Ipswich moved to within three points of the Sky Bet Championship automatic promotion places as they returned to winning ways by thrashing struggling Millwall 4-0.

Kieran McKenna’s early season challengers had won just one in nine league games but survived a slow start to run out deserved victors at The Den.

Nathan Broadhead scored one and made another in the first half while in-form Bournemouth loanee Kieffer Moore headed home and Ali Al-Hamadi converted a stoppage-time penalty as Ipswich eased to just a second league win of the calendar year.

Despite their drop-off in form, McKenna’s side lost just twice in that run and the former Manchester United assistant will be hoping this result heralds a return to form – with a trip to Swansea next up on Saturday.

Millwall started the better of the two sides and the recalled Ryan Leonard hammered an effort over the crossbar after an early corner was cleared to the edge of the Ipswich box.

The home side showed four changes from their loss at Coventry and another returnee came close on four minutes as George Saville’s drive was saved by Vaclav Hladky.

With the hosts on top, Tom Bradshaw should have done better as the Lions countered an Ipswich corner but the ball got caught under his feet and Harrison Clarke got back to clear.

Hladky was forced into action again to save low from Leonard as Millwall maintained their head of steam.

But despite their dominance, Joe Edwards’ men fell behind at the midway point of the first half with Broadhead’s accurate back-header from Omari Hutchinson’s cross putting Ipswich ahead against the run of play.

The lead was doubled soon after as Harding inadvertently turned Broadhead’s low cross into his own goal.

The points were all-but secured on the stroke of half-time, Moore heading into the ground and over Sarkic for his third goal in as many games.

The second half was a much more even affair as Millwall matched their visitors, who had taken their foot off the gas.

Still, though, the home side could not find a way to beat Hladky, the former Salford keeper going largely untested after the interval other than preventing a Bradshaw consolation.

Ipswich could have extended their advantage as Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin had decent chances before referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot for a Murray Wallace foul on substitute Al-Hamadi. The January signing from AFC Wimbledon dusted himself down to score his first goal for his new club.

While Ipswich continue to look up, Edwards has now seen his side take just one point from their last six league games and – with Stoke and Huddersfield both winning – they have dropped to 21st in the table.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna felt his side deserved to win a hard-fought 2-2 Championship encounter against top-six rivals West Brom at Portman Road.

Substitute Omari Hutchinson fired home through a crowd of players in the dying moments to rescue a point for the hosts but the result dented their bid to climb back into the automatic promotion spots and it is now just one win in nine league games for them.

The Baggies opened the scoring through Tom Fellows in the first half with Nathan Broadhead replying for Ipswich just after the start of the second, but a wonderful strike by John Swift – from nearly 30 yards out – was cancelled out by Hutchinson in the third minute of stoppage-time.

The Tractor Boys came close to gaining maximum points during a frenetic eight minutes of added time when Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer blocked a shot from Ali Al-Hamadi from point-blank range.

McKenna said: “I thought it was a really good game, great atmosphere, bar from a couple of inches from the end, we would have been talking about an absolute classic in terms of games we’ve had at this stadium.

“Lots of good things about the performance. I thought we deserved the three points to be honest. Lots of good things about the performance, on the ball, also off the ball, plenty of good things.

“Two moments that we did not defend well enough that leads to frustration that we haven’t won the game and another game that we feel like we’ve done enough to win the game.

“A lot of pride in the way we played, the effort given, the atmosphere the supporters created and stuck with and going behind twice to West Brom to put the pressure on that we did to get a point…we can take a lot from that.

“In plenty of games we have had better opportunities, better chances and more of them and not given too much away and that’s always frustrating when we don’t get the wins, but it’s always much more concerning when you’re not giving away chances, that’s not been the case.

“You have spells in the season when we were extremely clinical and made some big interventions at the other end as well so you usually hope and trust your performances are consistent and you are creating more than you are giving away, you’ll pick up plenty of points.

“They (West Brom) are a really fit team who work hard. The energy levels we had at the end, the impact of the substitutes – that’s something that we can take big positives from.”

