Priskin 78 

Arsenal have an unexpected workload in their Carling Cup semi-final, after their first-leg defeat at Championship strugglers Ipswich, who fully deserved their win.

Striker Tomas Priskin caused Arsenal’s defence constant problems and he had the ball in the net with a spectacular overhead kick on 42 minutes, but was offside.

He failed to get a shot away in a 62^nd-minute one-on-one with Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, but he made no mistake on 78 minutes, running onto Colin Healy’s long ball and curling a precision left-foot shot past Szczesny’s left-hand.

Chances were rare in a nonetheless entertaining first hour. Priskin came closest for Ipswich in the first half with a right-foot shot narrowly wide on 14 minutes.

But despite dominating possession, Arsenal failed to hit the target until the 71^st minute when keeper Marton Fulop clawed away Theo Walcott’s dinked effort.

Five minutes later, Cesc Fabregas kneed the ball over from six yards when a Kieran Gibbs cross reached him before he could set himself. And the miss proved costly as, two minutes later, Ipswich were ahead.

Fulop saved another Walcott effort on 85 minutes. But Carlos Edwards forced Szczesny into an 88^th-minute save when he broke clear down Arsenal’s left.