, Keane, Mee; Boyd, Jones (Taylor, 77), Arfield, Kightly; Vokes (Jutkiewicz, 66), Vossen (Hennings, 55). Substitutes not used Sordell, Gilks, Ward, Anderson.

Referee S Hooper (Wiltshire).