Visiting head coach Carlos Corberan said his Baggies outfit put “a lot of energy and a lot of effort” in their performance to gain a point but was satisfied with the stalemate.

He said: “We scored a goal after we started to make more passes and we started to make them suffer more.

“If you leave too much and give a goal to them, it’s very difficult to win the game.

“We put a lot of energy and a lot of effort in to try and win the game.”

Corberan admitted the injuries to both Kyle Bartley and substitute Daryl Dike contributed to his side losing the lead and ultimately, dropping two points.

He said: “Everyone is effected when you see an injury. I think the injury of Bartley has effected the rest of the team.

“He was fantastic in the middle of the pitch but I understand that with the skill in the set-pieces, he was the best.

“We were stable in the first half and it was something we tried to fix for the second half but before we started the game (again), they scored a goal in the second phase of one throw-in and again, they scored a goal again in the second phase of another throw-in. It’s off another set-piece.

“But I think the team showed some positives in the second half. We attacked but we did not attack enough.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna praised his team’s level of commitment as they ended a five-match winless run by beating Sunderland 2-1.

The Tractor Boys trailed to Jack Clarke’s opener after 26 minutes, but Kayden Jackson levelled matters seven minutes later before Conor Chaplin completed the comeback in the 75th minute with a powerful header.

Victory sees Ipswich retain second spot in the Championship, seven points adrift of leaders Leicester who lost to Coventry, and McKenna felt it was a gutsy performance from his players.

He said: “It was a really tough game against a good side.

“They have lots of talented players with a really high technical level so it was a really hard-fought game. I thought a really strong and committed performance was needed to get the win and that’s what we gave.

“It wasn’t our smoothest performance in terms of some of our build-up and some of our connections through the pitch, but that’s normal and to be expected and it’s normal across the season.

“You’re not always going to be at your best, especially with the players we had missing and new players coming in. Things aren’t always going to be smooth, but when you’re not at your absolute highest level then you have to show the other ingredients, commitment, intensity, work rate for the team, and we certainly showed all that.

“I thought we carried a threat throughout the game and we had the better of the chances and great to get the winning goal from a set play.”

Sunderland, meanwhile, sit just outside the top six on goal difference and head coach Michael Beale admitted the result was a bitter pill to swallow.

“It was a good game between two good teams,” he said. “I thought we had enough of the game to get a result out of it.

“I thought we had two big chances before we scored in the first half, and obviously the big miss at the start of the second half, and how naive we are to give away a free-kick (for Ipswich’s winner)?

“The smallest player on the pitch has had a free header in the middle of the goal and we’ve got ourselves to blame.

“It was a good game, two good teams giving each other problems and going at each other, it was a refreshing game I thought. It would have been a good game for the neutral.

“But it’s the naivety that’s cost us the points. If we had gone up back up the road with one point, we would have had ifs and buts at the chances that we had. But to go up the road with nothing, it’s really disappointing.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna admitted his sickness-ravaged promotion chasers did not do enough to take all three points as they were held to a goalless draw by struggling QPR.

The Tractor Boys lost the chance to pull away from the chasing pack in the Championship and have now gone four games without a victory and failed to score at home in a league game for the first time since October 2022.

The result saw Ipswich fall eight points behind leaders Leicester, with the gap to third-placed Southampton just three points, while QPR stayed in the drop zone.

McKenna said: “I didn’t think it was a very good match or general performance or general atmosphere.

“It was a really difficult build up to the match right up to the two minutes before kick off when Nathan Broadhead is vomiting in the dressing room and there’s a few players with the vomiting bug and probably a couple more to come.

“So difficult build up, it wasn’t a great game and of course there’s a lot of factors behind that. It’s the third game in six days after a massive effort, the players are humans.

“I thought that the effort levels, especially in the second half, were excellent and we tried really, really hard and had some chances to win the game.

“Didn’t give up any chances in open play, gave nothing away, had a couple of chances to win it but didn’t do quite enough in the performance to win the game.”

QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes was pleased with his team’s response to the 2-0 defeat on Boxing Day at Millwall.

