Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna said the 3-0 victory over Hull, which took them to the top of the Championship, was one of the “best performances” of the season.

Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin and Marcus Harness scored the goals and McKenna savoured “a night to enjoy”.

It was only the second defeat of the season for the Tigers, who slipped three places to eighth on goal difference, as Ipswich continued their superb early-season form.

Town got off to a flying start thanks to a strike by Burns in the fifth minute and Chaplin completed a wonderful move to make it 2-0 just before the break. Harness stabbed home the third from close range midway through the second half.

McKenna said: “I thought it was a special performance really. We spoke about it before the game. I felt like we had one in us.

“We’re fit, we’re learning game by game, it was a first home game back in the Championship for a night game and I felt like it had the feel of a really good performance in us.

“I liked so many things about us, the work on the ball to play through the pitch against a really good team.

“It was a night to enjoy. It’s only one night, it’s one game, it’s three points but you can’t take away the fact that everyone associated with the club should enjoy tonight.”

Talking about his team’s goal threat, with a Championship-leading 21 to their name in 10 games, he said: “The players have developed individually to try and have different threats, to try and play through the pitch, to be able to play in behind, combine and be a threat off of crosses.

“It was certainly one of our best performances in the league.”

Hull manager Liam Rosenior was full of praise for their opponents.

Rosenior said: “Ipswich have been outstanding all season and two magnificent goals in terms of the finishes.

“We have now lost two in 10 and we are hard to beat but overall it’s not a crisis, it’s no drama, we learn our lessons and move on to the next one really quickly.

“We are still in a really good place, we have got 16 points from 10 games. The Championship is always so close.

“Chris Hughton (Rosenior’s former boss at Brighton) always said you’re never the best team in the world when you win, you’re never the worst team in the world when you lose.

“You can’t get carried away when things are going really well and we can’t get carried away when things don’t go our way. What we have to do is respond, learn and analyse and make sure we’re better for the next one. It’s about staying the course.”

Kieran McKenna says his table-topping Ipswich side must “stay humble” as they rescued a late point in a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield.

The high-flying Tractor Boys leapfrogged Leicester to the Championship summit thanks to Brandon Williams’ leveller three minutes from time.

Delano Burgzorg’s second-half opener looked destined to hand Darren Moore a win in his first home game in charge.

However, McKenna’s valiant outfit fought back with Williams’ first goal since 2019 extending their unbeaten away league run to 14 games.

Despite their high standing and fifth league outing without defeat, the Ipswich boss wants his side to stay grounded.

“We need to stay humble and keep learning,” McKenna said.

“There’s parts of the team and the group that are relatively inexperienced at this level and we’ll learn lots from a game like today.

“We’re in the middle of a busy schedule and against a motivated team with a new manager and that makes for an excited crowd and energetic group of players.

“It was a tough-fought and competitive game; we had to fight really hard for the point and we can take positives in the way that we kept going.

“We were the team at the end of the game that looked likelier to get the winning goal and that shows good resilience and ambition from the group.

“It’s a good point because we didn’t play anywhere near our best but we just need to keep focussing on our performances.”

McKenna also singled out praise for stopper Vaclav Hladky, who produced an inspired display with a string of impressive saves.

“He did really well; it was a difficult game for him and you need a good performance from your keeper on a day like today and he certainly delivered.

“He is an example in terms of how he’s conducted himself and trained over a long period of time to wait for his opportunity and then take it.

“But we’ve got lots of examples within that group of good professionals who’ve worked hard to get here and are now flourishing at a higher level.

“That’s a really positive thing and a good boost for our culture and a good lesson for the players here or anyone coming to the club.”

Meanwhile, Huddersfield also extended their unbeaten league run to five games and the performance provided encouragement for their new boss.

“It was a good, solid performance,” Darren Moore said.

“We set out our stall early in the game by disrupting Ipswich from settling into their play and their rhythm.

“And then we got the ball into real threatening areas of the pitch; we could have capitalised more with the chances we created.

“We had the more clear-cut chances in the afternoon and I was pleased when we got the goal because we deserved to get noses in front.

“I’d have liked to have seen us extend that because the game was disrupted by the substitutions we were forced to make.

“When Ipswich did score, we didn’t allow them to go on and win the game, which was pleasing because it would’ve been a travesty from our point of view.

“It was a positive afternoon of football played by us; on the front foot, engaging our opponents and setting a positive atmosphere at home.

