Everton beat Ipswich 2-0 at Portman Road to secure their first away victory of the Premier League season and leave the Tractor Boys still looking for a maiden win since sealing promotion.
The visitors were clinical with their finishing as Iliman Ndiaye scored in the 17th minute and Michael Keane doubled the Toffees’ advantage five minutes before the break.
Ipswich had wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead through Jack Clarke but he skied his effort high over the bar and they were also denied a first-half penalty when referee Michael Oliver was called to the VAR screen to reverse his initial decision.
Aro Muric was by far the busiest of the two goalkeepers while Everton’s England stopper Jordan Pickford was troubled very little throughout as the well-drilled Everton defence held firm.
Ipswich should have taken the lead in the fifth minute through Clarke.
Omari Hutchinson sent Wes Burns chasing down the right and he picked out Clarke in the box, but the Town winger blasted over the bar.
Then an underhit backward pass from Kalvin Phillips to Luke Woolfenden was intercepted by Dominic Calvin-Lewin, yet the Town keeper stretched out a leg to deflect the Everton striker’s shot out for a corner.
The Toffees did strike in the 17th minute, however, through Senegal international Ndiaye after a dreadful mistake by Burns.
The ball came into the penalty area and, as it dropped out of the sky, Burns tried to clear it only for Ndiaye to swoop in and crash his shot high into the Ipswich net.
The referee pointed to the penalty spot in the 26th minute when Clarke went down following what appeared to be a challenge by Dwight McNeil but, after being called to the VAR screen, Oliver ruled it out.
The visitors went further in front through Keane five minutes before the break following their sixth corner of the match when he fired an angled, left-footed strike past Muric.
Everton dominated much of the second period and were quicker to the ball as Ipswich looked to find some belief in their game and Phillips attempted to up the intensity with two crunching tackles.
A heavy touch from Dara O’Shea allowed Ndiaye to burst into the penalty area but his low weak shot was gathered at the second attempt by Muric.
Liam Delap fired over the bar, Hutchinson’s shot was deflected wide, Cameron Burgess’ header just missed the target and Conor Chaplin’s shot was safely gathered by Pickford who also had to push away a 25-yard effort from Jack Taylor.
The final piece of action resulted in Muric preventing Calvert-Lewin from adding a third Everton goal.