He said: “It was a good answer from my guys after a disappointing performance on Boxing Day against a very good side.

“I like Ipswich the most in the league, the way that they play they have been really, really strong so far this season, especially playing at home: scoring a lot of goals creating a lot of goals, creating a lot of chances and I think today we did a good job.

“Sometimes football is a little bit more than just the tactics and the training – the togetherness and the capacity to build as a team some kind of identity and I think that today we did that.

“I think that the answer from the guys in the terms of how committed they were against a very good team was excellent and I have a feeling that we competed at a very good level during the whole game and we had some marginal situations.

“We hit the post with the most clear chance of the game, probably.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna felt his side were full value for a point after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with table-topping Leicester at Portman Road.

Town fought back from a goal down after 24 minutes through a super strike by Stephy Mavididi but a deflected shot by Sam Morsy in the third minute of stoppage time earned a share of the spoils.

The midfielder’s effort from the edge of the penalty area struck Ricardo Pereira and then the head of Jannik Vestergaard and left City’s goalkeeper Mads Hermansen helpless.

The draw resulted in Town remaining six points adrift of The Foxes and five points ahead of third placed Southampton who moved up a place to become the Tractor Boys’ nearest challengers for an automatic promotion spot following their 5-0 victory over Swansea.

McKenna said: “Getting the goal at the end was what we deserved at the very least.

“I thought that we had a really positive start to the game. Leicester scored the first goal with a good bit of quality which they can do, a good move, top quality execution and finish as well.

“It was a game where we were good in most aspects. I thought we pressed really well against one of the best, if not the best build up teams in the league and limited them as well.

“We built well against a team that usually press well and it’s hard to create good chances against a team that is so stubborn but we created enough to warrant a goal.

“I thought on the whole we did a lot more right than wrong for sure.”

Enzo Maresca was frustrated to come so close to another three points.

Maresca said: “It’s a shame because we were so close to win one more game but at the same time we expected during the game to drop a little bit.

“With this amount of the games it’s normal to think that playing the game every few days you can drop a little bit.

“Overall I think for 65/70 minutes we, especially first half, we had three or four chances one v one … we score a goal then probably last 10/15 minutes we concede a little bit more, we concede them control but playing every three days, the way this team (Ipswich) are doing is fantastic, it’s normal but at the end of the day I am happy.

“Second half for 20 minutes, half an hour we controlled quite good but then the last 10 minutes we concede a little bit more and lose easy ball … I think it’s normal, they are human beings and playing every few days they can drop a little.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna declared the long-awaited East Anglian derby with Norwich as a “great occasion” and claimed that his team were better by a “considerable margin” in spite of them drawing 2-2.

His opposite number at Carrow Road, David Wagner, meanwhile, said his first ‘Old Farm’ clash between the two sides – the first for nearly four years – was “exciting” and was what was expected.

Jonathan Rowe struck twice either side of the break for City while Nathan Broadhead and Wes Burns were the Ipswich scorers.

Ipswich dominated the first half and should have been ahead by at least three goals but failed to capitalise on their superiority.

Broadhead spurned two chance to put the Town ahead. The first came when he danced round a couple of tackles to leave him one on one with Angus Gunn in the Norwich goal but he put his shot narrowly wide of the left-hand post.

Moments later he picked up a cross from Wes Burns but fired the ball just the wrong side of the same post.

Town then spurned their third good opportunity to take the lead when Burns smashed his shot over the bar.

McKenna said: “It was a great occasion in terms of the build up and the supporters did the club proud in terms of the atmosphere they created.

“I thought it was a really good performance and we were the better team by a considerable margin, created lots and lots of chances, give away very few chances and there was lots of things that we can build on from the performance.

“Of course the frustration is conceding two goals from hopeful balls that ricochet around in our box, but beyond that there’s so many positives that we can take from the performance.

“Of course, only a point and we would have loved to have given the supporters the victory, but I think the team can certainly take a lot from that game.

“We have been so clinical at home and I think that’s a 3-0 performance in the first half if I’m honest and we go in at 1-1.

