Ipswich Town

Ipswich midfielder Dan Neil says his old Sunderland team-mate Jack Clarke could prove the difference in their quest for automatic promotion.

The 25-year-old winger stole the show in Saturday's draw with promotion rivals Millwall at Portman Road, breaking the deadlock with his 14th goal of the Championship season, only for the Lions to hit back in the second half.

Neil played 97 times alongside Clarke across four seasons at Sunderland and has now had eight games with him in the Ipswich side after joining on loan from the Black Cats in January.

"That was probably the best Jack Clarke performance I have seen since I got back playing with him," Neil told BBC Radio Suffolk. "He was direct, the right-back was almost a bit scared when he was getting it.

"When he's on it, he's by far the best winger in this league, bar none, and you saw that.

"We need to keep feeding him the ball in dangerous areas between now and the end of the season and he can be the difference-maker for us."

Neil admitted that overall Ipswich felt the draw was "two points dropped" despite staying above Millwall on goal difference, two points behind Middlesbrough in the second automatic promotion place.

"With Middlesbrough drawing it feels an opportunity missed but it's another point on the board, we still have the game in hand so we're still in a good position," he added.

"The old cliché is taking one game at a time. Saturday was the best atmosphere I have heard since I've been here. Eight games to go, we're going to need everybody - players, staff, fans - to try to get us over the line."

Neil helped Sunderland to promotion via the play-offs last season but says there are not many parallels between their position and the Tractor Boys' this season.

"You just have to keep going until the end. It's slightly different (this season). With Sunderland at this point we were rooted in fourth, really in a little bit of no man's land, no chance to get second or seventh.

"We have an unbelievable chance to sneak into the top two. Away from home we need to do slightly better with the mentality - it's more siege mentality, their fans are going to want to spoil our promotion chase. We need to stick together."

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna said his side were not ruthless enough in attack in the 1-1 draw with fellow promotion chasers Millwall.

"We should win from where we had it," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk. "The performance in the first half was really, really good and we gave them so many problems and dominated the game.

"But we would like to have executed better and should have opened up a two-goal lead to give us that margin, and in the second half we had so many moments on the edge of the box.

"They defended well and got bodies in the way but we still could have executed better to kill the game off. When you don't, with a team like Millwall you know they carry such a threat and can score from not very much - and they did that with the goal.

"They threw everything at us and your goal is always going to be under threat so the best way is to kill the game at the other end, but we didn't."

Image source, Shutterstock

Ipswich Town will be without forward Wes Burns for their Championship match at home to Millwall on Saturday (12:30 GMT), while Marcelino Nunez is also a doubt.

Burns was forced off in the latter stages of last weekend's 2-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday with a calf injury, while midfielder Nunez has missed the past two matches with a hamstring issue.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk: "Wes won't be available. It's not a serious injury, which is a positive and all being well he'll be available after the international break.

"Marcelino is touch and go so we'll see how he is."

Ipswich are currently third in the Championship table, level on points with fourth-placed Millwall and only two behind Middlesbrough, who occupy the second automatic promotion place.

"Millwall have done very well, as is clear to see in their results, and when you watch the games you see how competitive they are," added McKenna.

"They are really strong at set plays and have a counter-attack threat so it's going to be a tough game, as they all are in the Championship."

"I do believe Ipswich potentially have got more ways to win. If Middlesbrough don't unlock that formula of breaking teams down when they are sitting in that lower block and making things hard, that can do for them in terms of that top-two place."

Coventry are seven points clear at the top of the Championship and look well set for a place in next season's Premier League.

In the latest 72+ podcast, the team discuss why Ipswich Town might be the favourites for the second automatic promotion spot.

They also preview Saturday's huge game at Portman Road between Ipswich and a Millwall side eyeing the same prize.

Listen on BBC Sounds

Ipswich and Millwall will take on a titanic tussle at Portman Road as they hope to reach the top two on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

Both teams are only two points below current second place holders Middlesbrough.

