Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Huddersfield Town at Portman Road on Saturday | Goals from Wes Burns and Omari Hutchinson send Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys back to the Premier League after 22 years away
Ipswich have been promoted to the Premier League after their 2-0 win against Huddersfield, whose relegation to League One was confirmed as a result.
Given Kieran McKenna’s side already had a three-point advantage over third-placed Leeds going into the final game of the season, they only needed a draw to secure promotion.
Yet a clinical finish from Wes Burns and Omari Hutchinson’s third goal in as many games sent them up with a flourish.
From the manager who turned things around to their star player and unsung hero, Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton analyse how Leicester won promotion back to the Premier League.
The Tractor Boys have now completed historic back-to-back promotions, following their automatic promotion from Sky Bet League One as runners-up to Plymouth last season, and will play in the top flight for the first time since the 2001/02 season.
Huddersfield, meanwhile, drop into the third tier for the first time since the 2011/12 campaign.
Watch the goals that sent Ipswich up!
Omari Hutchinson makes it 2-0 for Ipswich at home to Huddersfield as they take another big step towards the Premier League.
Wes Burns gives Ipswich a 1-0 lead at home to Huddersfield as they take another huge step towards promotion to the Premier League.
How Ipswich completed the job on home soil
There were thousands of Ipswich fans outside the ground prior to kick-off with smoke bombs and flares in abundance.
And the home side got off to a dominating start in front of an expectant crowd, pinning their opponent into their own half for the opening 20 minutes.
Axel Tuanzebe’s shot from just inside the penalty area was deflected past the Huddersfield post, George Hirst narrowly headed wide and Conor Chaplin’s 25-yard effort flew narrowly past Huddersfield goalkeeper Chris Maxwell’s left-hand post.
Burns headed the ball across the penalty area to an unmarked Conor Chaplin but he misdirected his header.
Ipswich should have taken the lead following a breakaway in the 25th minute. Chaplin fed the ball through to Burns and he only had Maxwell to beat but fired wide.
But the Tractor Boys took the lead two minutes later through the same combination with an explosion of noise greeting the goal.
Hirst initially linked up with Chaplin who played in Burns and his drilled effort went just inside the near post.
It was all Ipswich, as Burns clipped the ball over the top for Chaplin to scurry onto and he appeared to be bundled over by Matty Pearson but referee Simon Hooper was unmoved.
Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo were the next Ipswich players to have efforts at the Huddersfield goal and the visitors left the field having been totally outplayed for the first 45 minutes.
Three minutes into the second period the Tractor Boys extended their lead through Hutchinson. He received the ball from Morsy and fired his shot home from just inside the penalty area.
Burns’ cross met an onrushing Leif Davis but his first-time effort bounced into the ground and over the bar as the home side looked for a third goal.
Huddersfield’s first shot on target came after 72 minutes but Josh Koroma’s tame effort was straight into the gloves of Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky while at the other end Maxwell was called into action as he acrobatically turned over a long range shot from Luongo.
Koroma was close to opening Huddersfield’s account with a shot that went over the bar and as time ran out it was party time for the majority of the 29,011 fans inside Portman Road and thousands of fans invaded the pitch at the final whistle.
A hard fall and a dramatic rise – How Ipswich ended 22 years of PL exile
Ipswich have ended 22 years of Premier League exile in a way few could have imagined… here is how they did it.
Ipswich’s ‘incredible coach’ McKenna – In the words of his players
Leif Davis, Wes Burns and Omari Hutchinson tell Sky Sports what it’s like to play under Kieran McKenna, as Ipswich stand on the cusp of reaching the Premier League.
The managers
Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna:
To follow…
Huddersfield’s Andre Breitenreiter:
To follow…
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
