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March 29, 2024
Conor Chaplin’s 13th goal of the year helped Ipswich defeat Blackburn 1-0, and they finished Good Friday atop the Championship following Leeds’ late-game draw with Watford. This victory kept Ipswich’s hopes of automatic promotion alive.
The manager of Ipswich, Kieran McKenna, was happy with the outcome but not so much with his team’s performance at Ewood Park. “You have to enjoy every win you get in the Championship,” he said. “The performance was mixed. I thought first half we started ever so well, especially after international duty – we imposed ourselves really well on the game.
Blackburn had a counter-threat and they set up to give us problems through the middle of the pitch so we didn’t have it all our way.”
Still seeking their first win under John Eustace, the struggling hosts felt aggrieved after goals in both halves were controversially disallowed. Blackburn’s top scorer, Sammie Szmodics, squandered a golden opportunity to equalize 11 minutes from time. Still, Ipswich held firm to secure their eighth win in nine matches.
Ipswich took the lead in the ninth minute when Chaplin fed the ball wide to Leif Davis, then charged into the box to meet Davis’s low cross. He fired a first-time shot that found the bottom corner, although goalkeeper Aynsley Pears should have done better.
Ipswich could have had an early penalty when Callum Brittain pulled Nathan Broadhead back, but referee Stuart Atwell waved play on.
Rovers believed they had equalized in the 30th minute with a well-worked move that ended with Tyrhys Dolan’s cut-back finding Joe Rankin-Costello, who scored via a deflection. However, Szmodics was deemed to have obstructed the goalkeeper or credited with the deflection.
Ipswich emerged from the break with renewed intensity. Chaplin struck the side netting just 20 seconds into the second half, followed by Pears parrying his curling shot a minute later.
Blackburn began to find their rhythm around the hour mark when Vaclav Hladky deflected a cross into Ben Chrisene’s path. However, Chaplin intervened just in time to prevent him from shooting. Moments later, Szmodics fired a first-time shot toward goal, but Hladky tipped it over the bar.
The home crowd erupted in frustration in the 74th minute when Andrew Moran’s effort hit the underside of the bar after Hladky dropped a cross under pressure from Scott Wharton. Still, the referee ruled it a foul by the Rovers defender.
“As the second half went on, it became tough,” McKenna added. “We knew there’d be tiredness in the group, and it became a challenging last 30 minutes. We didn’t control the game as we would have liked but sometimes you have to show that other side and I thought we did that really well.”
Emmanuel Latte Lath’s late equalizer in the 90th minute earned Middlesbrough a 1-1 draw against Southampton, hindering the Saints’ automatic promotion hopes.
Adam Armstrong seemed set to secure Southampton’s 23rd season victory with his 30th Championship goal contribution, the highest in the league. However, Latte Lath headed in his 10th goal of the season, extending Boro’s unbeaten streak to five matches.
Meanwhile, sixth-placed Norwich came from behind to defeat struggling Plymouth 2-1. After Morgan Whittaker put Argyle ahead in the 10th minute, Josh Sargent equalized, and Ashley Phillips In the 74th minute, an own goal concluded the win for Norwich.
Coventry and Preston both kept their playoff hopes alive with crucial victories. Ellis Simms shone for Coventry, scoring an early double in their 3-1 win over struggling Huddersfield. Meanwhile, Emil Riis netted twice to complement Duane Holmes’ opener in North End’s 3-0 triumph against bottom-placed Rotherham.
In a dramatic clash at the bottom, Jimmy Dunne’s stunning volley secured QPR a 2-1 victory over Birmingham. Juninho Bacuna put City ahead in the 62nd minute. Still, Steve Cook equalized shortly after with a deflected shot before Dunne clinched the win from the edge of the box.
Birmingham remains just outside the relegation zone after Sheffield Wednesday was held to a 1-1 draw against Swansea. Bailey Cadamarteri scored to give the hosts the lead just before halftime, but Jamal Lowe equalized in the 76th minute.
Second-half goals from Josh Laurent and Ki-Jana Hoever secured Stoke a vital 2-0 victory over playoff-chasing Hull, pushing the visitors five points clear of the relegation zone.
In another match, Sunderland earned a 2-0 win at Cardiff, with Adil Aouchiche and Jobe Bellingham scoring in the first half. Meanwhile, John Swift’s penalty salvaged a point for West Brom in a 1-1 draw at Millwall. The Lions led at halftime thanks to a well-taken goal from Duncan Watmore. Still, Swift equalized from the spot in the 67th minute after Grady Diangana was fouled.
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