“The goals we gave away were disappointing, it’s two moments of concentration in our penalty box and a little bit of fortune in both which can happen.”

Opposite number Wagner felt the game had gone as he anticipated.

He said: “It was exciting and more or less what you expect, what you like to have… a lot of battles, a lot of energy.

“The lead changes during the game as well and I’m absolutely delighted about the shift my players put on the pitch, great togetherness, great working attitude, super fighting spirit and this the reason why it’s a deserved point for me.

“Obviously if you can’t win it you make sure you can’t lose it and this is what the players have done. We take this point.

“You have seen why Ipswich is so good at home and so good in the season in general. This was their first draw, every other game they have won and this makes it a good result for us.

“It was deserved because of the fighting spirit and of the effort which they players bought the pitch and they always believed going and fighting and close the yards in between the lines.

“Technically it was a very, very good game, they are a good side. We take the draw and this is why it was a deserved point for me.”

Kieran McKenna hailed his Ipswich players for coming back from behind to win 2-1 at Watford and move to the top of the Championship.

Yaser Asprilla put the Hornets ahead early on but George Hirst’s equaliser set up an entertaining contest that was settled late on by Town captain Sam Morsy, who capitalised on an error by Wesley Hoedt.

McKenna, whose side are now 10 points clear of third-placed Leeds, said: “It was a performance that was all about the character in the group.

“Even at 1-1, even with tired legs, they stayed brave. The players dug in and gave every ounce of effort that they had in every minute of the game. If you do that then you deserve to come out on the right side of a difficult game.”

McKenna had extra praise for Morsy, who is a rare scorer.

“Sam is normally our deepest midfielder and it is not in his job description to go pressing centre-halves,” he said.

“He is saying that he scuffed it but it looked like a really good finish. He is being a bit modest. It was a great bit of determination.”

Ipswich host Norwich on Saturday in the first East Anglia derby since 2019 having lost just twice in the league all season.

McKenna said: “It’s a game to embrace. This is a massive derby for our supporters. We will prepare it as we do any other game and respect the opponent.”

Ipswich gifted Watford a 12th-minute lead when goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky passed straight to Asprilla. He set up Mileta Rajovic and Hladky parried the striker’s shot directly back to Asprilla, who smashed the ball high into the net.

The visitors levelled in the 24th minute after Ben Hamer parried Omari Hutchinson’s deflected shot to Hirst for a simple finish.

Ipswich took all three points thanks to Hoedt’s 80th-minute clanger. The Dutch defender lost possession to Morsy and the Egypt midfielder strode forward to slot past Hamer.

Watford manager Valerien Ismael had words of encouragement for his captain.

He said: “Mistakes are a part of the game. There is no vaccine against mistakes. We have to make sure we concentrate and stay in the game.

“We are all together, we support him and in three days he can show his quality.

“We are really disappointed to lose a game like that but we showed again that we are ready to compete and show our level.

“In the first half the main issue was we needed more control. We got that in the second half. At the other end the mistake we made was difficult, it shocked us, but it is a learning process now.

“We know that we can score at any time so we need to be more calm and defend better.

“Now it is about the fine details – we need to become ruthless in front of goal. It is the balance we need to find now. The players have the desire to close the gap but we have to have more composure in certain situations.”

Ipswich came from behind to win 2-1 at Watford and claim the Championship summit from Leicester.

Yaser Asprilla’s early Hornets goal lengthened the odds on Kieran McKenna’s visitors getting the victory they required to overtake the Foxes, who host Millwall on Wednesday.

But George Hirst’s equaliser set up an entertaining contest that was settled in the 80th minute by Town captain Sam Morsy.

Mileta Rajovic headed the first chance of the evening over the Ipswich crossbar in the fourth minute. The visitors replied in the 11th with a header from Marcus Harness that was straight at Hornets goalkeeper Ben Hamer.

Ipswich then gifted Watford the lead a minute later. Axel Tuanzebe played the ball back to goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky – who passed straight to Asprilla instead of a team-mate.

