Match ends, Ipswich Town 3, Cardiff City 1.
Ipswich Town 3-1 Cardiff City
- From the section Football
Ipswich strengthened their place in the Championship play-off positions with a victory over Cardiff.
Unbeaten in five home games, Town made the perfect start when Freddie Sears fired in via a deflection in the third minute.
Eoin Doyle's header levelled the scores before Cole Skuse's superb drive gave the home side the lead again.
Daryl Murphy's late strike sealed the win, which takes Town three points clear of seventh-placed Brentford.
| Ipswich Town's remaining games |
|---|
| 18 April: Wolves (away) |
| 25 April: Nottingham Forest (home) |
| 2 May: Blackburn (away) |
Ipswich had started the evening in the last of the play-off spots, but only on goal difference from the Bees.
However, this win - which is Town's third win in five games - coupled with a 1-0 defeat for Mark Warburton's side at Sheffield Wednesday, means there is now a points gap between the sides.
Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy had described the match as "must-win" and his team got off to the perfect start through Sears, who collected a long ball forward and outmuscled Bruno Ecuele Manga before finding the net via a deflected shot off the defender.
Cardiff were level five minutes later through Doyle's close-range header but parity did not last long as Skuse rifled in his first goal for Ipswich from 30 yards to restore the hosts' lead.
The fourth goal was always likely to be crucial and so it proved as Murphy was released by Skuse to slot a timely third under David Marshall in the final minute.
Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy:
"We might not be the best team but we are as tough as anyone and a real threat.
"After seeing the results, we are delighted but we go to Wolves on Saturday. While I know someone will get a slap in the last game of the season."
Cardiff manager Russell Slade told BBC Radio Wales:
"I thought it was a really decent performance, 3-1 was a little bit harsh on us.
"I thought we were well in the game and I thought we created a few chances.
"We are disappointed with one or two of the individual errors we made."
Line-ups
Ipswich
- 33Bialkowski
- 4Chambers
- 5Smith
- 6BerraBooked at 27mins
- 3MingsBooked at 61mins
- 2ParrSubstituted forAndersonat 74'minutes
- 27BishopSubstituted forFryersat 87'minutes
- 8SkuseBooked at 12mins
- 12HuntSubstituted forTabbat 58'minutes
- 20Sears
- 9Murphy
Substitutes
- 1Gerken
- 11Anderson
- 13Fryers
- 14Chaplow
- 18Tabb
- 39Wood
- 50Williams
Cardiff
- 1Marshall
- 2Peltier
- 5Ecuele Manga
- 36Morrison
- 4MaloneBooked at 67mins
- 3da SilvaBooked at 61minsSubstituted forNooneat 64'minutes
- 17Gunnarsson
- 7Whittingham
- 21RallsSubstituted forPilkingtonat 74'minutes
- 24Mason
- 13DoyleSubstituted forK Harrisat 85'minutes
Substitutes
- 11Noone
- 18Adeyemi
- 19Pilkington
- 22O'Keefe
- 30Kennedy
- 33Moore
- 40K Harris
- Referee:
- Gavin Ward
- Attendance:
- 17,722
Match Stats
Home TeamIpswichAway TeamCardiff
- Possession
- Home48%
- Away52%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away2
- Corners
- Home9
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home6
- Away14
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ipswich Town 3, Cardiff City 1.
Goal!
Goal! Ipswich Town 3, Cardiff City 1. Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Cole Skuse with a through ball.
Offside, Cardiff City. David Marshall tries a through ball, but Kadeem Harris is caught offside.
Foul by Joe Mason (Cardiff City).
Cole Skuse (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Ezekiel Fryers replaces Teddy Bishop.
Attempt saved. Cole Skuse (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Luke Chambers (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Freddie Sears.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Kadeem Harris replaces Eoin Doyle.
Attempt missed. Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Craig Noone.
Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Paul Anderson (Ipswich Town).
Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box following a corner.
Attempt saved. Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Paul Anderson with a cross.
Corner, Ipswich Town. Conceded by Sean Morrison.
Attempt blocked. Freddie Sears (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Freddie Sears (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Sean Morrison (Cardiff City).
Offside, Ipswich Town. Daryl Murphy tries a through ball, but Freddie Sears is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Paul Anderson replaces Jonathan Parr.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Anthony Pilkington replaces Joe Ralls.
Attempt missed. Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Peter Whittingham with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Teddy Bishop.
Corner, Ipswich Town. Conceded by Scott Malone.
Hand ball by Joe Mason (Cardiff City).
Offside, Ipswich Town. Teddy Bishop tries a through ball, but Freddie Sears is caught offside.
Offside, Cardiff City. Craig Noone tries a through ball, but Eoin Doyle is caught offside.
Booking
Scott Malone (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Freddie Sears (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Scott Malone (Cardiff City).
Attempt blocked. Joe Mason (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jay Tabb with a headed pass.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Craig Noone replaces Fabio.
Tyrone Mings (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Eoin Doyle (Cardiff City).
Attempt blocked. Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Booking
Tyrone Mings (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card.
Booking
Fabio (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Fabio (Cardiff City).