By Derek DavisALAN Lee headed Ipswich to victory but the Blues failed in the bigger mission and still missed out on a play-off place following a 1-0 win at Portman Road.

Derek Davis

By Derek Davis

ALAN Lee headed Ipswich to victory but the Blues failed in the bigger mission and still missed out on a play-off place following a 1-0 win at Portman Road.

Lee's finish meant Ipswich did what they had to do but results elsewhere meant Town are consigned to another year in the Championship.

Crystal Palace secured their play-off spot with an emphatic 5-0 win at home against ten-man Burnley, Watford, who were also reduced to ten men, grabbed sixth spot after coming from behind to draw at Blackpool.

The Hornets will now meet Hull in the play-offs after they missed out on automatic promotion.

Ipswich went for it in no uncertain terms and twice hit the same post in the first half. They also had a goal disallowed and a penalty denied.

They started with Shefki Kuqi up front alongside Pablo Counago but it was an inspired second half substitution that won the game for them.

David Wright put in free kick in the 70th minute and it was nodded on by Lee. Jon Walters headed back to him and Lee nodded in goal under pressure, seconds after going on as a substitute for Quinn.

Hull showed the attacking intention by playing three up front and threatened immediately.

It took an important hooked clearance from Jason De Vos, probably playing his last game for Town, to clear the danger with Caleb Folan ready to nod in.

Town went up the other end and put the ball in the net but the goal was, wrongly as it turned out, ruled offside.

Counago's shot had hit the inside of a post and came back out at angle for Kuqi who stooped to head in.

All this within the opening two minutes.

The Blues showed no nerves as they went at the Tigers and Tommy Miller was unlucky when his low 16-yard drive hit the outside of post.

Alan Quinn went close with shots off both feet but each time went wide, then blasted another good chance wide.

Although Hull looked dangerous on the counter they didn't offer any real threat to Stephen Bywater in the first half, with a Dean Windass free kick from 30-yards their best effort in the first half and that curled well wide.

Stephen Bywater made an important save after Nick Barmby headed down and the keeper grabbed it on the line.

Haynes' attempted cross hit Ricketts' arm and strong appeal for penalty rejected by on-the-spot referee Andre Marriner.