Ipswich are back in the Premier League. And in what style. Folk in this part of Suffolk have become accustomed to promotion parties under Kieran McKenna and the latest certainly did not disappoint. Two early goals dismissed any fears of shredded nerves to ensure an afternoon of revelry could commence.
By the time a late third was added, the pitch perimeter was already lined with elated spectators ready to engulf their idols at the final whistle. No police presence was ever going to be sufficient to stop their invasion.
The post-match celebrations had it all: sprayed champagne, players’ children scoring on the pitch and selfies with the Ipswich minority stakeholder Ed Sheeran. Happy days, indeed.
“It’s probably been the hardest one,” said McKenna, of his third promotion in four full seasons at the Ipswich helm. “I know how hard we’ve had to work to turn it around. As a club, we had such a climb and a steep fall. We’ve had to rebuild this team under difficult circumstances and we deserve to be where we are today.”
It had not been the simple season many anticipated for a team widely expected to make an immediate return to the top flight after last year’s relegation. Given the swashbuckling style of their last ascent and their installation as title favourites this time around, there was a sense Ipswich had largely underperformed in a campaign that often flickered, but never really caught light.
“We started slow, which can happen, but we have steadily improved over the course of the year,” said McKenna. “It’s about how you finish.”
There was nothing underwhelming about their performance when it truly mattered. The manner in which they swiftly settled this promotion decider was as exhilarating as anything they had produced all season, laying siege on the Queens Park Rangers goal from the first whistle. It was a barrage as devastating as it was sublime and early goals from George Hirst and Jaden Philogene were no more than they deserved.
Job complete with a total absence of fuss, the remainder of the match could pass largely without incident before Kasey McAteer added a late third. No need for Ipswich to worry about any permutations that might have given Millwall or Middlesbrough designs on snatching the Championship’s second automatic promotion spot.
Head coach Sergej Jakirovic reflected upon an “unbelievable” achievement after his Hull side earned a spot in the playoffs with a 2-1 comeback win at home to Norwich. Goals in either half from Oli McBurnie saw the Tigers nudge clear of Wrexham and Derby to land a place in the top six.
Jakirovic, who has had to operate all season under a transfer embargo, said: “It’s a big success. To achieve this is my first season at the club is unbelievable, it’s massive for me and club – especially in these circumstances. This is a sweet feeling.”
At the other end of the table Sheffield Wednesday claimed their first Championship home win of the season in front of their new owner, David Storch, as they beat West Brom 2-1 to finally wipe out their 18-point deduction. Arise Capital Partners, which is led by Storch, has completed the acquisition of the Owls and the American was on the pitch before kick-off to address the fans of his new club. He confirmed that the Owls would be starting life in League One without a points deduction, much to the delight of the sold-out home crowd.
Southampton made it 19 Championship matches without defeat as they finished the season fourth with a 3-1 win against Preston at Deepdale. Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s superb 12th-minute header opened the scoring and Ross Stewart doubled the lead with a well-taken second after 47 minutes. Lewis Dobbin capitalised on a Daniel Peretz howler to halve the arrears on the hour, but substitute Cyle Larin tapped home to seal the win in stoppage time.
Stephy Mavididi gave League One-bound Leicester something to cheer about at the end of a miserable campaign as his late goal secured a 1-0 win at Blackburn. Afterwards, Gary Rowett made clear he wants to stay on as Leicester’s manager next season, saying: “I think there’s going to be some big decisions and it’s going to need someone, in my opinion, brave enough to make those decisions. The team needs to look very different. The culture needs to look very different. But it’s a great opportunity so of course I’d like that opportunity.”
An Ellis Simms hat-trick and a Viktor Torp piledriver ensured Coventry signed off on their Championship title-winning season in style with a one-sided 4-0 victory over a sorry Watford side at Vicarage Road. Cheered on by around 2,000 fans, Frank Lampard’s side ended a memorable season with 95 points and 97 goals. Afterwards, the manager told fans to “stay excited” about the summer plans for squad building: “The club has to do the hard work and the owner has said that he wants to talk about that from next week. It’s a special story this year and this is right up there in the amount of pleasure I have had in football.”
Adam Idah came off the bench to score twice as Swansea ended their season with a 3-1 win at home to Charlton.
Sheffield United staged a second half comeback to win 2-1 at Pride Park and end Derby Championship playoff hopes. Derby were in control at the break through Sam Szmodics early goal but the visitors came back strongly to dash the home side’s dream of a top-six finish. A mistake by Joe Ward allowed Tom Cannon to level before a strike from Sydie Peck turned the game on its head.
Adrian Segecic’s excellent end-of-season form continued as Portsmouth played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Birmingham at Fratton Park.
Goals from Delano Burgzorg and substitute Sam Bell saw Roy Hodgson end his short spell as Bristol City interim head coach with a 2-0 victory over Stoke at Ashton Gate. Hodgson said later it could have been his last game as a manager – but didn’t rule anything out: “If someone says ‘we need you to do a job’ and I think I can then maybe, but it’s a long shot. I am certainly not going to be putting my name out there because there are lots of managers and coaches needing jobs. The game has been very kind to me and I don’t need the work anymore. It’s nice to go out on a win.”
The feverish atmosphere had been evident around the stadium all morning, with flags flying and supporters singing themselves hoarse long before the players emerged on to the playing field. Tens of thousands had filled the streets with a fog of blue flares to greet the arrival of the players’ coach.
As much as he had attempted to talk up the opposition’s potential threat, McKenna could scarcely have chosen a simpler task than beating a team that arrived winless in five games, without a fit striker and safely ensconced in mid-table with nothing of note to play for.
Ipswich burst out of the traps, pummelling their hapless opponents with wave after wave of blistering attack. Leif Davis’s belting low cross induced panic for the opener, allowing Hirst to tap in from barely a yard. Six minutes later, a wonderfully slick one-touch move culminated in Hirst playing in Philogene, who had time to settle himself and slot into the corner from eight yards.
QPR improved – it would have been impossible not to – as a content Ipswich eased off, and the visitors fired six unanswered shots at the end of the first half. But even then the best chances fell to the hosts, Philogene going close with a wonderful volley soon after half-time and Dara O’Shea heading inches past the upright, before McAteer tapped in a loose ball with five minutes remaining for Ipswich’s third.
“This year, everyone wanted us to fail but we’ve done it,” said Hirst. “It’s been difficult, we’ve made it hard for ourselves, but who cares, we’re back in the Premier League and that’s all that matters.”
Attention will soon turn to ensuring Ipswich’s next top-flight stay is not as brief as the last. Such concerns can wait, for now. This bank holiday weekend is for celebrating.
