Ipswich kept up their push for an automatic promotion place in the Championship as Conor Chaplin claimed a landmark winner in a 2-1 victory at Swansea.

Chaplin scored his 50th Ipswich goal to restore a first-half Ipswich lead that had been wiped out by Jerry Yates four minutes earlier.

Nathan Broadhead had earlier put the Tractor Boys ahead as Ipswich maintained their pursuit of Leeds and Southampton, above them in second and third place.

Ipswich remain a point behind Southampton and three shy of Leeds with a game in hand.

Playing after Leeds and Southampton had recorded weekend wins, Ipswich stood firm in the wet Welsh weather to see off opponents who rallied in the second half without success.

Swansea have won only one of Luke Williams’ seven league games – five of which have been lost – and are now only four points above the relegation zone.

There was an intensity about Swansea’s early play that had been absent from Tuesday’s 4-0 home defeat to Leeds.

But that tempo did not translate into chances and Ipswich threatened before Broadhead struck his 11th goal of the season.

Kyle Naughton’s mistake allowed Broadhead to set up Leif Davis for a 20-yard shot that Carl Rushworth helped over the crossbar.

Cameron Burgess planted Sam Morsy’s inviting cross wide, but Ipswich hit the front after Omari Hutchinson slipped Broadhead through and the Wales international advanced to produce a deft finish.

Kieffer Moore might have doubled the lead from Davis’ corner but his header was misdirected and Rushworth held another attempt from the Wales striker.

Yates had managed a rare home effort and the striker soon equalised after 31 minutes with his eighth goal of the season.

A free-kick routine saw Matt Grimes find Ben Cabango at the far post and Yates profited from his knockdown via a post.

Parity was only briefly restored as Davis pulled down Burgess’ raking pass and broke beyond the Swans’ defence.

Davis picked out the unmarked Chaplin, who was 27 on Friday, and he buried his 10th goal of the campaign with it also being the creator’s 10th assist from left-back.

Chaplin fired wide just after the restart and Massimo Luongo saw his ambitious effort comfortably saved by Rushworth, but Swansea were much improved in the second period.

Ronald centred and Grimes got an important head on it but Yates was unable to connect at the far post.

Ipswich almost extended their lead on the hour as Broadhead slipped in the willing Moore and Rushworth produced a telling touch to divert his ferocious drive on to the crossbar.

Vaclav Hladky preserved Ipswich’s lead by pulling off a stunning stop to claw away Harry Darling’s deflected cross, while Wes Burns struck the post in the dying seconds at the other end.

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.”

Substitute Omari Hutchinson rescued a late point as Ipswich equalised twice to record a 2-2 Championship draw at home to West Brom.

The result dented Town’s bid to climb back into the automatic promotion spots as their recent run has seen just one win from their last nine in the league.

The Baggies – who were depleted from a series of injuries along with Semi Ajayi and Grady Diangana on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations – 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 was cancelled out by Hutchinson in the third minute of second-half stoppage-time when he fired home through a crowd of players in the dying moments.

The visitors were dominating proceedings in the opening few minutes and Jed Wallace’s teasing low cross just evaded the stretching Brandon Thomas-Asante on the edge of the six-yard box.

Andreas Weimann was found in space on the edge of the area following a corner by Jed Wallace but his shot sailed over the crossbar.

Albion took a well-deserved lead in the 18th minute through Fellows following a counter attack. He was found out on the left by Weimann and Fellows outmuscled Luke Woolfenden, cut inside and fired a shot past Town goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.

Ipswich had a wonderful chance to equalise five minutes later when a cross from Broadhead found Bournemouth loanee Kieffer Moore, who laid the ball off for Conor Chaplin, but he could only lift it over the crossbar.

With time running out in the first half, Harry Clarke’s thunderous effort from 20 yards was tipped over by visiting goalkeeper Alex Palmer.

