Three-in-a-row Ipswich into 3rd, Wycombe hit the play-offs & Newport clamber out the relegation zone
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Championship
Watch out, Middlesbrough – Ipswich are coming! Azor Matusiwa’s ‘goal worthy of winning any game’ was enough to give Kieran McKenna’s side a 1-0 victory over Hull. They leapfrog the Tigers into 3rd and, crucially, move within three points of Boro with a superior goal difference and a game in hand.
Despite making five changes from Saturday’s 3-0 win against Swansea, Ipswich started well, playing forward at a good tempo with a mixed style that causing the visitors some problems. Hull, who reverted to a back three, did look threatening on the break through Liam Millar and Lewis Koumas; however, it was the hosts’ George Hirst who passed up the best opportunity of the first half, shooting straight at Ivor Pandur after excellent work from Jack Taylor.
Both sides made changes in the second half. Hull introduced key players in Oli McBurnie, John Lundstram and Kyle Joseph, but Ipswich’s ‘finishers’ made the greater impact. With the game becoming increasingly stretched and frantic, a jinking run from Anis Mehmeti led to fellow substitute Leif Davis picking up the loose ball on the edge of box and squaring it to Matusiwa, who rifled in his first goal for the club. If you like goals that clip the underside of the crossbar, this one’s for you.
The Tractor Boys could and should have doubled their lead moments later, when a cross from Wes Burns – that’s right, another sub! – picked out Jack Clarke, but he was denied by a combination of Pandur and post.
Sergej Jakirović’s side huffed and puffed, but Cedric Kipré and Dara O’Shea defended their box well, earning their third clean sheet in a row. While Ipswich welcome Leicester to Portman Road on Saturday (their third successive home game), Hull’s next two, at home to Millwall and away to Wrexham, could decide their top-six destiny.
League One
Top-six Wycombe are the headline here, as they eased their way into the play-off places with a relatively cosy 1-0 win at Barnsley. Aaron Morley scored a sumptuous strike from the edge of the area (very similar to the aforementioned Matusiwa finish), in a game where the away side created by far the better chances.
Each of Wycombe’s last three goals have been scored by January signings, with Morley following Luke Harris and Nathan Lowe, so there is some cause for their uptick in form. Their 12 league matches since the turn of the year have yielded 24 points, a tally bettered only by Lincoln and Cardiff. The Chairboys could well be dipping their toe into the play-off pool ahead of a full blown cannonball, while the likes of Huddersfield and Luton continue to skirt around the edge, terrified of getting wet.
The defeat brings Barnsley back down with a bump after they hit Didzying heights at Orient on Saturday. They haven’t won back-to-back league games since early September.
Tuesday also brought us a matchday appointment, with Matt Taylor rejoining Exeter to try to turn off the alarm bells after caretaker Dan Green’s short reign. Taylor took charge of the home game against Burton Albion which, if not quite must-win, was certainly a do-not-lose to a side sitting between the Grecians and the drop zone.
