Jubilant fans invaded the Portman Road pitch after Ipswich secured promotion back to the Premier League with a resounding 3-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers. The scenes of celebration were a fitting end to a season that saw the Tractor Boys return to the top flight in emphatic fashion.
Under the guidance of manager Kieran McKenna, Ipswich have become accustomed to promotion parties, and this latest triumph did not disappoint. Two early goals dismissed any fears of a nervy afternoon, allowing the revelry to commence well before the final whistle. By the time a late third goal was added, the pitch perimeter was already lined with elated spectators ready to engulf their idols. No police presence could stem the invasion.
The post-match festivities featured sprayed champagne, players' children scoring on the pitch, and selfies with minority stakeholder Ed Sheeran. McKenna, reflecting on his third promotion in four full seasons at the helm, said: "It's probably been the hardest one. I know how hard we've had to work to turn it around. As a club, we had such a climb and a steep fall. We've had to rebuild this team under difficult circumstances, and we deserve to be where we are today."
Ipswich burst out of the traps, pummelling their hapless opponents with wave after wave of blistering attack. Leif Davis's belting low cross induced panic for the opener, allowing George Hirst to tap in from barely a yard after just three minutes. Six minutes later, a wonderfully slick one-touch move culminated in Hirst playing in Jaden Philogene, who had time to settle himself and slot into the corner from eight yards. Kasey McAteer added a late third to seal the victory.
The Championship season had not been as straightforward as many anticipated for a team widely expected to make an immediate return to the top flight after last year's relegation. Given their swashbuckling style and status as title favourites, there was a sense that Ipswich had underperformed in a campaign that often flickered but never fully ignited. McKenna acknowledged the slow start but emphasised the strong finish: "We started slow, which can happen, but we have steadily improved over the course of the year. It's about how you finish."
There was nothing underwhelming about their performance when it truly mattered. The manner in which they swiftly settled this promotion decider was as exhilarating as anything they had produced all season. Job complete with a total absence of fuss, the remainder of the match passed largely without incident before McAteer's late strike. There was no need for Ipswich to worry about permutations that might have given Millwall or Middlesbrough designs on snatching the second automatic promotion spot.
The feverish atmosphere had been evident around the stadium all morning, with flags flying and supporters singing themselves hoarse long before the players emerged. Tens of thousands had filled the streets with a fog of blue flares to greet the arrival of the players' coach. McKenna had attempted to talk up the opposition's potential threat, but Ipswich faced a QPR side winless in five games, without a fit striker, and safely ensconced in mid-table with nothing to play for.
Attention will soon turn to ensuring Ipswich's next top-flight stay is not as brief as the last. For now, such concerns can wait. This bank holiday weekend is for celebrating. As Hirst put it: "This year, everyone wanted us to fail but we've done it. It's been difficult, we've made it hard for ourselves, but who cares, we're back in the Premier League and that's all that matters."
