Ipswich Town moved up to third in the Championship with a 3-1 victory over rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road, but they were pushed hard by visitors who belied their lowly position. Cedric Kipre, Jaden Philogene and substitute Jack Clarke found the net for Kieran McKenna's side, while Liam Cooper struck for the Owls to set up a tense finale.
The result, combined with Millwall's defeat and Preston's draw earlier in the day, lifted the Tractor Boys two places in the table and brought them to within five points of second-placed Middlesbrough in the race for automatic promotion. For Wednesday, docked 18 points this season and now 30 points adrift of the Championship survival line following points deductions, it was another sobering scoreline despite a performance that carried genuine threat throughout.
Ipswich, targeting a swift return to the Premier League, ultimately showed the extra composure and quality in the final third that underpins their promotion push. Crisis-club Wednesday, seemingly edging closer to a takeover, did not look like a side that has been stranded at the foot of the table, repeatedly stretching the hosts before Clarke's late strike finally settled home nerves.
Early injury blow and chances at both ends