Swansea City 4 Ipswich Town 1

IPSWICH Town made it a point-less Easter when they were well beaten in this Championship fixture at the Liberty Stadium on Monday.

Poor defending saw the home side score three times in the first half through Fabio Borini (two) and Luke Moore with Colin Healy pulling the score back to 2-1 at one stage.

Ipswich were unable to keep the ball in attack and the pressure put on their defence told with the way the goals were conceded – with Swansea benefitting from some hesitant defending.

Substitute Scott Sinclair added a fourth goal in the 71st minute from the penalty spot as sad Ipswich conceded nine goals over a dreadful Easter period.

Ipswich were without striker Connor Wickham who was suffering from a rib injury sustained in last Thursday’s defeat against the Canaries. Midfielder Jimmy Bullard was also missing and believed to be also injured.

In their places came Colin Healy and Andy Drury – with three changes on the bench with Luke Hyam, Ronan Murray and Mark Kennedy taking the places of Healy, Drury and young Joe Whight.

Arran Lee-Barrett retained his place in goal and there was no place n the squad for Brian Murphy with Jewell confirming at the weekend that he would like to play him before the end of the season.

Murray was recalled from his loan with League Two Torquay at the weekend.

Swansea needed a win to be certain of a play-off place, but they may be without Tamas Priskin for the rest of the season after the striker on loan from the Blues suffered a blow to his knee in training on Friday and is waiting the result of scans to see whether his season is over.

The Hungarian international was ineligible for today’s game under the terms of his loan agreement.

It was a wonderfully sunny day in south Wales with Ipswich having good support despite a 600-mile round trip.

The Swans, who were looking for a double after winning 3-1 at Portman Road earlier in the season, had won just two of their previous nine games including a 0-0 draw at Portsmouth on Saturday.

After de Vries saved from Leadbitter in the fifth minute, Borini shot across Lee-Barrett in the ninth minute after a neat Swansea move to put the home side into the lead.

Five minutes later Moore tried his luck from 20 yards and the ball somehow found its way into the middle of the goal with Lee-Barrett going to his right. If there was not a deflection it was a dreadful howler by the Town keeper.

A throw-in on the left led to Ipswich pulling a goal back in the 20th minute when Leadbitter played the ball back from the six-yard box and found Healy who finished well with his left foot into the top corner from eight yards.

In the 30th minute Dyer tried his luck in the middle of the middle of the field, and set up Moore for a shot from the left that Lee-Barrett half saved with the ball running free for Borini to bundle into the net.

The second half was a non event and had an end of season feel about it with substitute Kennedy bringing down Britton for a certain penalty that Sinclair put away with style.

McAuley limped off after 51 minutes after O’Dea had taken a knock in the first half.

Civelli and Brown were given a chance to show their manager what they are capable of when coming on, but neither was able to lift the Blues.

Teams

Swansea City: De Vries, Rangel, Williams, Monk, Taylor; Allen, Britton, Dobbie (Orlandi 71), Moore, Dyer (Beattie 78); Borini (Sinclair 46). Substitutes: tate, Pratley, Serran, Ma-Kalambay.

Ipswich Town: Lee-Barrett; Edwards, McAuley (Brown 51), Delaney, O’Dea (Kennedy 46); Carson, Norris, Leadbitter, Healy, Drury (Civelli 58), Scotland. Substitutes: Fulop, Peters, Hyam, Murray.

Referee: Mr J Linington (Isle of Wight)

Attendance: 16,001

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Marks

Swansea City: De Vries 6, Rangel 7, Williams 7, Monk 8, Taylor; Allen 7, Britton 7, Dobbie 8, Moore 8, Dyer 9; Borini 8.

Ipswich Town: Lee-Barrett 5; Edwards 6, McAuley 6, Delaney 6, O’Dea 5; Carson 6, Norris 6, Leadbitter 5, Healy 5, Drury 5; Scotland 5.