Home FOOTBALL Championship: Ipswich 2-2 Southampton, Promotion Goes to Final Day

Championship: Ipswich 2-2 Southampton, Promotion Goes to Final Day

Read
Ipswich Vs Southampton
Ipswich draw at Southampton

Jack Clarke’s 87th-minute goal earns Ipswich 2-2 draw at Southampton. Kieran McKenna’s side needs final-day win vs QPR for Premier League spot.


Ipswich hit post, have goal ruled out, and see Clarke denied by Peretz in 2-2 Southampton draw. Must beat QPR to clinch promotion...


The battle for automatic promotion to the Premier League will be decided on the final day after second-placed Ipswich were held to a 2-2 thriller at Southampton on Tuesday.

  
Ipswich’s Wes Burns struck early in the second half, but the lead lasted only 10 minutes. Southampton, coming off their FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City, leveled through Ryan Manning’s free-kick from the edge of the box.


But Ipswich drew level in the 87th minute when substitute Jack Clarke, following a corner, drilled a left-footed shot from the edge of the area past Saints keeper Daniel Peretz into the bottom left corner.




Clarke, Ipswich’s top scorer this season, nearly won it two minutes later when his shot struck the base of the post, deflected past Peretz, and rolled out for a corner.


In the third of five added minutes, Ipswich had the ball in the net again, only for the goal to be correctly ruled out for offside before Peretz produced a superb save to deny Clarke.


Only the top two at the end of the regular season secure automatic spots in English football’s lucrative top flight, with leaders Coventry already confirmed as Championship winners.


Had Ipswich - relegated from the Premier League last season like Southampton — won, they would have gone three points clear of Millwall and all but sealed promotion thanks to their far superior goal difference.


But the draw means Ipswich must beat Queens Park Rangers at home on Saturday to lock up second place. They sit one point ahead of Millwall and two clear of fourth-placed Middlesbrough, with both rivals still able to finish as runners-up to Coventry.




  
The draw ended Southampton’s automatic promotion hopes, but the Saints will head to the play-offs involving third to sixth place to decide the final Premier League spot.


After a flat first half, Ipswich took the lead in the 48th minute when Burns rifled a shot to Peretz’s left into the top corner, with a slight touch off the keeper’s fingers.

-
But Southampton responded 10 minutes later after Jacob Greaves was booked for a strong challenge on Finn Azaz just outside Ipswich’s box.

-
Ryan Manning’s powerful free-kick clipped Marcelino Nunez, and the deflection was enough to send it past Christian Walton as the Ipswich keeper dived to his right.





Tags :

No comments:

Leave comment here

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )
Powered by Blogger.