Ipswich are back in the Premier League. And in what style. They are used to promotion parties in this part of Suffolk and, under Kieran McKenna, they do not fall flat. Two early goals dismissed any fears of shredded nerves and an afternoon of celebration could commence. No police presence around the pitch perimeter was ever going to be sufficient to stop this pitch invasion. Happy days, indeed.
It had not been the simple season many anticipated for a team widely expected to make this instant return to the top flight. Given the swashbuckling style of their last Championship ascent and their status as title favourites this time around, it is difficult to avoid the sense that Ipswich largely underperformed in a campaign that flickered at regular points, but never really caught light.
There was nothing underwhelming when it truly mattered. The manner in which Ipswich put this promotion decider to bed was as exhilarating as anything they had produced all season, laying siege on the Queens Park Rangers goal from the first whistle. It was a barrage as devastating as it was sublime and early goals from George Hirst and Jaden Philogene were no more than they deserved.
Job done with a total absence of fuss, the remainder of the match could pass largely without incident before Kasey McAteer sealed the deal with a late third. No need for consideration of permutations that might have given Millwall or Middlesbrough designs on snatching the Championship’s second automatic promotion spot.
The feverish atmosphere had been apparent around the stadium all morning, with flags flying and supporters singing themselves hoarse long before the players emerged on to the playing field. IThis was the third time in four full seasons under McKenna that the fans had arrived expectantly with promotion at stake and tens of thousands filled the streets with a fog of blue flares to greet the arrival of the players’ coach.
On those previous two occasions, Ipswich had achieved their task with consummate ease, brushing aside Exeter 6-0 to bid farewell to League One and then following up with a 2-0 win over Huddersfield that brought Premier League football to the club for the first time in 22 years. This was no different.
Quick GuideChampionship roundup: Hull battle back to claim final playoff spot
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Hull secured their place in the Championship playoffs thanks to a brace from Oli McBurnie during a 2-1 comeback win at home to Norwich.
With Wrexham and Derby having both faltered, the Tigers seized their moment to regain a top-six finish – a position in which they have occupied for most of the season – after they came from behind at the MKM Stadium.
Norwich were the best side in the Championship last month and, even with nothing to play for other than personal pride and improved contract negotiations, deservedly opened the scoring through Mo Toure.
Hull had been awful until that 26th-minute goal, but charged back into the game two minutes later when McBurnie equalised from the penalty spot.
And with favourable results elsewhere, Hull fans were left to dream of a potential return to the Premier League after McBurnie stabbed home his 20th goal of the season after 67 minutes.
At the other end of the table Sheffield Wednesday claimed their first Championship home win of the season in front of new owner David Storch as they beat West Brom 2-1 to finally wipe out their 18-point deduction.
Arise Capital Partners, which is led by Storch, has completed the acquisition of the Owls and the American was out on the pitch before kick-off to address the fans of his new club.
The new owner also confirmed that the Owls would be starting life in League One without a points deduction, much to the delight of the sold out home crowd.
Southampton made it 19 Championship matches without defeat as they finished the season with a 3-1 win against Preston at Deepdale. Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ superb 12th-minute header opened the scoring and Ross Stewart doubled the lead with a well-taken second after 47 minutes. Lewis Dobbin capitalised on a Daniel Peretz howler to halve the arrears on the hour but substitute Cyle Larin tapped home to seal the win in stoppage time.
Stephy Mavididi gave League One-bound Leicester something to cheer about at the end of a miserable campaign as his late goal secured a 1-0 win at Blackburn.
An Ellis Simms hat-trick and a Viktor Torp piledriver ensured that Coventry signed off on their Championship title-winning season in style with a one-sided 4-0 victory over a sorry Watford side at Vicarage Road. Cheered on by around 2,000 fans bedecked in sky blue, Frank Lampard’s side ended a memorable season with 95 points and 97 goals.
Adam Idah came off the bench to score twice as Swansea ended their season with a 3-1 win at home to Charlton.
Sheffield United staged a second half comeback to win 2-1 at Pride Park and end Derby Championship playoff hopes. Derby were in control at the break through Sam Szmodics early goal but the visitors came back strongly to dash the home side’s dream of a top-six finish. A mistake by Joe Ward allowed Tom Cannon to level before a strike from Sydie Peck turned the game on its head.
Adrian Segecic’s excellent end-of-season form continued as Portsmouth played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Birmingham at Fratton Park.
Goals from Delano Burgzorg and substitute Sam Bell saw Roy Hodgson end his short spell as Bristol City interim head coach with a 2-0 victory over Stoke at Ashton Gate.
As much as he had attempted to talk up the opposition’s potential threat, McKenna could scarcely have chosen a simpler task than facing a team winless in five games, shorn of a fit striker and safely ensconced in mid-table with nothing of note to play for.
Ipswich burst out of the traps like a greyhound, pummelling their hapless opponents with wave after wave of blistering attack. Just three minutes had gone when, after coming close to scoring himself, Leif Davis turned provider for the opener. The left-back’s belting low cross sparked panic between the QPR defence and goalkeeper, allowing Hirst to tap in from barely a yard. The resulting Portman Road roar was deafening.
Six minutes later, the dream had already become reality. With the visitors’ defence all at sea, a wonderfully slick one-touch move culminated in Hirst playing in Philogene, who had time to settle himself and slot into the corner from eight yards.
QPR improved – it would have been impossible not to – as a content Ipswich eased off and the visitors fired six unanswered shots at the end of the first half. But even then the best chances fell to the hosts, Philogene going close with a wonderful volley soon after half-time and Dara O’Shea heading inches past the upright, before McAteer tapped in a loose ball with five minutes remaining for goal number three.
That Ipswich had chosen to go into this final-day decider without the Championship’s £17.5m record signing, Sindre Walle Egeli, a Napoli loanee, Jens Cajuste, and a former Premier League winner, Ashley Young, in their matchday squad displayed their strength in depth.
The Premier League was an expectation this season and once the celebratory champagne bottles have been cleared away the manager’s attention will turn to ensuring their next top-flight stay is not as brief as the last. Such concerns can wait, for now. This is a bank holiday weekend for celebration.