The Tractor Boys struck back straight from the restart following a deep throw-in by Clarke. The ball was deflected off George Edmundson’s head into the path of Broadhead, who volleyed past Palmer to make it 1-1.

A rasping shot from Sam Morsy from fully 30 yards out went sailing over the bar and – moments later – West Brom had the ball in the net from a throw-in but Weimann was booked for putting it past Hladky’s outstretched hand.

Chaplin stung the hands of Palmer following a great move involving Broadhead, Morsy, Clarke and Wes Burns, with the latter cutting the ball back to the striker as the hosts started to dominate proceedings.

Substitute Swift scored for West Brom with a stunning shot from nearly 30 yards out in the 76th minute after Edmundson’s pass out from defence was intercepted and he picked out the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

But Hutchinson levelled matters in stoppage time – after Morsy’s shot was blocked – as he fired home to clinch a point.

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

Maidstone produced one of the great FA Cup upsets after Sam Corne downed Ipswich with a 66th-minute winner.

Corne had been the hero in round three against Stevenage and further etched his name into Stones folklore with a fine second-half finish to send George Elokobi’s National League South side into the fifth round of the competition.

Stones were indebted to goalkeeper Lucas Covolan, who made a string of saves before Lamar Reynolds excellent 43rd-minute lob dared the 4,472-travelling fans from Kent to dream.

Jeremy Sarmiento levelled for Ipswich at the start of the second half, but the Sky Bet Championship club were toppled when Corne rifled home with 24 minutes left at Portman Road to continue the fairytale run of the sixth tier side.

Maidstone had banked £231,375 in prize money on their way to the fourth round and while they had already knocked out League Two and League One opposition, Ipswich were a step up in class.

Town boss Kieran McKenna made 10 changes from Monday’s draw at fellow promotion hopefuls Leicester, but it was still one-way traffic early on.

Brighton loanee Sarmiento hit the post from 25 yards and Omari Hutchinson’s follow-up effort was saved by Stones goalkeeper Covolan inside five minutes.

Hutchinson was in the thick of the action and struck the woodwork soon after before Brazilian stopper Covolan thwarted Cameron Humphreys.

An intriguing battle between Chelsea youngster Hutchinson and Covolan had already developed with his next left-footed effort parried wide.

This was all before the 15-minute mark and while Ipswich’s relentless waves of attack momentarily calmed, Sam Morsy, Hutchinson and George Edmundson all squandered opportunities before Maidstone’s strong support were able to get excited for the first time.

Liam Sole’s lively run eventually came to nothing before a Gavin Hoyte cross was easily cleared, but it gave the support of the National League South club something to shout about.

Chants of ‘Championship, you’re having a laugh’ soon followed, although Sarmiento nearly silenced them in the 35th minute.

Sarmiento glided past one challenge and then another before his long-range strike deflected off Paul Appiah and flicked the roof of the net.

Sone Aluko was the next guilty party for Ipswich when he scuffed wide after Dominic Ball’s mishit, but it still felt a matter of time before the opener arrived.

It duly did with 43 minutes played although astonishingly went to the non-league outfit.

Maidstone broke from a corner and Sole produced a wonderful lofted pass through to Reynolds, who collected and sumptuously scooped over Christian Walton with his left foot from 18 yards to spark pandemonium.

Stones boss Elokobi kept his cool, but the rest of his staff bundled Reynolds as the away fans jumped for joy.

Half-time followed and while Ipswich had enjoyed 78 per cent possession and were 18-1 up on the shot count, it was Maidstone who held the lead.

Elokobi spent some of the interval being interviewed by BBC, but Ipswich hit back in the 56th minute.

After Stones centre-back Appiah had a pass intercepted, the hosts punished the visitors’ out-of-position defence with Jack Taylor finding Sarmiento, who curled into the corner for his second goal since arriving on loan this month.

All eyes were now on if the fairytale run of sixth-tier Maidstone would crash to juddering halt but third-round hero Corne had other ideas.

