Ipswich Town produced a scintillating performance to beat promotion-chasing Newcastle United 3-1 and leave a bumper Portman Road crowd rocking on ‘Sir Bobby Robson Day’.
Freddie Sears’ first-half opener (42) was cancelled out by ex-Blues striker Daryl Murphy (62), but the impressive Blues didn’t take their foot off the gas and deservedly sealed all three points through superb goals from David McGoldrick (69) and Emyr Huws (90+).
Mick McCarthy’s men pressed and were positive from the first minute to the last and thrilled a crowd of more than 25,000 with a performance full of vim and vigour. Season ticket holders will have left the ground grinning from ear-to-ear, but also wondering where that display had come from at the end of a frustrating campaign full of forgettable footballing fare dished up on Suffolk soil.
Town have recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time this Championship season and remain 15th. Second-place Newcastle now face a nervy run-in as Huddersfield look to close the gap to five points this tea-time.
Ipswich, having all but secured their safety with a Good Friday win at Burton, started on the front foot and forced the visitors into mistakes and get the crowd behind them.
The key moment arrived in the 41st minute when Matt Ritchie put a golden diving header chance wide from Paul Dummett’s cross. Moments later, Myles Kenlock won the ball in the middle, Tom Lawrence drove forwards, slipped a pass to Sears and he did superbly to find the net through a crowd of players on the angle for his fourth goal in as many games.
Town continued to win all the key battles after the restart with the Magpies looking a shadow of the team that won the reverse fixture 3-0. The 62nd minute leveller came from nowhere as Christian Atsu’s low cross from the left evaded both Christophe Berra and Mo Diame at the near post, leaving the alert Murphy with a simple finish. The ex-Blues man’s celebrations were muted.
Ipswich stuck to their task though and were back in front less than seven minutes later thanks to superbly worked team goal. The excellent Emyr Huws seized on a poor kick from keeper Karl Darlow, played a quick raking pass and Town worked the ball inside. Grant Ward’s cute reverse pass found Sears and his sweeping cross was converted by the late-arriving McGoldrick at the far post.
Newcastle didn’t respond and Town looked in control. McGoldrick’s outrageous attempt at an angled dink over keeper Darlow was tipped over before five minutes of stoppage-time were announced.
The icing on the cake came at the death when substitute Brett Pitman skipped to the byline and pulled the ball back for Huws to slam home emphatically with a superb left-footed volley high into the net. – Reaction to follow.
IPSWICH TOWN (4-2-3-1): Bialkowski; Spence, Chambers (cpt), Berra, Kenlock (Emmanuel 77); Skuse, Huws; Sears, Ward, Lawrence (Pitman 89); McGoldrick (Smith 85).
Unused subs: Crowe, Diagouraga, Bru, Samuel.
Booked: McGoldrick (60), Lawrence (65)
NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-2-3-1): Darlow; Yedlin (Gamez 78), Hanley, Lascelles (cpt), Dummett; Shlevey, Hayden (Gouffran 61); Ritchie (Mitrovic 82), Diame, Atsu; Murphy.
Unused subs: Elliott, Mbemba, Colback, Perez.
Booked: Hayden (51)
Attendance: 25,684 (1,952 away)
Referee: Tim Robinson
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