Asprilla set up Rajovic in front of goal and Hladky partially redeemed himself by parrying the striker’s shot, which lacked venom. The rebound went directly to Asprilla, however, and this time the Colombia striker smashed the ball high into the net.

Conor Chaplin volleyed a shot that Hamer was behind in the 18th minute as Ipswich attempted to get a grip on the game – and the visitors levelled through Hirst in the 24th minute.

Omari Hutchinson, having been supplied by Harness, cut in from the right to unleash a low drive that took a deflection off Jamal Lewis. Hamer, having to readjust hastily, could only palm the ball out to the striker who made no mistake from close range.

Chelsea loanee Hutchinson went close soon after with a shot that curled beyond the far post. A snapshot from Harness followed, but Hamer dived to save.

Hirst then headed home a Leif Davis free-kick but referee Darren England had already blown for an infringement. The Ipswich striker was booked in added time for sending Ryan Porteous to the turf by using a forearm.

The attacking football continued at both ends after the break but both defences had tightened up, though Hirst thumped Hamer’s near post from close range on the hour mark.

Lewis burst forward for a shot that was deflected wide for a corner that flashed across the Ipswich box. Rajovic only needed a touch to divert the ball over the line, it seemed, and was replaced straight after.

Hamer was almost robbed outside his box by substitute Freddie Ladapo, who snuck up behind him. Edo Kayembe fired over at the other end.

It looked likely that whoever managed to score again would win the contest – and it turned out to be Ipswich thanks to Wesley Hoedt’s error in the 80th minute.

The Dutch defender was guilty of losing possession to Morsy as he tried to bring the ball out from the back, and the Egypt midfielder strode forward to slot past Hamer.

A goal in each half earned Ipswich a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough to keep Kieran McKenna’s side on the tails of leaders Leicester.

The Tractor Boys impressed at the Riverside even though goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky had to make a few good second-half saves to prevent Boro from scoring.

Conor Chaplin’s eighth of the season nine minutes before half-time was followed by substitute Omari Hutchinson’s fine finish in the 67th minute to seal the points for McKenna’s side.

The third win in a row keeps Ipswich a point behind Leicester at the top of the table, while Middlesbrough sit 12th and three points behind sixth place after a third defeat in four games.

Despite a decent atmosphere inside the Riverside, the game took a while to burst into life.

Neither side created anything in the opening exchanges, with the visitors making inroads as an attacking force first.

Ipswich were also first to hit the target. Middlesbrough goalkeeper Seny Dieng was in the right place to hold a deflected effort from George Hirst after good work from Nathan Broadhead.

And Broadhead, who spent time in the North East at Sunderland last season, went close when his 20-yard strike took a deflection before dropping just the wrong side of the crossbar after half an hour.

Ipswich got the breakthrough they deserved six minutes later. Chaplin’s half-volley, which shaved the head of Matt Clarke before finding the net, was the result of Jonny Howson’s failure to deal properly with Wes Burns’ ball into the area.

Defender Clarke, who was making his first start in more than a year because of a problematic back injury, could not have done much about it.

It was only then when Middlesbrough, who had eight first-team players ruled out, started to look more threatening.

Striker Emmanuel Latte Lath, the liveliest man in a red shirt in the final third, side-footed wide from 18 yards after his direct run through the heart of the Ipswich defence created something from nothing.

That was the closest Middlesbrough came to scoring before the break.

After the restart Matt Crooks earned a corner 10 minutes in when a passage of play ended with his shot being blocked by Cameron Burgess when it looked like it could test goalkeeper Hladky.

In fact the best save Hladky had to make up to that point was when he turned over Dan Barlaser’s corner on the hour that was curling straight in.

And the Czech Republic man was alert again five minutes later to dive left and prevent Latte Lath from finding the net with a header.

Those stops paved the way for Ipswich to add the second. This time Chaplin turned provider with a pass in behind the defence.

And with Middlesbrough full-back Lukas Engel caught deep, Hutchinson was played onside. When faced with just Dieng to beat he picked his spot brilliantly, low to the left with 23 minutes remaining.

