Middlesbrough were just minutes away from moving back into the automatic promotion ranks in an epic clash between two Championship giants.
Desperately out of form and drinking in a last-chance tavern for a chance at the top two, Boro dealt two blows to Ipswich Town’s bloody noses. However, Premier League official Jared Gillett’s controversial decision to award the home side a second-half penalty after George Hurst collapsed inside the penalty area following contact with Adilson Maranda gave Ipswich a late get-out-of-jail-free card.
The composed Jack Clarke made no mistake and coolly converted a penalty in the 87th minute to lift Ipswich into second place and all but eliminate the bottom-placed opponents from the race for the top two.
Sunday’s 2-2 draw meant struggling Charlton Athletic were the only side to beat Kieran McKenna’s side this season, boosting their momentum for an immediate return to the Premier League with a near-perfect home record.
read more: Frank Lampard makes history as Coventry City are promoted to the Premier Leagueread more: How Millwall became dark horses for promotion to the Championship under Alex Neil
But Ipswich’s fate will be decided away from Suffolk rather than in the familiar surroundings of Portman Road. Three away games in a week, starting with Wednesday’s game against Charlton, will determine whether Ipswich go into the final Championship game in two weeks as automatic promotion champions.
Don’t get me wrong. If Ipswich are second when they host QPR on May 2nd, they’re as good as top of the table. Julian Stephen’s side were already on the beach and were easily thrashed by Millwall, who were in cruise control after dominating their west London rivals in the opening 20 minutes of their clash at The Den on Saturday afternoon.
However, Kieran McKenna’s side are not particularly good on the road, winning just eight of their 20 away games against Suffolk this term. To get over the line, they will need to return to East Anglia with nine points in hand for the game against QPR. The prospect of a penalty shootout against Southampton would be daunting, mainly because it’s sandwiched between games against Charlton and West Brom.
The regal Saints are on track to extend their unbeaten run to 16 games, winning 13 of them after negotiating a difficult trip to Swansea at the weekend. Spring is blooming on the football calendar and Southampton are very proud of it. They are a team that no one wants to play against right now.
Millwall are level on points with Ipswich and are in a good position to catch up (Image: Richard Pelham)
They have completely dominated teams in recent weeks, chasing Wrexham in the play-offs, and on either side of a shock showdown with Ipswich they have games in Bristol City and Preston North End, two teams who have fallen into mid-table obscurity. If there’s one team that has the advantage of not dropping any more points this season, it’s Tonda Eckert’s team.
But with the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City just around the corner, it could sap precious energy and distract them from their original objective of promotion. And while there is a possibility that they will start next week’s heavyweight clash at home against Ipswich as favorites for the title, a win would not necessarily mean they would take second place, with Millwall likely winning the title.
Ipswich and Southampton were always said to be in contention for promotion, but this was not the case for the Lions. After missing out on a top-six finish on the final day of last season, they exceeded expectations and advanced into the race for the top two.
Millwall are having the kindest run-in on paper. They move to a Stoke team with virtually nothing to play for, and Leicester and Oxford could be relegated by the time their respective fixtures start.
However, soccer is not played on paper. And Millwall had won just one in five before the weekend’s 2-0 win, dropping points against West Brom and Blackburn Rovers, the latter heavily affected by Zak Sturge’s controversial red card (later overturned on appeal). Traditionally, they do better in the role of underdog than the one on the receiving end of the money.
However, erase them at your peril. Only Coventry (25) have won more games in the Championship this season than Millwall (22), with the Lions also having the best away record in the division with 37 points from 21 games. No other team in the second division has lost as many away games as the Londoners, who have only suffered four defeats from The Den. They looked rejuvenated against QPR and will go into the run-in knowing their pre-season goal of making the play-offs has already been achieved.
Southampton win again and face Ipswich in the penultimate league game (Image: Matt Watson/Southampton FC)
If Ipswich and Southampton hurt each other, it would be Alex Neil et al who would benefit. They are closing in on Ipswich on goal difference and only need to win their remaining three games to catch up with Southampton.
With 73 points, Middlesbrough are light years behind Ipswich and Millwall, but they feel they are falling short of second place after missing out on a win at Portman Road. Kim Helberg’s side, winless in seven games, need snooker to avoid an unpredictable play-off upset, but slots are running low.
In a race rich with substories, Ipswich remain in the most enviable position. And the way they saved themselves against Boro, effectively eliminating their direct promotion rivals in the process, will cheer a team that has struggled to live up to the sky-high expectations that were placed on them before a ball was even kicked.
They have had a solid if unspectacular run of form and if they improve in the coming days promotion to the Premier League could be theirs for the first time in three years. But the Championship is as unforgiving as it is unpredictable, which is why they, Millwall and Southampton are all still keen on the chance to move up to Coventry City’s plus-one.
And that is why the meeting between Southampton and Ipswich a week and a half from now will be shocking but not necessarily decisive in the Premier League race.
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