Ipswich Town produced the goods when it mattered as a goal in either half saw them beat Bolton Wanderers in their crunch League One clash.
Victory closes the gap on second-placed Plymouth to only two points, after Argyle were beaten at Barnsley this afternoon, with the Blues’ chase for automatic promotion receiving the spark it so needed on what could prove to be a pivotal afternoon.
Town’s victory came thanks to goals from George Hirst, who finished an Ipswich counter superbly as he met a good Wes Burns cross, and Cameron Burgess, who arrived to meet a Leif Davis corner and head home to double the advantage.
Just as important, though, was Christian Walton’s second penalty save of the season, as he flew to his left to push Dion Charles’ spot kick to safety and preserve the one goal advantge, before Burgess made it safe.
The keeper’s efforts, as well as those of his backline, helped secure a sixth-successive shut-out and a new club record in the process, but it’s the points that really count as the Blues supercharged their bid for automatic promotion.
Next up is a home clash with Shrewsbury next weekend.
Manager Kieran McKenna made three changes to his side, with Hirst, Burns and Harry Clarke coming in for Freddie Ladapo, Kayden Jackson and Janoi Donacien.
That mean Walton starting in goal behind a back four of Clarke, Luke Woolfenden, Burgess and Leif Davis, with Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo continuing in the middle of midfield. Burns, Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead behind lone striker Hirst.
An even opening 10 minutes saw both sides try to get the ball down and build from the back, and play break down before an attack could truly form, but it was the hosts who had the first effort in anger.
Davis got caught high as Ipswich tried to a move down the left, with Conor Bradley getting in behind and forcing Walton to stick out a hand and save well as he tried to sneak a shot in at the near post.
As the rain began to fall, Ipswich kept plugging away and first earned an opening as Broadhead dropped a shoulder and ran at the Bolton box to win a corner. Then, a few minutes later, Clarke’s neat one-two with Chaplin ended with the defender letting off a rocket of a shot which Ricardo Santos blocked behind for a corner. Town couldn’t do anything with either set-piece, though.
Chaplin shot wide from outside the box, before a clever Morsy ball opened things up for Broadhead, in a move which ended with Chaplin having a shot deflected wide for another corner. Again, though, it came to nothing.
By the half hour mark Town were well on top, testing Bolton’s left side, and that’s exactly where they were punished as the Blues took the lead just before half-time.
Burns cut out a Bolton attack and had 60 yards to run into. He did it, set himself and delivered a cross which Hirst met on the run and finished in style as he fired past James Trafford.
The Blues led at the break but had some defending to do at the start of the second half, before having the ultimate test on their goal to deal with after Burgess had cut down Bradley inside the penalty area.
Referee Neil Hair pointed to the spot but, having been booked in the build-up to the kick being taken, Walton produced heroics as he dived to his left and pushed Charles’ penalty away.
The game was becoming a slog for Ipswich, but they were still creating openings before McKenna turned to his bench for the first time, introducing Marcus Harness and Janoi Donacien in place of Chaplin and Clarke.
Broadhead had a shot saved Trafford, as he drifted across goal and back again to send in a low effort, winning the corner which produced Town’s second. When it came, it was as simple as you like, with Davis delivering a corner which Burgess guided home with his head following a good run at the near post.
Harness had two chances to kill the game off, first having a low shot saved before firing an effort wide from the edge of the area, with Hirst soon hobbling off to a standing ovations and being replaced by Ladapo.
Walton was needed to save a Cameron Jerome effort late on, to make sure of the club’s clean sheet record, on a day where his side claimed three huge points.
Bolton Wanderers: Trafford; Toal, Santos, Mbete (Williams, 66); Jones, Bradley, Dempsey, Morley; Shoretire (Lee, 74), Adeboyejo, Charles (Jerome, 74)
Subs: Sheehan, Nlundulu, Kachunga, Thomason
Ipswich Town: Walton; Clarke (Donacien, 62), Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Luongo; Burns (Jackson, 87) Chaplin (Harness, 62), Broadhead (Edwards, 87), Hirst (Ladapo, 76)
Subs: Hladky, Ball
Att: 20,582
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