Engel’s cross a few minutes later almost made amends when it was deflected goalwards by the head of Ipswich’s excellent defender Luke Woolfenden. Again, though, Hladky was there to save well.

Kieran McKenna praised Ipswich’s “intensity” as his team bounced back to winning ways with a thumping 3-1 victory over struggling Millwall.

The result kept Town’s lead over third-placed Leeds to seven points and moved them to within a point of leaders Leicester.

The Tractor Boys were two goals to the good after just 12 minutes through Conor Chaplin and Massimo Luongo and Nathan Broadhead got the third six minutes before the break.

Kevin Nisbet registered a consolation goal for the visitors in the second half.

Boss McKenna said: “I think there was lots of good things about the performance, of course we got off to a good start with the early goal and our intensity looked really good from the first whistle, scored three really good goals, typical goals for us possibly, and created other good chances.

“Our counter pressure was good especially in the first half, it’s an area where we know we have to improve in this division because the level is higher.

“There were good things in the performance, definitely things to improve on as well but overall a good night’s work.”

Millwall head coach Joe Edwards was disappointed with his team who failed to “execute” the plan they had to contain Ipswich.

Edwards said: “We were beaten by a very good side. I can accept when you lose to a side that are in the form that they’re in at the moment that they can be as clinical as they are and continue to be around the goal.

“I can accept losing but the manner of it is the issue.

“We didn’t get going from the off, the basics of the game, we were second to everything. They have got pace in their team, we were well aware of that, everything that they have done to us tonight is not something we have not seen.

“We came with a plan, well prepared to do it but we simply didn’t execute it. We weren’t good with any of the real basics of the game, as well as showing high levels of quality which we really lacked.

“The game was over at half time really.

“In terms of the attitude and the body language that began to really disappoint me after their first goal in the first half there was a slight improvement in the second half.

“We need to focus on what that first half was and how we can’t afford that happening again for us.”

Early goals were once again the issue for Ipswich at Championship rivals West Brom as they were swept aside 2-0.

The Baggies scored early in either half but Town boss Kieran McKenna is not overly focused on that issue and has backed his side to improve their fortunes.

Darnell Furlong headed the hosts in front after just five minutes from Matt Phillips’ corner and Albion doubled their advantage in the 47th minute through a well-worked counter-attack finished neatly by Grady Diangana.

“We’ve analysed the goals and spoken about it with the group,” said McKenna, whose side have now conceded inside the first 10 minutes in five of their last six games and in the 13th minute of the other.

“More so than obsessing about these starts – we’re aware of it but for two years it’s not been an issue until quite recently – but it’s about the set-piece we didn’t defend.

“The nature of the goals and the timing of the goals dictated the context of the game. It was always going to be a difficult game coming here, after an international game and for a 5:30 game, but to concede from the first corner they get makes it really difficult.

“We know West Brom are good at defending leads, we were pretty stable in the first half and comfortable in the game but they’re a hard team to create big chances against.

“We changed a few little things at half-time. We started well for a few minutes but they score from our corner and that set the feel of the whole of the second half.

“Credit to the opponent. Thankfully we have lots of games coming thick and fast and we move on quickly to Wednesday (against Millwall).”

West Brom are mounting a top-six effort of their own and can be a belligerent unit on home soil, having kept five home clean sheets in six, and manager Carlos Corberan considered his team to be deserving of their victory.

“The first thing I’ll tell you is that the result is the consequence of the performance,” Corberan reflected.

“The team deserved the points against a very good opponent, an opponent who have lost once in the competition.

“You have to compete against them at the best level or it won’t be enough. I saw the team play with competitive maturity.

“The key wasn’t even to score quick. If you analyse Ipswich’s results, they were losing 2-0 to Birmingham and drew 2-2. They were losing 1-0 to Huddersfield and they drew the game. They were losing to Swansea early and they won that game – they have a resilience which means conceding goals doesn’t affect them. They aren’t going to change structure or style.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna had mixed reactions to his team’s 3-2 victory over Swansea which took them level on points with Championship leaders Leicester.

