Ipswich Town were comfortable victors as Kieran McKenna’s men beat Shrewsbury to earn three more valuable points in the race for promotion.
George Hirst set the Blues on their way to victory with a clever header from a Wes Burns cross on 15 minutes, before Massimo Luongo made the points safe in the second half as he swept home the second.
That proved enough for an Ipswich side who worked as one throughout this game, playing with confidence and creating a string of openings thanks to neat interplay and clever running.
Victory is Town’s sixth in succession – a feat the Blues haven’t achieved in league games since 1991/92 – while a seventh-successive clean sheets extends a club record set at Bolton a week ago.
The three points helps Town keep pace with Plymouth in second, after Argyle swept Forest Green aside at home part. The gap remains at two points.
Ipswich now have a fortnight without a game, after their clash with Barnsley was postponed due to international call-ups, meaning their next game is at Derby on April 1.
Manager McKenna kept the same side which beat Bolton Wanderers a week ago, meaning Christian Walton started in goal behind a back four of Harry Clarke, Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess and Leif Davis.
Sam Morsy and Luongo began in midfield, with Burns, Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead behind striker Hirst.
Town keeper Walton was called into action early, charging from his box well to meet a dangerous through ball before springing to save a Luke Leahy header a few minutes later, before the hosts took control.
Ipswich forced a series of set-pieces, putting their visitors under pressure, but the opener ultimately began at the feet of goalkeeper Walton, with his short goal kick to Woolfenden going through Chaplin before Burns rampaged up the right and delivered a perfect cross for Hirst to glance back across goal and into the far corner of the net.
McKenna’s men were ahead after 15 minutes and playing with confidence, spreading the ball from left to right and testing the left side of the Shrewsbury defence to breaking point thanks to the running of Burns and Clarke.
In the middle of the pitch, neat interplay looked to create openings on the edge of the penalty area, with shots blocked and late interceptions halting Town's charge for a second before Luongo headed another Burns cross wide.
The visitors did still maintain a threat, though, with Walton needing to beat away a Jordan Shipley shot after former Town loanee Matt Pennington had skipped his way towards the penalty area.
Luongo had a shot saved before the break, with Ipswich returning to the dressing room a goal to the good and looking set to record a sixth-successive victory.
They thought they had the second just a few minutes into the second half, when Chaplin turned home into an open net before the flag went up for offside, but it did soon arrive.
Little over a minute later, Conor Chaplin’s driving run between the Shrewsbury defence ended with the attacker’s shot being blocked into the path of Luongo, who swept home his first Ipswich goal to surely kill this game off.
Hirst hit the post as Town went in search of goal three, before Burns fed Chaplin and allowed the No.10 to fire in a shot which flew just over the top of the crossbar.
Town were comfortably in control of the contest when McKenna turned to his bench, bringing Freddie Ladapo and Marcus Harness on for Hirst and Broadhead, before seeing out the contest to secure the points.
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Walton; Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Luongo (Vincent-Young, 90+2); Burns (Jackson, 86), Chaplin (Ball (90+2), Broadhead (Harness, 74); Hirst (Ladapo, 74)
Subs: Hladky, Vincent-Young, Ball, Edwards
Shrewsbury Town (4-3-3): Marosi; Pennington, Dunkley, Flanagan, Moore; Bennett (Bowman, 74), Winchester, Leahy; Shipley, Street (Bloxham, 61), Pyke (Saydee, 61)
Subs: Burgoyne, Craig, Barlow
Att: 26,432 (343 Shrewsbury fans)
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