Ipswich Town: Ranking Vaclav Hladky's top 10 saves of the season

Leeds handed Ipswich their biggest defeat of the season so far (Image: Pagepix)

10. v Leeds United (A)

Starting off with a controversial one, but it’s important to recognise the initial save before Leeds United scored the opening goal in what proved to be a tough game for Town.

Hladky pulled off a stunning save to deny Joel Piroe from a corner, clawing his header off the line to give Ipswich’s defenders time to react. Unfortunately, they didn’t, and Pascal Struijk turned the rebound in to make it 1-0.

The goalkeeper couldn’t have done any more to get the ball away from danger. He had to think fast and almost saved his side single-handedly. If nothing else, it deserves a mention.

Hladky's first Championship clean sheet came in a 2-0 win against Stoke City (Image: Ross Halls)

9. v Stoke City (H)

The first home game of season. The Blues went 1-0 up thanks to Luke Woolfenden’s first-half header and Portman Road was rocking. Keeping that momentum was always going to be key.

Stoke City hadn’t done a great deal in the match to that point, but they had a rare foray forward just before half time as Enda Stevens picked up the ball down the left flank and set up Daniel Johnson in the middle.

The former Preston North End man quickly looked aim, and Hladky was tasked with making the save in front of a large crowd of bodies. Impressively, he pulled it off, keeping the scoreline intact before Kayden Jackson wrapped up the win late on.

Hladky's double save helped Town take three points against Cardiff City (Image: Ross Halls)

8. v Cardiff City (H)

Two in one here, as Ipswich found themselves level at 2-2 heading into the final 20 minutes against Cardiff City.

Aaron Ramsey and Joe Ralls had both scored to put the Bluebirds 2-0 up, but Nathan Broadhead’s stunning strike started a comeback, with Freddie Ladapo converting from close range to equalise.

Cardiff could’ve gone ahead with 72 minutes on the clock. Hladky denied Karlan Grant, who took aim from the right side of the box, before somehow rushing over and pushing Ike Ugbo’s shot away from danger on the other side. Ladapo scored for Ipswich six minutes later, sealing all three points in dramatic fashion.

The goalkeeper used his face to deny Che Adams at St. Mary's (Image: Ross Halls)

7. v Southampton (A)

Goalkeepers make saves with their hands, don’t they? Sometimes they use their arms, their legs or even their chest, but it’s not often that they make one with their face.

Yet that’s exactly what Hladky did at St. Mary’s when his team were 1-0 up through Omari Hutchinson’s quick finish. Town had done enough to score again, but the fact they hadn’t opened the door for Southampton to turn the momentum in their favour.

Kyle Walker-Peters breezed past Jack Taylor with ease, setting up Che Adams for a shot inside the box. Hladky had to think fast, making himself big before blocking the shot with his moneymaker. Ouch. At least it preserved three points on the South Coast.

Hladky tipped Sinclair Armstrong's curling strike onto the post at Loftus Road (Image: Pagepix)

6. v QPR (A)

Did he get a touch? It’s hard to see first time, but when you slow it down, you see just how important Hladky was in preventing this goal from crossing the line.

It wasn’t just him, as he got some assistance from the woodwork. Nonetheless, he reacted quickly as Chris Willock and Sinclair Armstrong combined down the left before the latter took aim. He stretched out to push the ball onto the frame of the goal with his fingertips, watching on as it rolled across the face of goal and bounced out off the other post.

Ipswich cleared and went on to win the match through Chaplin’s improvised finish in the 75th minute

The 32-year-old recovered after making a mistake against Blackburn Rovers (Image: PA)

5. v Blackburn (A)

In isolation, this save could possibly top the list, but it ends up in fifth because the chance came from Hladky’s own mistake.

Town had battled hard against Blackburn, holding a 1-0 lead while their opponents had three goals disallowed. Sammie Szmodics almost took advantage, stealing the ball off the goalkeeper as the visitors were playing out from the back.

It was a difficult angle and a tricky shot to take on, but Szmodics still had a split second to take aim at what seemed like an empty goal. Incredibly, Hladky recovered and knocked the ball away with his head, helping his side see out the win.

The Blues were almost stunned by Edo Kayembe's last-gasp lob in the stalemate against Watford (Image: Stephen Waller)

4. v Watford (H)

Ipswich suffered a shock defeat to Norwich City in the East Anglian derby ahead of their home game against Watford, licking their wounds after a limp performance in Norfolk.

They showed an improvement against the Hornets, who sat deep with a back five that included three tall centre-backs. Although the Blues created chances, they struggled to break down Tom Cleverley’s side.

They could’ve lost the game at the death, too. Edo Kayembe lashed a hopeful long-range punt from inside his own half that caught Hladky off his line. Somehow, he managed to run back and scoop it past his post. The shot was certainly going in, and could’ve crushed Town’s promotion hopes.

Hladky reacted fast to deny Jack Rudoni from point-blank range at the John Smith's Stadium (Image: Ross Halls)

3. v Huddersfield Town (A)

This game was Hladky’s best performance of the season, at least to this point. He made five saves in total, stopping some truly incredible shots across the 90 minutes in West Yorkshire.

The best one came when the Terriers were 1-0 up and looking to kill off the game. With just seven minutes left to play, Sorba Thomas played the ball into the box from the right, where Jack Rudoni picked it up and went for goal from point-blank range.

Hladky stood his ground as the shot fizzed straight at him, bouncing behind for a corner. Expected goals (xG) may not be the be-all and end-all when it comes to football, but the fact that Rudoni’s shot had an xG of 0.70 shows just how well the 32-year-old did to keep this one out. 

Of course, Brandon Williams went on to score a crucial equaliser just four minutes later.

Hladky's Championship debut came away at Sunderland in August (Image: Ross Halls)

2. v Sunderland (A)

The game that started it all. If Town didn’t win this, would they be in the position they’re in? There’s a good chance that they wouldn’t have been as confident.

Goals from Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst had Kieran McKenna’s side cruising, as did a red card for Trai Hume. However, Dan Neil’s late strike coupled with 14 minutes of stoppage time complicated things.

Alex Pritchard picked up the ball down the left and set up Niall Huggins, who dunked it over the top of Neil. He controlled it and went for goal, hitting the post. What very few people saw in the moment, as least before the replay was shown on the screen, is that Hladky tipped it onto the frame of the goal. It was one of the last actions of the game and prevented Ipswich from dropping points on the opening day.

Could this save play a big part in the promotion race? (Image: Pagepix)

1. v Middlesbrough (H)

Recency bias? Perhaps, but this one came at the stage of the season where every goal, every save, every tackle and every point matters. We could look back on this stop from Hladky as the one that sent Ipswich to the Premier League.

The first one is good. Emmanuel Latte Lath bamboozled Luke Woolfenden before setting up Isaiah Jones, whose low shot was parried wide. Shortly afterwards Luke Ayling delivered a fierce cross onto the head of Matt Clarke. The former Town man seemed destined to score, but Hladky tipped it onto the bar and out for a corner with his fingertips.

Goals from Latte Lath and Massimo Luongo meant that the scores were level at 1-1 when this heart-in-mouth moment happened, and while it may not have led to a win, we all know what it could mean in the automatic promotion race.