Ipswich the big winners in Easter Monday Championship games

Ipswich were the winners in more ways than one yesterday (Easter Monday, April 6).

Taking the three points after coming from behind and narrowly defeating Birmingham City 2-1 was made even more sweet after arch rivals Norwich City, who Town play next week, downed Millwall by the same score in South East London and Middlesbrough and Coventry both drawing their games 2-2 and 0-0 respectively at Swansea and Hull.

It raised the Super Blues into one of the two automatic promotion places on goal difference and crucially with games in hand over their close promotion rivals.

Ironically it was Easter Monday back in 2024 when Town came from 2-1 down to beat Southampton at Portman Road. A game that goes down in history for Jeremy Sarmiento’s winner, when it really felt like back-to-back promotions was on the cards.

Since then, no comeback wins, not helped by a tough season in the Premier League. That’s until April 6, 2026. Easter Monday once again.

Hats off to Kasey McAteer who was the Man of the Match scoring the winning goal and his first for the club.

He has had a tough time of it of late but Kieran McKenna has kept faith in him and was rewarded with the 45th minute strike.

He was goalless in 23 matches for Ipswich, having taken 20 shots in the Championship.

The former Leicester City man who signed for Ipswich at the start of the season should’ve opened the scoring around the half-hour mark, doing all the hard work with a clever flick to open up space before firing a shot at Beadle. Birmingham then went up the other end and scored.

But back came Ipswich who equalised through Ben Johnson with McAteer getting the winner moments later.

Birmingham felt they should have had at least a point, denied an equaliser when referee Adam Herczeg ruled the ball crossed the by-line before going in the goal off Dara O’Shea.

Ipswich are unbeaten in eight now – a run of form that would likely see them over the line if they can sustain their run.

It’s not going to be easy though with a trip to Carrow Road up next followed by a visit to Fratton Park to take on relegation haunted Portsmouth and then back at Portman Road when Middlesbrough are the visitors … a crucial six pointer.

Speaking after the game McKenna told Town TV: “Really happy with the win, our first come back win, a brilliant response to a big, big blow in that first half. The boys dug really, really deep in that moment.

“It was a different game than what we expected, the opponent didn’t come to take us on in the game in the first half … so it was hard to get a rhythm but then we start to get into it, we have a massive chance to go 1-0 up then they go up the other end and pretty much from their first shot they score with a great finish and that is a big blow.

“So to react how we did from that moment for the rest of the first half and score the goals … if the half had have been ticking along there’s more goals there for us.

“We were rampant. Delighted with that and the adversity what we faced.”