2 hours ago
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After a sticky patch, the Tractor Boys are back on the right track again. Kieran McKenna’s side have shown a propensity to make things difficult for themselves as they chase the second automatic promotion spot and so it proved again after they found themselves trailing after just 42 seconds to Greg Docherty’s strike.
Charlton looked like they might do their south London rivals Millwall a favour until Darnell Furlong scored his first goal since joining last summer with a brilliant strike before Jaden Philogene sealed the points from the spot. With two more away games to come in the next five days that will define their season, this was the perfect response from an Ipswich side that has found things difficult on the road since being relegated last year.
While Nathan Jones’s side still need a point from their final two matches to guarantee they and not Oxford will play Championship football next year, a third promotion in four seasons is now within touching distance for McKenna.
Leicester’s rapid demise is an indication of just how difficult it is to bounce straight back to the Premier League these days and Ipswich have not found things easy after making a slow start. Having twice come from behind to rescue a point in their previous game against promotion rivals Middlesbrough, they travelled to south London desperate for a victory after a relentless Millwall saw off Stoke on Tuesday to leapfrog them into second spot yet again. While there were a sea of empty seats in the home sections, the travelling supporters from Suffolk packed out the goal being defended by their side in the first half but they wouldn’t have been expecting to be behind inside the first minute.
Next season will mark 20 years since Charlton last graced the top flight and former midfielder Graham Stuart reminisced about the glory days when they finished seventh and ninth when he was interviewed on the pitch before kick-off. Having made a promising start after being promoted last year, a lacklustre draw against bottom side Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend left them still not certain of survival and prompted a ruthless eight changes from Jones.
It certainly had the required effect as Charlton flew out of the blocks. Tyreece Campbell was given acres of space down the right and Christian Walton could only divert his shot straight into the path of the grateful Docherty. Ipswich, who must travel to West Brom on Saturday before next week’s showdown with Southampton at St Mary’s, struggled to mount a response. Philogene volleyed horribly wide before Ivan Azón somehow managed to kick the ball against his standing foot with the goal gaping from Furlong’s cross.
Walton was then lucky to escape when he charged out of his goal to try to intercept a long ball under pressure from Charlie Kelman and had to be bailed out by Jacob Greaves. It needed something spectacular to wake Ipswich and their nervous fans from their slumber. Furlong’s fizzing strike from just outside the area 10 minutes before half-time that left Thomas Kaminski grasping at thin air was just what was required.
A series of stoppages meant almost 10 minutes of injury time was played at the end of the first half and the game’s rhythm was again interrupted when Collins Sichenje clashed heads with Azón making a brave clearance and both needed lengthy treatment. Ipswich dominated possession in the second half as their fans willed them forward and they got what they had been yearning for when Furlong went down inside the area after a challenge from Macaulay Gillesphey. Philogene’s penalty was weak and almost straight at Kaminski but somehow the Charlton goalkeeper managed to dive over the ball and it squirmed into the net.
Kaminski did much better to keep out Philogene’s next effort as Ipswich pushed for a third, with Jack Taylor taking one for the team when he brought down a flying Jayden Fevrier and was cautioned.
Charlton tried to muster themselves for a late charge but Ipswich stood firm to set up their week of reckoning.
