Party time for the Tractor Boys as Ipswich return to the Premier League
PA Sport Staff
Dominant Ipswich secured promotion back to the Premier League after a 22-year absence beating a forlorn Huddersfield 2-0 thanks to goals from Wes Burns and Omari Hutchinson.
It heralded back-to-back promotions for the Tractor Boys and confirmed the visitors’ relegation to League One.
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has overseen a remarkable turnaround in the club’s fortunes – and promotion this season saw them become the first team since Southampton in 2011 and 2012 to win successive promotions to the Premier League from League One.
There were thousands of Ipswich fans outside the ground prior to kick off with smoke bombs and flares in abundance.
And the home side got off to a dominating start in front of an expectant crowd, pinning their opponent into their own half for the opening 20 minutes.
Axel Tuanzebe’s shot from just inside the penalty area was deflected past the Huddersfield post, George Hirst narrowly headed wide and Conor Chaplin’s 25 yard effort flew narrowly past Huddersfield goalkeeper Chris Maxwell’s left hand post.
Burns headed the ball across the penalty area to an unmarked Conor Chaplin but he misdirected his header.
Ipswich should have taken the lead following a breakaway in the 25th minute. Chaplin fed the ball through to Burns and he only had Maxwell to beat but fired wide.
But the Tractor Boys took the lead two minutes later through the same combination with an explosion of noise greeting the goal.
Hirst initially linked up with Chaplin who played in Burns and his drilled effort went just inside the near post.
It was all Ipswich, as Burns clipped the ball over the top for Chaplin to scurry onto and he appeared to be bundled over by Matty Pearson but referee Simon Hooper was unmoved.
Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo were the next Ipswich players to have efforts at the Huddersfield goal and the visitors left the field having been totally outplayed for the first 45 minutes.
Three minutes into the second period the Tractor Boys extended their lead through Hutchinson. He received the ball from Morsy and fired his shot home from just inside the penalty area.
Burns’ cross met an onrushing Leif Davis but his first time effort bounced into the ground and over the bar as the home side looked for a third goal.
Huddersfield’s first shot on target came after 72 minutes but Josh Koroma’s tame effort was straight into the gloves of Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky while at the other end Maxwell was called into action as he acrobatically turned over a long range shot from Luongo.
Koroma was close to opening Huddersfield’s account with a shot that went over the bar and as time ran out it was party time for the majority of the 29,011 fans inside Portman Road and thousands of fans invaded the pitch at the final whistle.