Match ends, Ipswich Town 6, Exeter City 0.
IpswichIpswich Town6ExeterExeter City0
Ipswich Town sealed their promotion back to the Championship in style - scoring five goals in the first 32 minutes as they thrashed Exeter City at a jubilant Portman Road.
Starting the day four points ahead of third-placed Sheffield Wednesday with two games left, the Tractor Boys knew a victory of any kind would see them over the line.
And Kieran McKenna's side got the job done in typically swashbuckling style, top scorer Conor Chaplin lashing in from 20 yards to get the ball rolling early on.
Massimo Luongo found the roof of the net to double the lead, with George Hirst's close-range finish, Nathan Broadhead's penalty and Chaplin's second rounding off a special first half in front of a sell-out crowd.
When Wales winger Wes Burns added a sixth straight after half-time it looked like the score could be anything, but Ipswich allowed themselves to enjoy the occasion as they eased their way into next season's second tier - even bringing on second-choice goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky in the closing stages for his first league appearance of the season.
Victory for League One leaders Plymouth - who also sealed promotion on Saturday - means Ipswich must better the Pilgrims' result on the final day if they are to win the title.
In any case, if McKenna's side triumph at Fleetwood on 7 May they will finish a memorable campaign on 100 points.
For mid-table Exeter it was a sixth successive defeat as a successful first season back in League One continues to peter out.
McKenna takes Ipswich up with swagger
Promotion back to the Championship ends a four-season stay in League One, having previously spent 62 consecutive years inside English football's top two tiers before their relegation under Paul Lambert in 2018-19.
The Tractor Boys missed out on play-off spots at the first three attempts, with Lambert and his successor Paul Cook unable to guide the Suffolk club into the top six.
But the appointment of McKenna in December 2021, in what is his first full-time managerial role, has proved to be one of the catalysts of their success.
Ipswich lost only four of their final 24 league games last season under former Manchester United coach McKenna, and have lost only four more of their 45 this term - the fewest number of defeats in the division.
They have also been by far the highest goalscorers in the third tier with 99.
Only Lincoln City have won at Portman Road in League One in 2022-23, and Ipswich hit top form just at the right time - a run of 13 wins from the past 14 matches before Saturday clinching a top-two berth at the end of a closely-fought and high-quality battle for automatic promotion.
Line-ups
Ipswich
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1WaltonSubstituted forHladkyat 82'minutes
- 34ClarkeBooked at 57mins
- 6Woolfenden
- 15BurgessBooked at 88mins
- 3Davis
- 25LuongoSubstituted forBallat 76'minutes
- 5Morsy
- 7BurnsSubstituted forJacksonat 68'minutes
- 10Chaplin
- 33BroadheadSubstituted forEdwardsat 68'minutes
- 27HirstSubstituted forLadapoat 69'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Ladapo
- 11Harness
- 12Ball
- 19Jackson
- 29Edwards
- 31Hladky
- 44Donacien
Exeter
Formation 4-4-2
- 33Woods
- 26Sweeney
- 14Aimson
- 5HartridgeSubstituted forGroundsat 36'minutes
- 2Caprice
- 41BorgesSubstituted forStansfieldat 60'minutes
- 16Kite
- 15Chauke
- 7MitchellBooked at 59minsSubstituted forSparkesat 61'minutes
- 21ColeySubstituted forScottat 60'minutes
- 12KeySubstituted forCoxat 83'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Sparkes
- 9Stansfield
- 11White
- 18Blackman
- 19Cox
- 23Scott
- 27Grounds
- Referee:
- Scott Oldham
- Attendance:
- 29,334
Match Stats
Home TeamIpswichAway TeamExeter
- Possession
- Home53%
- Away47%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away1
- Corners
- Home4
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ipswich Town 6, Exeter City 0.
Post update
Conor Chaplin (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Jonathan Grounds (Exeter City).
Post update
Attempt blocked. Conor Chaplin (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sam Morsy.
Booking
Cameron Burgess (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Cameron Burgess (Ipswich Town).
Post update
Jay Stansfield (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Exeter City. Sonny Cox replaces Joshua Key.
Substitution
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Václav Hladky replaces Christian Walton.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Post update
Delay in match because of an injury Leif Davis (Ipswich Town).
Post update
Delay in match because of an injury Jack Sparkes (Exeter City).
Post update
Foul by Kyle Edwards (Ipswich Town).
Post update
Kgaogelo Chauke (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Dominic Ball replaces Massimo Luongo.
Post update
Foul by Conor Chaplin (Ipswich Town).
Post update
Kgaogelo Chauke (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Harry Clarke.
Post update
Foul by Leif Davis (Ipswich Town).
Comments
Join the conversation
That’s how to seal promotion.
An amazing run to win promotion and winning in style.
From an Argyle fan
I grew up watching the greats of the 80s and always look for the Ipswich result.
Congratulations to Ipswich Town and have a great party on getting to the Championship.
Mind you, next season will be tougher than some on here may think - there are no "Exeter" standard teams in the Championship, and especially when there could be games against Everton and Leeds to contend with.
You've finished the season in style and deserve promotion.
Pity the Wednesday boys are not goi g up automatically but hopefully we can win the play offs!
Thoroughly deserve promotion to the Championship and best wishes for next season.
From an Exeter fan.