Ipswich Town are back on top of League One after securing a 1-0 victory over Lincoln City at Portman Road this afternoon.
Luke Woolfenden's first goal for the club was the difference in this game, as the defender met a good Luke Garbutt delivery to head home just before half-time and cap a half of football where the hosts had produced some good spells of pressure.
The Blues were the better side throughout this game but still needed to be wary of a Lincoln side who had threatening moments on the counter-attack, with the job ultimately completed as Paul Lambert's men avenged a 5-3 loss at Sincil Bank in the final game of 2019.
A defeat for leaders Rotherham at Peterborough, coupled with the Blues' three points, takes the Blues back to the top of the table ahead of their meeting with the Millers on Tuesday evening.
Manager Paul Lambert kept an unchanged side from the one which beat Tranmere 2-1 a week ago and they started strongly, with Will Keane starting strongly as the Blues' focal points and bringing Emyr Huws into the game to shoot down the throat of visiting goalkeeper Josh Vickers.
But the first nervy moment was in front of the North Stand, when a quickly-taken free-kick caught the Ipswich backline unawares, before Tyler Walker hooked a ball towards goal which only narrowly dribbled past Will Norris's post.
The Blues were putting together good spells of football, getting bodies forward in attack, but were unable to stretch goalkeeper Vickers as both Huws and captain Luke Chambers had well-struck efforts blocked en route to goal.
Perhaps the best opening came when Kayden Jackson headed the ball down for Luke Garbutt, who played a delightful pass which Will Keane made even better by controlling and storming into the box, before firing his effort wide of the far post.
But within seconds the ball was down the other end, where Norris made his first real save of the game to turn Tyler Walker's shot over the top of the bar.
Ipswich continued to play through the thirds, looking to get in behind the full-backs and cause trouble, but when the lead did eventually arrive, it came from a set-piece. Judge won a free-kick down by the corner flag which Garbutt stood over, with his whipped ball towards the back post met well by Woolfenden who was able to squeeze his first Ipswich goal in past Vickers.
The Blues deserved to be ahead and continued to have the better of the play during the early exchanges of the second half, but the hosts still needed to be wary of their visitors, who were dangerous on the counter attack and came close to fashioning an equaliser, only for Gwion Edwards to produce a superb goal-saving tackle inside his own six-yard box.
Ipswich remained on the front-foot though and so nearly found a second as Garbutt's vicious low drive forced Vickers to get down quickly to his left and push the ball round his own post.
There were nervy moments before the final whistle blew, with James Wilson needed to clear up as Grant looked to charge in on goal and Edwards needing to clear well in the air on a couple of occasions, but they saw the job through to resume their place at the top of the table.
Ipswich Town: Norris; Chambers, Wilson, Woolfenden; Edwards, Garbutt; Downes, Huws; Judge (Bishop 77); Jackson, Keane (Norwood 90)
Subs: Holy, Earl, Skuse, Nolan, Sears
Lincoln City: Vickers; Eardley, Shackell, Bulger, Melbourne; Morrell, Edun (Coventry 71); Anderson (Elbouzedi 71), Grant, John-Jules (Hopper 65), Walker
Subs: Smith, Chapman, Lewis, Hesketh
Att: 18,795 (749 Lincoln fans)
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here