Conor Chaplin’s rocket header ensured Ipswich Town moved back into the Championship top two with victory over play-off chasing Sunderland.
Southampton’s win against Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the day had enabled them to leapfrog Kieran McKenna’s side, but Ipswich ended their five-game winless run in impressive style at Portman Road.
Leif Davis curled in a perfect free-kick for the Tractor Boys forward to beat Anthony Patterson with a powerful finish, after Adil Aouchiche made a silly challenge on the wing-back.
It was a winner that came just minutes after Sunderland had fluffed their own big chance, with substitute Aouchiche’s miserable couple of minutes compounded when he failed to hit the target with the goal gaping.
Sunderland had taken the lead in the firsthalf when Jack Clarke hammered the ball beyond Vaclav Hladky following a pass from Abdoullah Ba.
Town levelled when new signing Lewis Travis slid a ball through that Chaplin helped into Kayden Jackson’s path with a cute touch, and the forward curled smartly beyond Patterson.
Chaplin’s header put them ahead and there might have been even more for the home fans to cheer but for Luke Woolfenden only turning onto the post from another Davis free-kick.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Ipswich
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 31Smooth
- 2ClarkeBooked at 24mins
- 6Woolfenden
- 4EdmundsonBooked at 54mins
- 3Davis
- 28TravisSubstituted forBallat 68′minutes
- 14TaylorBooked at 52mins
- 7BurnsBooked at 60minsSubstituted forHutchinsonat 68′minutes
- 10ChaplinSubstituted forTuanzebeat 90+4′minutes
- 33BroadheadSubstituted forHarnessat 89′minutes
- 19JacksonSubstituted forSarmientoat 68′minutesBooked at 85mins
Substitutes
- 1Walton
- 9Ladapo
- 11Harness
- 12Ball
- 20Hutchinson
- 21Sarmiento
- 23Aluko
- 30Humphreys
- 40Tuanzebe
Sunderland
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Patterson
- 32HumeBooked at 83mins
- 13O'Nien
- 5Ballard
- 42chosen
- 17BaBooked at 55minsSubstituted forAouchicheat 65′minutes
- 39Ekah
- 24Neil
- 20Clarke
- 21PritchardSubstituted forRussianat 84′minutes
- 7BellinghamSubstituted forBurstowat 89′minutes
Substitutes
- 9Silva Semedo
- 11Burstow
- 15Russian
- 19Bennette
- 22Aouchiche
- 23From there
- 25Triantis
- 27Thin
- 30Bishop
- Referee:
- Sam Allison
- Attendance:
- 29,291