It was Sarmiento who gave away possession to Reynolds by the halfway line and Stones scorer turned creator with a pass into Corne, who impressively held off Edmundson and rifled home from 12-yards with 24 minutes left.

McKenna watched Ipswich substitute Harry Clarke test Covolan before Wes Burns fired wide and Edmundson was then booked for simulation in the 76th minute after going down with Manny Duku in close proximity.

Ipswich pushed for one last chance and their big moment arrived with six minutes left, but Conor Chaplin’s bundled effort was brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Covolan to ensure Maidstone progressed into the fifth round.

Enzo Maresca insists Leicester must be wary of the Championship’s chasing pack after Ipswich stopped the Foxes going 10 points clear at the top.

Jeremy Sarmiento’s late leveller moved the visitors back into second and put a dent in the Foxes’ title procession following a 1-1 draw.

Leif Davis’ unfortunate first-half own goal gave the hosts the lead but they were unable to build on it.

Tom Cannon was twice thwarted by Vaclav Hladky while Mads Hermansen’s smart save from Wes Burns denied Ipswich an earlier leveller.

“I’ve felt the breath of Ipswich and Southampton since we started and I’ve felt Leeds’ breath also, the Championship is very long,” said Leicester boss Maresca, who served a suspension in the stands.

“If we’d won tonight we were 10 points from Ipswich and Southampton but losing or drawing it’s still very long.

“Now we are (going) in the right direction because of the performance but there are still many games.

“It’s always a shame when you drop points at the end. It happened there (in Ipswich) and happened tonight. It’s football, even if you go 2-0 up, until the end there is always danger. Overall, with the way we performed, I’m very happy.

“It was frustrating being in the stand because you don’t have the direct contact with the players. I feel frustrated about the result, not about the way we performed.”

Cannon and Hamza Choudhury went close during a confident opening from the Foxes but it took an own goal to break the deadlock after 31 minutes.

Stephy Mavididi swapped passes with Ricardo Pereira on the left and his low cross was turned into his own net by Davis – his second own goal in four games.

Pereira shot wide and Cannon went close as Leicester went for a second but they needed Hermansen to maintain their lead soon after the break when he turned Burns’ volley over.

Mavididi and Cannon had shots saved but Ipswich gradually found their edge in the second half and began to put the Foxes under real pressure, without testing Hermansen.

That was until in the final minute of normal time when Massimo Luongo was given space on the edge of the area and his drive was parried by Hermansen.

It fell straight to the unmarked Sarmiento to fire in, despite the best efforts of Hermansen, meaning Ipswich have rescued 21 points from losing positions this season.

Boss Kieran McKenna said: “The second half was much more like ourselves and we can take a lot of confidence from it. On the balance of the second half we probably deserved to get something from the game.

“We are coming back at lot, not losing many games, which is a reflection of the culture and togetherness in the group.

“I really liked the second half, there was a real conviction in the dressing room at half-time.

“I thought in the first half we didn’t manage to find that belief in ourselves but there was a real intent to go out in the second half and show that. There’s so long to go we have to focus on ourselves.

“We’re competing with teams on a points tally we’ve got no right to. Our focus remains to perform as well as we can.”

Jeremy Sarmiento’s late strike rescued a point for Ipswich and stopped Leicester moving 10 points clear at the top of the Championship.

The Foxes looked to be hanging on for victory until substitute Sarmiento’s goal with a minute left earned a 1-1 draw for the second-placed visitors.

Leif Davis’ second own goal in four games gave the hosts a first-half lead but it was one they failed to build on, even if they still sit seven points clear of Ipswich.

Efficient and functional, it would still take an implosion of some magnitude for Enzo Maresca’s side to fail to return to the top flight at the first attempt.

For Ipswich, Southampton’s 20-game unbeaten league run had helped eradicated an 11-point gap in just a month.

