Kieffer Moore celebrates scoring Ipswich's eighth-minute opener at Coventry Rex

Kieffer Moore has scored seven goals since arriving on loan from Bournemouth on deadline day

Ged Scott
BBC Sport England
At
The Coventry Building Society Arena

Ipswich rediscovered their winning touch when it mattered most as they triumphed at Coventry to move within a point of promotion back to the Premier League.

After a winless of run of just three points from four games, the Tractor Boys held their nerve to just about get the better of the FA Cup semi-finalists.

Kieffer Moore's first-half opener was cancelled out by Haji Wright's 19th goal of the season - but Cameron Burgess' scrambled 69th-minute winner put Ipswich three points clear of third-placed Leeds United, who have a markedly better goal difference.

Ipswich need only a draw at home to strugglers Huddersfield on Saturday to bring top-flight football back to Suffolk for the first time in 22 years.

It took just eight minutes for them to go ahead.

Wes Burns opened up the Sky Blues defence down the right and pulled the ball back for Moore, who fired home a powerful low right-foot shot from 10 yards out.

Coventry remained committed and had chances to level.

Ben Sheaf powered a 20-yard shot only just high and wide, before Kasey Palmer and Wright were both denied at point-blank range, while Ellis Simms ballooned badly over.

Ipswich came close to adding a second just before the break when Burns opened Coventry up again and keeper Brad Collins had to produce a great reaction save, diving low to his right to block Nathan Broadhead's downward header.

After starting the second half sluggishly, Coventry then somehow found a way back into the game following a change of match official when referee James Bell went off, to be replaced by Dean Whitestone.

Almost immediately, on 54 minutes, Wright turned to fire in a low right-foot shot and stun the visiting away corner.

However, within five minutes, Ipswich were back in front when Burgess latched on to a deep Leif Davis free-kick.

Burgess' initial header was blocked but the ball ricocheted back to him and his angled follow-up sneaked in for only his second goal of the season.

Last season’s beaten Championship play-off finalists Coventry, whose form has deserted them at the wrong moment of the season, with one point out of a possible 15, had very little left.

There were still 11 fraught minutes of added time for the nervy away section to get through. But the chants of “We are going up” at the final whistle underlined that a second successive promotion is close.

Coventry manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

“We gave too many chances to quality opponents. We had almost as many chances but they’ve hit the target nine times. We’ve not.

“The first goal was a bit against the run of play – and we didn’t defend it properly. They got the cutback and it was a simple finish.

“We then got back in it, Haji got his goal and they were getting nervy. We had to keep the momentum going. But we’ve just not seen it through.

“We’ve given the ball away too much. It’s a young team. And there is a lot of work to go on between now and the start of next season.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

"A fantastic result for us. Some different qualities are needed at this stage of the season. It’s not always going to be smooth and calm and pretty.

“Coventry are a good side and made it difficult for us. They can cause any team problems. We had to dig in and show a lot of fight.

“They were special scenes [at full-time]. You have to enjoy them and dive into those celebrations because it’s the memories along the way - I’m always saying to the players that it’s the journey, not the destination.

“Of course the destination we’re trying to get to is important, but it’s the journey and experiences along the way that people remember and we’ve had a great one tonight.

“It’s in our hands. We’re going home to Portman Road and we need to get a result. We’ll try and enjoy the occasion on Saturday and it should be a great atmosphere. But the job is not done yet.

“Every point in the Championship is hard-fought. It is still a football match - and anything can happen.”

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