Ipswich rock Championship leaders Coventry
Ipswich narrowed the gap on the top two clubs in English football's second-tier Championship with a 2-0 win at Coventry on Monday that ended the leaders' unbeaten home record this season.
Only the top two sides at the end of the regular season are guaranteed promotion to the lucrative Premier League and goals from Jack Clarke and Wes Burns saw Ipswich move to within two points of second-placed Middlesbrough, who are in action at home to Hull later Monday.
Clarke opened the scoring in the 72nd minute and Burns' first goal since April 2024 doubled the visitors’ lead 11 minutes later.
Ipswich started the day 13 points behind Coventry and five behind Boro following a run of four away matches without a win.
Monday's win was the second time this month that Ipswich, relegated from the Premier League last season, had defeated Frank Lampard's Coventry following a 3-0 success at Portman Road on December 6.
By contrast, this latest result ended a run of eight straight home wins for Coventry.
Ipswich dominated the first half, enjoying almost 70 percent of possession, but did not break the deadlock until late in the game when Marcelino Nunez found Clarke, whose deflected shot went into the corner of the net.
The visitors doubled their lead 11 minutes later when Burns, making just his second appearance since suffering an ACL injury against Liverpool in January, rolled his shot calmly into the net after being played in by Nunez.
Coventry boss Lampard told the BBC: "It's disappointing but sometimes you just have to say we weren't quite at our usual best and the opposition are a really strong team and we lost the game.
"I think we can pat ourselves on the back as a whole group because of where we've managed to get to - if you'd asked people at the start of the season where'd you want to be at new year and then see where we are, you'd go 'wow'."
Coventry remain eight points clear at the top after Middlesbrough lost 1-0 at home to Hull City, fourth on goal difference.
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