Ipswich put Coventry further in mire

Jermaine Wright shoots for goal at Portman Road

Ipswich Town 2-0 Coventry City

With a goal in each half Ipswich assured themselves of European football next season and consigned Coventry to what may prove a costly defeat.

City, who came into the match on the back of a fine run of form, are now five points adrift of safety with only three games remaining.

Martijn Reuser swept in a Jermaine Wright cross on 24 minutes to break the deadlock.

And in the second half Wright the provider became the poacher as he capitalised on a Gary Breen mistake just after the hour mark before the match petered out as a contest.

Game on

The game began with ebb and flow but as time went on the traffic became increasingly one way as Ipswich bore down on Coventry's goal.

If we play like that again, we might as well pack it in now and save the supporters' money

  Gordon Strachan
Coventry manager

The visitors lost their shape and composure and rarely threatened to deny Ipswich their 10th home win of the season.

The hosts found particular profit on the right flank.

After a couple of warm up efforts when crosses saw Matt Holland and Alun Armstrong go close, the tactic paid dividends and Reuser broke the deadlock.

Wright's cross evaded the tussling Holland and Paul Telfer, before Reuser, unmarked on the back post, crashed the ball home.

Coventry's direct football and the threat of John Hartson was totally negated by the twin totems of Titus Bramble and John McGreal.

This virtually clinches a Uefa Cup place, which is an unbelievable achievement for a team that has just got promoted.

  George Burley
Ipswich manager

And Hartson's strike partner, Craig Bellamy, found little encouragement on the flanks where he was only exposed to the taunts of a partisan crowd.

Game over

The former Norwich player went close on the hour when he was sent through on goal only moments after Keith Branagan, a late replacement for the injured Richard Wright, had saved well from John Eustace.

However within two minutes the game was up for Coventry.

Breen's weak hooked clearance went straight to Wright and the City captain compounded his error by deflecting the shot as it speared beyond a helpless Chris Kirkland in the Coventry goal.

After standing on the edges of European qualification for much of the year Ipswich have sealed a place in the Uefa Cup and are still threatening to gatecrash the party and walk off with a prime Champions League date.

At the other end of the table, Coventry's plight could prove terminal, and if this blow proves fatal they will be forced from a division which they have graced for 34 years.

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Ipswich Town: Branagan, Makin, McGreal, Bramble, Hreidarsson, Jermaine Wright, Holland, Magilton, Reuser, Stewart, Armstrong.
Subs: Naylor, Clapham, Burchill, Venus, Salmon.

Coventry City: Kirkland, Quinn, Shaw, Breen, Hall, Telfer, Carsley, Eustace, Bellamy, Bothroyd, Hartson.
Subs: Hedman, Williams, Strachan, Edworthy, Zuniga.

Referee: Graham Barber (England).