“Their keeper won them a point today in terms of the saves, but the boys are getting in the right positions and I’ll fancy us to score more goals moving forward.

“It was a great game; it’s credit to us and to the players for taking on board and carrying into the game what we’re trying to do with them.

“We’ve got to continue to work and keep building; we’ll do the journey together as a whole, the fans, staff, players and everyone.”

Gary O’Neil painted a bleak picture of the situation at Wolves and admitted “no magic wand” will fix their problems after a 3-2 loss at Ipswich in the Carabao Cup third round.

Wolves slumped to a fifth defeat in eight matches under the former Bournemouth manager, who only took over on August 9 following the departure of Julen Lopetegui by mutual consent.

O’Neil made 10 changes for the Portman Road clash and despite taking a 2-0 lead via goals by Hwang Hee-chan and Toti, the Premier League outfit were on the end of an upset after Championship high-flyers Ipswich responded through Omari Hutchinson, Freddie Ladapo and Jack Taylor.

Asked for a message to disgruntled Wolves supporters, O’Neil insisted: “To stick with the group.

“We are six weeks into a process and there is no magic wand. I can guarantee you when I arrived the place was not running perfectly and ready to go into a Premier League season.

“There are a lot of things that need fixing and of course I am willing to take responsibility, but the facts are you need some time to put things in place. That does not look like a team that I have worked with for very long at this moment, which it isn’t.

“Do I accept that we need to get results? Of course. Do I want the fans to enjoy every game we play and come away and support the players? Of course and we will work tirelessly to make sure we get it there and we will get it there.

“But there is no transfer window. The transfer window is closed and we are together as we are and need to get the maximum out of the group.

“We’ve named a strong team with 11 players that should be capable of winning here and we don’t, so it is my responsibility to make sure we get some more out of them.”

Life does not get any easier for Wolves with Manchester City set to visit on Saturday and it will be a return to Molineux for Matheus Nunes, who left in a £53million deal last month.

O’Neil pointed out the club’s net spend this summer when asked to reflect on the issues at the Midlands outfit.

“I think when I arrived the culture of the club needed a shift and some of it needs to move towards more togetherness,” O’Neil admitted.

“Yeah, there is a big list of things that need fixing. Of course I understand it is my responsibility and people will say, ‘they did fine last year,’ but the truth is they got 41 points and we made an £80million profit on players in the summer.

“So, we’re £80million short of where we were and last year we got 41 points.

“We need to move it from that in a more difficult situation now than the club was then player-wise, so that’s the facts of the job.

“I understood that when I took the job, I understand it now and every weekend is not going to be rosy. We’re going to suffer some tough weekends and we’ll need to crack on and go again.”

While Wolves were left to reflect on a sorry defeat, Ipswich’s highly-rated manager Kieran McKenna toasted his own first win against top-flight opposition.

After Hwang and Toti netted within 15 minutes, the Championship’s second-placed club continued their terrific form with three unanswered goals.

Chelsea loanee Hutchinson started the comeback with a right-footed effort from eight-yards before Ladapo fired home inside the area before half-time.

Taylor completed the turnaround with a 25-yard thunderbolt and the 58th-minute strike sent Ipswich into the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 2010.

“We need to enjoy tonight because it is the first time we’ve had a Premier League team here in quite a few years,” McKenna acknowledged.

“It is 11 years since we beat a Premier League team so a good night for progress and the regrowth of this football club again, but it is a cup game.

“The result tonight does not win us anything but it is really significant as a marker point for the development of the squad, so we’ll take it as that and enjoy it for a sign of progress.”

Kieran McKenna heaped praise on Ipswich matchwinner Omari Hutchinson after his side climbed up to second in the Sky Bet Championship with a 1-0 win at Southampton.

Hutchinson’s first goal for the Tractor Boys 15 minutes before half-time was enough to lead McKenna’s side to a fourth successive away victory and a sixth in seven games.

The Chelsea loanee, 19, had taken the ball off Shea Charles with a perfectly-timed slide tackle before exchanging passes with Conor Chaplin and slotting in off the inside of a post.

Manager McKenna said: “It’s great night for him. It was his first start in the league as a professional footballer.

“What a big night, what a place to do it and what opposition to do it against.

“He’s making great progress and I joked with him that he wouldn’t have thought two months ago his first goal as a professional would come from a sliding tackle, but that’s what happened.

