Ipswich Town secured their return to the Premier League with a dominant 3-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the Championship season. Goals from George Hirst, Jaden Philogene, and Kasey McAteer ensured a comfortable afternoon for the home side, sparking joyous scenes at Portman Road.
Manager Kieran McKenna, who has now overseen three promotions in four full seasons at the club, described this achievement as the most challenging yet. 'It's probably been the hardest one,' he said. 'We've had to rebuild this team under difficult circumstances and we deserve to be where we are today.'
The victory was never in doubt after Hirst tapped in from close range in the sixth minute, following a low cross from Leif Davis. Philogene doubled the lead six minutes later with a composed finish after a slick one-touch move. McAteer added a late third, tapping in a loose ball with five minutes remaining.
Ipswich's promotion caps a season that saw them start slowly but improve steadily. McKenna acknowledged the team's underperformance at times but emphasised the importance of finishing strongly. 'We started slow, which can happen, but we have steadily improved over the course of the year,' he said.
The celebrations included a pitch invasion at full-time, with players' children scoring on the pitch and selfies with minority stakeholder Ed Sheeran. Hirst summed up the mood: 'This year, everyone wanted us to fail but we've done it. We're back in the Premier League and that's all that matters.'