Town, who came into the game on a three-match winless run in all competitions, fell behind to Jay Fulton’s seventh-minute header.

Jack Taylor, Conor Chaplin and George Hirst all scored to put Ipswich in command, but Swansea pulled one back through Jamal Lowe despite having Liam Cullen sent off.

And McKenna was annoyed by how his side ended the game.

“It shouldn’t have been 3-2,” the Ipswich boss said.

“There’s bits of frustration in there but there’s lots of good things about the game and the way that we played, the way that we overcame adversity and played some really good football and could have had any number of goals really.

“We should have been out of sight and I didn’t really like how we played the last 15 minutes against the 10 men.

“I didn’t like our concentration level. I didn’t like our humility.

“We dropped our concentration levels. It’s not just the frustration in the staff room it’s frustration in the dressing room that we didn’t maintain our standards for the last 15 minutes of that game.

“Sometimes something goes against you. There’s a lesson in there, but on the other hand massive credit to the group, massive credit to the response, massive credit to how we played throughout the first half, the way we came out in the second half, the way we chased down and built pressure for the third goal. There was some outstanding things in there.”

Swansea boss Michael Duff was frustrated his side travelled home with nothing to show for their efforts.

Duffy said: “We’ve been beaten by a 35-yard screamer, conceded from a throw in, conceded a penalty from a corner and a man sent off from a throw in. Three set plays ultimately.

“We kept the ball really well, started the game on the front foot, shot ourselves in the foot in a mad 15 minutes, got back in it and then we went down to 10 men.

“I thought we were excellent. I think that there’s 30,000 people biting their nails when nine minutes goes up (for added time). We’ve got 10 men and they’re time wasting tells you everything.

“I’m really pleased with the character and some of the quality but ultimately frustrated that we have come away with nothing.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna endured ‘a mixed night’ after his side conceded a late leveller in a 2-2 draw with Rotherham.

Christ Tiehi’s injury-time strike ensured the points were shared just minutes after it looked like the Tractor Boys had nicked them through substitute Jack Taylor.

The Millers had led through Sam Nombe’s early strike, before Sam Morsy and Taylor turned the game around, and McKenna said: “I think there’s a lot of positives to take from where we were to where we ended up.

“You don’t want to concede early in the game against a team like Rotherham. It gave them momentum and atmosphere and something to hang on to. It made the challenge even bigger.

“We gradually took control of the game.

“There are frustrations at the end. We did not quite stick to our principles. It’s a situation we usually defend well from.

“It’s a mixed night. But I am sure it is something we will learn really quickly from.”

The result still leaves Ipswich in the top two, eight points clear of Leeds United and on an 11-game unbeaten streak.

“It’s much, much too early to think about gaps,” added McKenna.

“A point away from home on a Tuesday night after a tough game on Saturday and having conceded early is something you can take positives from.”

Rotherham ripped up the form book to go ahead in just the fourth minute when record signing Nombe slid in to tuck away Fred Onyedinma’s cross.

Ipswich responded on 19 minutes when Morsy was picked out by Leif Davis in plenty of space and had the time and ability to curl an unstoppable strike into the top corner.

It looked as though the points would be going back to Suffolk when Taylor diverted Sean Morrison’s attempted clearance into the net with just three minutes left to play.

But Tiehi’s late curler a minute into added time earned Rotherham the draw.

Millers manager Matt Taylor said: “I was so pleased we got something out of the game for the effort the players put in. We started the game really well and on the front foot.

“We were so naive to allow the space for the equaliser and at times we had to hold on against a very attacking team.

“Their second goal was a ricochet. For that to go against us was almost heartbreaking. Then you’re hoping for the ball to fall to someone and for them to keep their composure and Christ certainly did that.

“In the last couple of games we have shown character. We need to start picking up points but in terms of what we are showing, I am pleased.”

Plymouth manager Steven Schumacher felt there was a clear turning point in his side’s 3-2 loss to Ipswich.

Schumacher felt referee Gavin Ward should have awarded Argyle a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area following a last-ditch tackle by George Edmundson on Mustapha Bundu.

