REPORT: Ipswich 2-1 Owls
Play-off contenders Ipswich came from behind to beat the Owls on Tuesday evening.Kieran Lee scored his second goal in successive seasons at Portman Road in the first half but dangerman Daryl Murphy bagged a deserved equaliser after the break to haul the hosts level.
Then, with Town well on top, skipper Luke Chambers decided an entertaining contest with a thumping header that gave Wednesday a long trek home with nothing to show for their toils.
It could have been worse, though, as Ipswich also hit the post twice but the strikes that mattered gave the home side victory.
After faltering at Rotherham on Saturday, they were out to get their promotion challenge back on track and it was Murphy who came close to doing exactly that 15 minutes in.
A looping ball was well controlled out of the air by the striker but he hit low across Keiren Westwood and wide.
But out of the blue and against the run of play, Wednesday opened the scoring on 19 minutes.
Tom Lees’ free kick was directed to Will Keane and via Stevie May, the ball fell nicely to Lee, who showed good composure to drill home.
That stirred Ipswich into life and Murphy embarked on a driving run that ended with a blistering hit which Westwood did well to parry to safety.
The Owls responded with May dragging a shot past the far post before play went straight back to the other end, where Christopher Berra went close from a set piece header.
Ipswich shaded the first half and came within a lick of paint of getting their reward right on the whistle.
Stephen Hunt sent a teasing ball to the dangerous figure of Murphy, who was left frustrated after seeing his planted header come back into play off the upright.
But Murphy was not to be denied and duly finally found the net on 53 minutes.
Freddie Sears delivered the perfect cross with whip and curl and Town’s top scorer glanced home on the angle from six yards.
It should have been two for Ipswich four minutes later but again the upright came to Wednesday’s rescue, this time from a Darren Ambrose close ranger header.
For all their rearguard efforts, the Owls could not keep Ipswich at bay and on 68 minutes, the Suffolk side took the lead and the ultimately the points.
Substitute Tyrone Mears found space down the left and sent another teasing ball into the mix that was powerfully dispatched by the onrushing Chambers to seal what proved a fully merited win.
Ipswich: Bialkowski, Parr, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Murphy, S Hunt (Mings 45), Sears (N Hunt 86), Bishop (Bru 57), Ambrose
Owls: Westwood, Vermijl (Buxton 66), Lees, Dielna, Mattock, Lee, Hutchinson (Melo 58), McGugan (Nuhiu 66), Helan, May, Keane