Town’s chances of automatic promotion are fading fast

With the gap widening to the top two in the Championship, and probably about to widen even further later today, (Wednesday, March 12) Ipswich Town’s chances of gaining promotion back to the Premier League look to be fading fast.

It comes after their come-from-behind 3-3 draw at the Bet365 stadium in Stoke last night.

Behind at the break by 2-0 following a dreadful first half they fought back valiantly with three strikes via an own goal, Jack Taylor and substitute George Hirst, only to be denied at the death by another controversial penalty.

And after having a cast iron spot kick turned down in added on time at Portman Road against Leicester City on Saturday it’s no wonder manager Kieran McKenna was so frustrated.

But as has been said by many a fan, including McKenna and the Town players, they have to take their chances during the games and not rely on dreadful refereeing decisions.

Sitting in fourth spot the Tractor Boys are three points adrift of Millwall on 68, but crucially four away of Middlesbrough, who take on Charlton tonight, and nine away from league leaders Coventry who play Preston this evening.

You don’t expect the top two to drop any points in their games, both at home, and further stretch their lead over the chasing pack.

So are Town now destined for the dreaded play offs?

Well it looks pretty likely with 10 games left to play.

The Tractor Boys produced a stirring fightback last night from two goals down at half-time to take the lead, but Cedric Kipre was penalised for pulling back Lamine Cisse and Milan Smit made no mistake from the spot.

The Dutchman had earlier put Stoke in front with his first goal in English football and Bae Jun-Ho added a second before the break after a woeful mistake by Taylor.

Town needed a swift response and produced it when Wes Burns’ deflected shot reduced the deficit, and Jack Taylor fired them level in a dramatic turnaround before Kipre fed Hirst for what looked like the winner.

But McKenna’s side could not hold out to the final whistle.

They’re now on their travels again this weekend against Sheffield Wednesday before the crucial match at Portman Road against Millwall on Saturday, March 21, prior to  the international break.

The Town manager, speaking to Town TV after the final whistle, said: “We now there’s a lot to dissect from the game, we know we didn’t handle the first half as well as we would have liked, made a couple of mistakes, it was really a tough night to play a football match and the conditions for both teams and we didn’t quite get to grips with that as well as we could have in the first half.

“We made a couple of mistakes but we also know the group showed outstanding character in the second half, and the away supporters were absolutely brilliant, and we deservedly got ourselves in a winning position and even managed it well right up until that 94th minute and we’re so, so close to what would have been a brilliant come back victory.

“We know there’s so much to take out of it but at the moment we’re devastated for the dressing room and the supporters who were behind us tonight but we also know it’s our jobs to pick ourselves up.

“We’re going to have to take the lessons, take the positives of another game unbeaten and another come back of sorts and go and get a good performance and a result on Saturday.”