Ipswich beat QPR to seal Premier League
Ipswich Town secured an immediate return to the Premier League as they defeated Queens Park Rangers to seal the Championship’s second automatic promotion spot. Relegated 12 months ago after just
Ipswich Town secured an immediate return to the Premier League as they defeated Queens Park Rangers to seal the Championship's second automatic promotion spot.
Relegated 12 months ago after just four wins in their first top-flight season for 22 years, Kieran McKenna's side have bounced back straight away.
With matters in their own hands going into the last day, Ipswich knew that three points at Portman Road would nullify anything that promotion rivals Millwall or Middlesbrough could do.
Goals inside the first nine minutes from George Hirst and Jaden Philogene set them on their way before substitute Kasey McAteer added a late third to rubber-stamp matters as the Tractor Boys enjoyed a third promotion in four seasons under Northern Irishman McKenna in a special period for the Suffolk club.
This fixture completed a miserable end to the season for QPR as they finished with four straight losses and six without a win to end up 15th as they completed an 11th straight season in the second tier.
In both of Ipswich's previous promotions under McKenna, they had entered their final home game of the season, as they did here, knowing that victory would get the job done.
And amid a pulsating atmosphere at Portman Road, they flew out of the traps, producing some of their best football of the season.
In Hirst, Leif Davis and Wes Burns, Ipswich had three players remaining from the side that defeated Huddersfield Town to secure their previous Premier League promotion - and two of those combined for the opener as Davis' overlapping run and cross ended with Hirst scoring from two yards.
Scotland striker Hirst, a scorer three years ago when promotion from League One was secured, then turned provider as his neat pass allowed Philogene to poke beyond Hoops goalkeeper Joe Walsh.
From there, Ipswich had the control they wanted and, barring a couple of attempts from visiting substitute Paul Smyth, they never looked like relinquishing it.
During a slight lull in the second half, McKenna was able to throw on McAteer, top scorer Jack Clarke and January reinforcements Dan Neil and Anis Mehmeti – four players who would be starters in virtually every other Championship side - to emphasise the quality in the squad.
Town have enjoyed significant contributions from the bench all season and for the third goal, Mehmeti and another sub - Spanish forward Ivan Azon - caused chaos, with the loose ball swept home by McAteer to fully get the promotion party started.