It meant they started the night third on goal difference behind the Saints but a point moved them back into the top two.

Leicester, coming off the back of just a fourth Championship defeat of the season after last week’s late 3-1 loss at Coventry, initially made Ipswich pay for a timid first half.

Tom Cannon’s shot was deflected behind by Luke Woolfenden but it was a slow burner until Vaclav Hladky turned Hamza Choudhury’s curling effort wide after 26 minutes.

A 1-1 draw with Leicester at Portman Road on Boxing Day showed Ipswich’s resilience and Conor Chaplin shot over but the hosts found a way through after 31 minutes.

Stephy Mavididi collected Harry Winks’ ball on the left before swapping passes with Ricardo Pereira.

The forward delivered a dangerous ball across the six-yard box and Hladky could only divert in onto the unfortunate Davis who inadvertently bundled into his own net.

Gaps soon started appearing for the Foxes and Pereira shot wide six minutes later and Hladky again saved from Cannon before the break as the host found a touch of swagger.

That was almost wiped away inside the opening five minutes of the second half as Mads Hermansen turned Wes Burns’ controlled volley over after the Foxes failed to clear a corner.

Yet it was the visitors’ only threat and Leicester settled quickly to create several openings.

Mavididi’s shot was blocked and Cannon’s acrobatic effort dropped wide before the striker continued his duel with Hladky and forced another save from 18 yards.

Jamie Vardy returned from injury as a late substitute and the Foxes looked to be hanging on for victory until the 89th minute.

Ipswich had improved as the half wore on and when Massimo Luongo was left with too much time on the edge of the box Hermansen saved his drive, only for Brighton loanee Sarmiento to follow up and snatch a point.

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.”

Promotion-chasing Ipswich lost the chance to pull away from the pack in the Championship as they were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling QPR.

The match saw both sides have a number of chances to win it, with the visitors coming closest when Steve Cook’s header hit the post and ran across the goal line.

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.

Sinclair Armstrong made his presence felt in the second minute when he muscled his way past Luke Woolfenden but Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky parried the shot behind for a corner.

Three minutes later, Freddie Ladapo had only Asmir Begovic to beat when Conor Chaplin played him in but he delayed his shot which was cleared by the Rangers’ defence.

Begovic came to the visitors’ rescue when he deflected the ball over the bar with his legs from another Ladapo effort, while Ilias Chair and Armstrong combined down the left with the latter’s shot coming off Hladky for a QPR corner.

Ipswich had a narrow escape in the 31st minute when Cook’s header struck the base of the post following a QPR corner and rolled across the goal line, with a combination of Hladky and Cameron Burgess clearing the ball away.

At the other end, Begovic tipped a shot from Omari Hutchinson over the bar and an inswinging corner by the Chelsea loanee that was creeping inside the near post was headed behind by Reggie Cannon.

Ladapo had the QPR shot-stopper stretching across his goal line following a cross from Cameron Humphreys which the Ipswich striker headed narrowly wide, and a slick exchange of passes between Marcus Harness and Humphreys resulted in the midfielder’s shot being blocked by Begovic.

Paul Smyth came close to giving the Hoops the lead when he almost beat Hladky to the ball and referee David Webb turned away penalty appeals for QPR when Smyth went down in the box following a challenge from Woolfenden.

The match was held up at half time after a medical emergency in the crowd.

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.”

Sam Morsy’s twice deflected stoppage-time equaliser earned second-placed Ipswich a 1-1 draw at home to Championship leaders Leicester.

Morsy’s effort from the edge of the penalty area struck Ricardo Pereira and then the head of Jannik Vestergaard to leave Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen helpless.

Leicester had taken the lead in the 24th minute with a strike from just inside the penalty area by Stephy Mavididi.

The result left Town still six points adrift of their opponents 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.

Ipswich bounced back from Saturday’s chastening 4-0 loss against Leeds and even stretched their advantage over the Whites to eight points after they were beaten 2-1 by Preston and dropped down to fourth earlier on Boxing Day.

