Ipswich Town heading towards the top six in the Championship
Loftus Road, the home of Championship club QPR, who were downed 4-1 by Ipswich Town yesterday, Saturday, November 1. Photo: Russell Cook.
Have Town finally turned a corner after a stuttering start to the 2025/26 campaign?
Twelve games in and they are now up to ninth place in the Championship following yesterday’s (Saturday, November 1) 4-1 demolition of Queens Park Rangers in London.
And with a game in hand they are realistically just one win away from the top six place in the division.
They looked the real deal as they recorded back to back wins following last week’s 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion and also recorded their first away success of the season.
Manager Kieran McKenna rightfully said it was going to take time for the squad to gel … and gel they certainly did at Loftus Road.
Two goals apiece from George Hirst and two stunning free kicks in the second half from Marcelino Nunez, his first goals for the club, saw the Tractor Boys pick up the three points.
It was a comprehensive performance from the Town even though QPR did go in at half-time level thanks to Rumarn Burrell but were outclassed in the second half.
Sindre Walle Egeli is beginning to find his form in the Championship and was instrumental in Hirst’s two strikes, both headers.
And Nunez has the quality to score with free kicks much to the sheer delight of the ardent following Town fans at the R’s West London stadium.
He first bent a wonderful free-kick into the top right corner and repeated that from an almost identical position: deflecting off the wall and going in the opposite corner of the goal wrapping up a big win for Ipswich.
McKenna speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk said it was a “good win” with Nunez praised for his goals.
He said: “A good win for us, two brilliant team goals and two brilliant individual goals at a big moment. Good experience for the team to go through.
“We had a good start and probably didn’t build on it enough. But we stuck in and we knew we could build in the second half. Once we got the goals we played some really good stuff.
“Marcelino is a really good set-piece taker. He practices a lot as much as I’ve seen anyone practice so he deserves his rewards.
“The subs came on with good energy, we defended well and look a threat.”