With Boro set to play Blackburn Rovers - the side that beat Millwall on their last outing - at the same time, there could be a different name in the spot before the day is done.

• Ipswich drew 0-0 with Millwall in this season's reverse fixture (on Boxing Day 2025); the last time they had two nil-nil draws with an opponent in a league campaign was in 2020-21 v Oxford (in League One).

• Millwall have only won two of their last 10 away league games against Ipswich (D2 L6), with their last win there coming in January 2019 under Neil Harris (3-2).

• No team have lost fewer Championship games in 2026 than Ipswich (2 – level with Southampton), with the Tractor Boys currently on a six-game unbeaten run (W4 D2).

• After losing at home to Blackburn last time out, Millwall could suffer consecutive Championship defeats under Alex Neil for just the second time (previously in December 2025, v Hull and Blackburn).

• Jack Clarke has scored 13 goals for Ipswich in the Championship this season – the last player to net 14+ for the Tractor Boys in the second tier was Martyn Waghorn in 2017-18 (16).

Image source, Getty Images

There have been plenty of contentious decisions in the 2025-26 Championship season so far.

Offside goals given, perfectly good goals ruled out, red card offences missed, penalties not given, dubious spot-kicks awarded. You name it.

With the video assistant referee (VAR) only used for the play-off final, the outcome of every second-tier game in the regular season can hinge on how on-field officials see incidents in real time.

• Would you want VAR introduced for every league game in the Championship?

• If so, why?

• And if not, let us know your reasons.

You can share your thoughts on VAR here or comment below, and we will publish a follow-up article soon with a selection of your responses.

Image source, Shutterstock

Ipswich Town captain Dara O'Shea says it will take a whole-squad effort between now and the end of the season if they are to achieve automatic promotion.

The Tractor Boys closed to within two points of second-placed Middlesbrough with Saturday's 2-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday and have a game in hand.

"It doesn't matter how you win the games now. Coming into this part of the season all that matters is the result at the end and we were on the right side of it against a (Wednesday) team that are good - I have maximum respect for them, they are a really dangerous side," O'Shea told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Every team we play, you can tell they're up for it. We watch the games that they've played and when they play us, they'll play a totally different way, a different style, so it's going to take a small bit of time to adapt in some of the games.

"Of course the pressure's there, results go your way, they don't go your way, but that's football. We can't look too far ahead, we can't look at other results, we've got to focus on ourselves."

He added: "Each and every single one of us has got a massive part to play between now and the end of the season, it doesn't matter if you're starting all the time or you've only played a couple of minutes this season, everyone has the same job and the fans as well, they've got a massive job and they're helping us a lot.

"We can feel the passion (of the fans), and the frustration at times too, but it's never going to plain sailing this league."

Ipswich have a crucial home game at lunchtime on Saturday against Millwall, who have the same number of points but are below them on goal difference.

Image source, Shutterstock

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was delighted with his side's patience before they struck two late goals to beat Sheffield Wednesday and boost their automatic promotion bid.

Ivan Azon and Jack Clarke scored in the final 12 minutes at Hillsborough and Ipswich have climbed up a place to third, just two points behind second-placed Middlesbrough with a game in hand.

McKenna was also pleased with Ipswich's clean sheet and says they didn't panic when the early goal didn't come.

He told BBC Radio Suffolk: "We would have loved to have got an early goal, and we know that would have changed the game.

"We really emphasize trying to start fast and come out and get it, but we didn't manage to do that. We didn't take the couple of early chances we had, and then as the game wears on, you can get a little bit tense.

"Then it's about just staying disciplined and trying not to give anything away. It took to the later stages, we knew that might be the way and it was today.

"The bonus was we got a clean sheet, we didn't give much away, and we gave ourselves a chance to show our quality with the goals at the end."

Already relegated Sheffield Wednesday will try again to pick up a first home win of the season when they welcome Ipswich to Hillsborough on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Owls were denied only their second victory of the campaign when they conceded at the death to draw 1-1 with Watford last time out.

