'To be fair on them' Massimo Luongo reaction to Ipswich goal against former Middlesbrough side

It had to be him, didn't it? Massimo Luongo admitted he wouldn't even be the man making that run as he reflected on his goal against Middlesbrough that earned a point for his current club against his former.

Luongo made a late back post dash on Saturday to ultimately get on the end of a corner and slam home Ipswich's equaliser against Boro. It earned a point for the Tractor Boys to send them clear of Leicester at the top of the Championship, with the two sides level on points before the game.

For Luongo, the sense of personal gratification must have been high, after his Boro struggles. The Australian midfielder joined Boro on a free transfer in September 2022 as Chris Wilder looked to strengthen his midfield options. But with Luongo not quite match fit, he failed to make a single appearance for the club, with Michael Carrick arriving shortly after.

READ MORE: Michael Carrick not hiding his disappointment despite Middlesbrough's battling draw at Ipswich

He would ultimately leave at the end of a short-term contract last January, at which point he joined Ipswich and established himself in the side that looks likely to secure a double-promotion from League One to the Premier League.

Reacting to his goal, Luongo said after: “We’ve tried it a couple of times this season, though I’m not usually the one allocated for that run. So when I got the thumbs up I was happy. Everything has to come good for me to even have the chance. I saw it coming, but the blockers did their jobs and it’s a great ball in and I managed to get a good foot on it.”

While Luongo was delighted to score and earn a point for his team, he steered clear of any disrespect or airing any personal grievances over how his short Boro spell went. Instead, he was respectful of what - and most spectators - felt was an excellent game.

“It was a tough game and we had to work really hard," he admitted. "We got a lot of joy, especially first half when the game was more open and we cut them open really well but just couldn’t convert our chances. Second half, we controlled the game well, but they put 10, 11 men behind the ball and it was difficult to break them down.

"To be fair to them, they stuck with us and Hlad’s come to the rescue a couple of times but we’ve had really good chances before that and on another day we score a couple of earlier goals and it’s a different game. This is the Championship. I’m not sure now, but they were still fighting for something so games like this aren’t easy, but exciting to be a part of. We’ve got three big games to go now.”