Match ends, Ipswich Town 0, Swansea City 1.
IpswichIpswich Town0SwanseaSwansea City1
Swansea City ended their worst run of Championship away defeats with a 1-0 win at already relegated Ipswich Town.
The Swans had lost seven successive games on the road but were deserved winners at Portman Road.
The win ensured maximum points over the Easter weekend for Graham Potter's side whose poor away form has likely ended their hopes of a play-off berth.
Wayne Routledge scored the winner just before the hour after Daniel James struck the post with a 20-yard shot.
After beating Rotherham in an entertaining affair, the Swans were desperate to halt their run of seven successive defeats away from home, their worst ever sequence in the Championship and worst away form since 2001 when they lost eight on the spin in League One.
For Ipswich, the defeat completed a miserable Easter weekend after they were thrashed by Preston at Deepdale on Friday.
The Swans should have been ahead as early as the fifth minute, but Daniel James just missed the target after racing clear following a long punt up-field by Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
The Welsh side were spraying the ball around with confidence but were denied a penalty when George Byers went down under a heavy challenge, before Dean Gerken saved Jay Fulton's drive.
Ipswich were hoping to secure a double over Graham Potter's men following a 3-2 success at the Liberty Stadium in October, but Fulton again came close in a first period where Paul Lambert's men barely threatened.
However, they did come close with five minutes remaining in the half when an almighty scramble culminated in Will Keane striking the base of the post. It would prove a costly miss.
Connor Roberts was twice in a good position for Swansea, either side of the interval, only to miss the target, before Routledge finally broke the deadlock just before the hour mark.
Wales international James was once again at the centre of things as he wriggled clear and struck firmly, but his 20-yard shot hit the post, allowing Routledge to turn the ball home.
Wales international James, who is being tipped for big things next term, was a constant menace and he might have made the score secure after he weaved his way into the box, but his shot was just over the crossbar.
Nordfeldt was a virtual spectator for long spells in the Swansea goal, but he spread himself well to deny sub Collin Quaner as the visitors held on to secure the win.
Swansea are up to tenth, five points off the play-offs with three games remaining.
Ipswich manager Paul Lambert:
"Today was a lot better, there wasn't too much in the game and we had one or two chances to maybe score.
"It's been the same all season really, we had some good moments and just been punished at the wrong end of the pitch.
"The lads deserve a lot of credit for keeping going and we've got two massive games that can affect, depending on the results, two or maybe three teams."
Swansea boss Graham Potter told BBC Radio Wales Sport:
"The play-offs is a big outside possibility, but we have to keep winning our games.
"The fact we are still talking about it as a possibility heading towards the last weeks says a lot about our group.
"We will keep going, we need to win our two games at home and then we see.
"We want to finish the season as strongly as we can. The play-offs is out of our hands, but we look towards the next match and we will try and win.
"In terms of chances it could have been more than 1-0... but we needed to take our chances to make it more comfortable than it was."
Line-ups
Ipswich
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Gerken
- 41BreeBooked at 61mins
- 4Chambers
- 22NsialaBooked at 29mins
- 25Elder
- 23DozzellSubstituted forQuanerat 66'minutes
- 6ChalobahSubstituted forBishopat 79'minutes
- 21Downes
- 7Edwards
- 14KeaneSubstituted forJacksonat 66'minutes
- 31Judge
Substitutes
- 8Skuse
- 9Jackson
- 15Bishop
- 16Nydam
- 33Bialkowski
- 45Quaner
- 47Ndaba
Swansea
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Nordfeldt
- 23Roberts
- 5van der Hoorn
- 17Carter-Vickers
- 26Naughton
- 27FultonBooked at 20minsSubstituted forFerat 84'minutes
- 21Grimes
- 15RoutledgeSubstituted forDyerat 70'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 28ByersBooked at 16mins
- 9McBurnie
- 20JamesSubstituted forRodonat 90+2'minutes
Substitutes
- 8Fer
- 12Dyer
- 13Benda
- 19McKay
- 22Rodon
- 24John
- 46Baker-Richardson
- Referee:
- Darren England
- Attendance:
- 17,247
Match Stats
Home TeamIpswichAway TeamSwansea
- Possession
- Home42%
- Away58%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away17
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away5
- Corners
- Home4
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ipswich Town 0, Swansea City 1.
Post update
Corner, Ipswich Town. Conceded by Cameron Carter-Vickers.
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Attempt missed. Alan Judge (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
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Foul by Oliver McBurnie (Swansea City).
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Luke Chambers (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Swansea City. Joe Rodon replaces Daniel James.
Booking
Nathan Dyer (Swansea City) is shown the yellow card.
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Leroy Fer (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Collin Quaner (Ipswich Town).
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Offside, Ipswich Town. Dean Gerken tries a through ball, but Collin Quaner is caught offside.
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Foul by Leroy Fer (Swansea City).
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Flynn Downes (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Nathan Dyer (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Callum Elder (Ipswich Town).
Substitution
Substitution, Swansea City. Leroy Fer replaces Jay Fulton.
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Attempt missed. Jay Fulton (Swansea City) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Nathan Dyer.
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Attempt saved. Luke Chambers (Ipswich Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Alan Judge with a cross.
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Corner, Ipswich Town. Conceded by Cameron Carter-Vickers.
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Connor Roberts (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