Fourth-placed Ipswich are unbeaten in five and just four points adrift of the automatic promotion spots, but have only managed to draw their past two Championship games.

• Sheffield Wednesday have lost their last three league games against Ipswich Town by an aggregate score of 10-1.

• Ipswich have only lost on two of their last 13 league visits to Sheffield Wednesday (W5 D6) and won 1-0 there on their last visit in September 2023.

• Sheffield Wednesday's last home league win on a Saturday was back in December 2024, when they beat Stoke in a 12.30pm kick off (D4 L13 since). In 3:00pm kick-offs on Saturdays, their last win at Hillsborough was in the 2023-24 season, 3-0 against West Brom in April 2024.

• Ipswich haven't won any of their away Championship games this season against sides currently in the bottom six of the table, losing at Oxford and Leicester and drawing with Blackburn.

• Ipswich Town's Jack Clarke has been involved in four goals in his last four league games against Sheffield Wednesday (3 goals, 1 assist) and scored twice on his last trip to Hillsborough for Sunderland in September 2023.

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town winger Jaden Philogene has returned to training after being sidelined since January because of a medial collateral ligament injury in his knee.

The 24-year-old has missed the side's past 10 league games but boss Kieran McKenna has not yet made a decision on whether the England U21international will make the squad for their trip to Hillsborough on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

There is also a question mark over midfielder Azor Matusiwa's availability - he is being assessed after going off the 3-3 draw to Stoke with a hamstring issue.

Defender Cedric Kipre will miss the game as he is suspended, while midfielder Anis Mehmeti and right-back Darnell Furlong are both on nine yellows.

However, McKenna is unconcerned about the impact the possibility of further suspensions will have on his team selection.

"You do consider things like yellow cards," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We will take everything into consideration but the first consideration is picking a team that will go and win the game.".

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Listen to more Ipswich Town content on BBC Sounds

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna could hardly believe what he had seen after a stoppage-time penalty denied them three points at Stoke City.

Cedric Kipre was penalised for pulling back Lamine Cisse, having been denied a penalty himself in the final moments against Leicester City at the weekend, and the game ended in a 3-3 draw.

"We know we shouldn't end up in that situation and Cedric puts an arm on his shoulder but there was barely anything you could call a pull and if you compare that to the last minute on Saturday (against Leicester) and the level of contact there was on Cedric, there's a horrible irony there," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"For that (penalty) to be given, having not had the one on Saturday given, and the impact that's had on two results, I can't find the words to describe that right now.

"Having performed as we did in the second half and being so close to a brilliant comeback victory, to have it taken away in the last few seconds is a devastating one.

"You have to move on and I believe we will show that on Saturday. There's going to be so much to take from tonight, there's negatives in there, things we need to do better, but there's some big, big positives in there from what the group showed in difficult circumstances and they're going to need to show those qualities, learn the lessons and put all that into the last 10 games."

Image source, Getty Images

The Championship fixture between Portsmouth and Ipswich Town has been rearranged for a second time following two postponements at Fratton Park.

The Tractor Boys will head down to the south coast on Tuesday 14 April with kick-off set for 19:45 BST that evening.

The initial match was postponed in early January due to a frozen pitch and then again in February because of heavy rain.

Ipswich have now had five games postponed or abandoned this season, with a match against Blackburn called off for a waterlogged pitch, the two at Portsmouth postponed and then fixtures against Southampton and Hull City because of FA Cup progression.

The second Portsmouth postponement left fans frustrated as well as Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna who questioned the reasons behind the cancellation.

"The FA Cup one is what it is," McKenna told The East Anglian Daily Times., external

"However there's something that could be done differently for the Championship clubs who progress in that cup because it is a big challenge now for Southampton, but also for the teams who are playing against them, including us who already have a game to rearrange.

"The only rearrangement that still annoys me is the [first] Portsmouth one.

"We're going to have a lot of games, we're going to have tough games, but there are some brilliant games in there to look forward to. It should be a really exciting end to the season."