Ipswich equalised moments later with an own goal from Bali Mumba.

He said it was “a refereeing decision I can’t get my head around” which he thought was worthy of a red card.

“I thought the lads played unbelievably well and I just said to them I’m proud of them, the effort they put in, the way that we stuck to the plan today,” Schumacher said.

“We knew coming to Ipswich Town they have been the best team in the league with Leicester and we knew we were going to have spells where we had to stick together and defend.

“But we did that. In the first half we defended really well and counter-attacked with purpose…our goal was outstanding.

“Morgan (Whittaker) scores a brilliant goal but I’m fuming over how we didn’t get a free-kick right on the edge of their box at a really pivotal moment in the game, because what happened next Ipswich went down the other end and scored from it.

“It was a refereeing decision I can’t get my head around.

“We watched it back at half-time and Mustapha said he (Edmundson) clipped his ankle. I spoke to Gavin (Ward) and the linesman and they said they couldn’t see it. I think they were the only two people in the ground that couldn’t see it.”

Meanwhile, Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna said there was “lots to be positive about” in what he described as a “tough game”.

McKenna added: “Both teams showed why they had such good seasons last season. Two fully committed teams, lots of good players on the pitch and a really tough game.

“The tone was set when they score, we have a good chance after a few minutes, don’t take it and then they score an absolute worldie really, it’s a wonderful goal.

“Full credit to the boys for coming back and getting the three goals.

“We were good value for the goals and had enough chances in the game, but having said that we know defensively we weren’t happy with the performance and things we know we need to do better, but we are early in the season.

“A good game, a good win, hard-fought and one that we’ll learn from.

“We knew it was going to be a tough second half…we got two goals and that’s a big positive.

“Good quality for the goals, we created plenty of chances, so there’s lots to be positive about.”

Whittaker struck for the visitors after seven minutes but Town equalised with time running out in the first half following Mumba’s own goal and George Hirst gave Town the lead just after the break.

Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky came to the Tractor Boys’ rescue as Argyle pressed during the closing stages but Marcus Harness struck in the 86th minute to put the game beyond Argyle, despite a late reply from Joe Edwards.

Kieran McKenna called any comparison between his Ipswich team and Sir Alf Ramsey’s “premature” after their 1-0 win at Bristol City.

The young manager saw Nathan Broadhead’s low 16th-minute shot secure a 10th Championship win from 12 games, improving on the club’s previous best start to a season in the second tier under Ramsey in 1960-61.

Both sides hit a post in a thrilling encounter, skipper Sam Morsy for Ipswich at the end of the first half and substitute Harry Cornick for City when his shot rolled agonisingly along the goal-line before being cleared.

Ipswich survived a late onslaught and a delighted McKenna said: “We are enjoying the moment, but any comparison with great Ipswich teams and managers of the past is certainly premature.

“We want our fans to go on dreaming, but we are keeping feet firmly on the ground. This game showed how difficult it is to win Championship fixtures.

“For 65 minutes we played some really good football after they had made a good start and when we needed to show resilience at the end we did.

“Again the players have shown their thirst for winning matches. They were committed and we defended with organisation and spirit against a very good team.

“Perhaps we were a bit rusty at the start, but after that we began to play really well.

“We are aware that it is a unique start and that’s great. A gap is opening below Leicester City and ourselves, but we aren’t looking too closely at that because there is a very long way to go.”

City boss Nigel Pearson said: “We could feel unlucky because we played well.

“They are a good side and I couldn’t have asked more of my players. It was a really good game.

“You could see why they are on a good run, but we stretched them to the limit and they will be happy to have gone home with all three points.

“We maybe let them off the hook at times, not quite being able to find that elusive goal, but there were a lot of positives.

“Our substitutes had the desired impact, with Harry Cornick doing well in that respect.

“If we can perform like that with what at the moment is a narrow squad, then it augurs well.

“We have a number of injuries and hopefully we will get some players back over the next week or two.

“I can see why Ipswich are where they are in the table. They have good players, but also clearly a good atmosphere behind them.

“They play with a lot of togetherness.”