A cross from Wes Burns into the penalty area, aimed for raiding full-back Leif Davis, was headed away for an Ipswich corner by Abdul Fatawu as the hosts made a proactive start.

But they were dealt an injury blow in the 20th minute when George Hirst suffered what appeared to be a hamstring injury and he was forced off.

There were handball appeals by Ipswich players in the 21st minute when the ball appeared to go close to the outstretched hand of Conor Coady but three minutes later the Foxes took the lead through Mavididi.

He found acres of space on the left and curled a shot beyond the reach of Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky into the corner of the net.

Referee Sam Barrott turned away penalty appeals from City following a challenge by Cameron Burgess on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Patson Daka was denied by Hladky.

Just before the half-time break a sweeping cross into the Leicester penalty area from Davis was cleared by a stretching Wout Faes to prevent substitute Kayden Jackson meeting the ball at the far post.

Vestergaard grazed the roof of the Ipswich net with his header following a free-kick by Dewsbury-Hall and Conor Chaplin just failed to catch Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen off his line with a shot from just inside the Foxes’ half.

Hermansen then had to dive full length to tip a stunning shot from Chaplin round the post and the Ipswich striker fired over the bar from just inside the penalty area.

Dewsbury-Hall then went down in the penalty area following a challenge by Davis but the referee waved play on and Ipswich grabbed a deserved equaliser in the final moments.

Leeds kick-started their bid for an instant Premier League return with a thumping 4-0 win against automatic promotion rivals Ipswich at Elland Road.

Skipper Pascal Struijk’s early header, Leif Davis’s own goal and Crysencio Summerville’s penalty left the home fans bouncing at half-time as the Tractor Boys hurtled towards only their third league defeat of the season.

Joel Piroe crashed home an emphatic finish early in the second half and Leeds, who dropped five points in their previous two matches, could have added more.

Piroe and Georginio Rutter both saw efforts hit the woodwork and while Conor Chaplin’s first-half shot clipped a post, it was one-way traffic in the lunchtime kick-off.

Daniel Farke’s side extended their unbeaten home record this season to 12 matches and cut the gap between themselves and second-placed Ipswich to seven points.

Leeds will be hoping Kieran McKenna’s side drop more points against leaders Leicester on Boxing Day.

Ipswich defender Davis had a game to forget back at his former club as it was also his clumsy first-half challenge on Summerville which led to Leeds’ penalty.

Since losing to Leeds at Portman Road in a seven-goal thriller in August, Ipswich had lost just one of their following 18 matches.

But in front of an expectant home crowd they fell behind in the eighth minute.

Piroe’s header from Summerville’s corner was saved by Vaclav Hladky and Struijk was first to the rebound to head Leeds in front from two yards.

Ipswich responded through Nathan Broadhead’s effort from outside the box and began to force their way back into the game.

The visitors were never allowed to settle, though, and Leeds turned defence into attack to double their lead in the 25th minute.

Teenager Archie Gray won possession deep in the right-back position before a swift exchange of first-time passes sent Summerville hurtling into Ipswich’s box and his low cross was turned into his own net by Davis.

Ipswich came within a whisker of pulling one back when Chaplin’s superb shot skimmed Illan Meslier’s left-hand post.

Summerville was then heavily involved again as Leeds went three-up on the stroke of half-time.

He was sent charging into the area again, this time by Dan James, and after being bundled over by Davis, he picked himself up to bury the subsequent spot-kick for his 11th league goal of the season.

Leeds kept their foot to the floor at the start of the second period, with Piroe’s rising drive hitting the underside of the crossbar.

The Dutch forward was not to be denied soon after, crashing home his ninth league goal of the season from the edge of the area after another Leeds counter-attack.

The home fans were in raptures, baying for more and Leeds responded via Rutter, whose deflected shot from the edge of the box struck the crossbar.

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.”