“He showed his improvement off the ball, won the ball back for us and he’s got the agility to get up on his feet quickly and produce a great finish.

“It was an outstanding performance and was never going to be anything other than hard-fought because of the quality of the opposition.

“We tried to meet them on the pitch on an even keel and tried to play football, to be brave and to press them and stay brave on the ball.

“We are not looking to dampen anything. The fans are going to enjoy these special moments and dream.

“For us it’s about staying in the moment. We are enjoying the journey that we are on from last season, but internally we know how hard it is to sustain.”

Ipswich had the better of the first half with Chaplin seeing an early goal ruled out for a foul and hitting the crossbar.

Saints could have equalised four minutes into the second half when Che Adams was sent clean through only to be denied by Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.

After a positive start to the season following relegation from the Premier League, Saints have now lost their last three games.

Home boss Russell Martin, whose side were booed off by their fans, said: “We gave away a sloppy goal and have been punished for a mistake again.

“That will not keep happening and we will move forward.

“I actually thought we started the game really well but we got sucker-punched for a mistake with the goal.

“We did not react well enough to that or quickly enough. In the second half we gave everything and had the best chance which unfortunately Che missed.”

Ipswich assistant manager Martyn Pert praised his side for “doing the simple things” as they overcame League One Reading on penalties after a 2-2 draw to progress to the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Reading went ahead in the second minute courtesy of a Brandon Williams own-goal but Cameron Humphreys levelled in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage-time.

Freddie Ladapo gave Town the lead near the hour mark but Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan equalised in the 87th minute.

Reading missed three of their spot-kicks in the shootout to help ease Ipswich’s passage.

“I’m really happy and delighted to get through,” Pert said. “It was exciting in the end and, with Reading scoring early, they made it a real challenge for us.

“They were really well organised and didn’t give us much opportunity. It was so difficult for us to create any chances that were open.

“We were wondering where we were going to get a goal from but we just kept doing the simple things and then eventually we got the equaliser.”

Reading’s Charlie Savage, Caylan Vickers and Ben Elliott all failed from the penalty spot.

“It was a very tough game but we made it a tough game,” Reading manager Ruben Selles said. “But the boys did an exceptional job and they showed what they can do.

“In the end, unfortunately, we didn’t get it in the penalties. For some of our players, it was the first time in professional football that they were in front of that situation.

“We have to take that as a learning process and next time will be more ready for those situations.

“Yes we always practise penalties but it is very difficult to replicate the stress under pressure in those moments.

“We didn’t make it but hopefully next time we will be better.”

Conor Chaplin’s goal gave Ipswich a 1-0 victory at QPR and maintained their 100 per cent Sky Bet Championship record this season.

Ipswich, promoted from League One last season and now unbeaten in 22 league games, rode their luck at Loftus Road before scoring against the run of play with 15 minutes remaining.

Nathan Broadhead found Chaplin in the box and, after his first shot was blocked by Jack Colback, the striker fired the loose ball beyond keeper Asmir Begovic.

QPR had created several chances – and were desperately unfortunate not to be ahead at half-time.

They could not have gone closer to scoring when Sinclair Armstrong’s strike from near the left-hand edge of the penalty area struck the inside of the far post and then the inside of the opposite post.

The pace and directness of 20-year-old striker Armstrong continued to cause Ipswich major problems after that near miss.

Armstrong chased a long ball from Paul Smyth and forced a mistake from the worried Luke Woolfenden before unleashing a shot which keeper Vaclav Hladky did well to save.

Hladky also pushed over Morgan Fox’s looping header from a free-kick swung in by Ilias Chair, who sent one shot narrowly over and another wide of the near post from a tight angle as QPR kept up the pressure.

Ipswich did also threaten before the break. Wes Burns missed a great chance when he was unable to find the target when free at the far post, and George Hirst later fired over from just inside the box.

The visitors were on the back foot again early in the second half – again largely because of the relentless Armstrong.

The young Irishman darted with the ball between Woolfenden and Harry Clarke on the left flank and charged towards the box, where Hladky managed to deny him.

Then an astonishing miss let Ipswich off the hook again.

In trying to add a decisive touch after good work from Chair, Armstrong inadvertently diverted the ball away from the target towards Rangers defender Osman Kakay, who contrived to blast wide of an open goal.

Armstrong, playing in the absence of the injured Lyndon Dykes, is hugely exciting but has shown a lack of stamina so far during his fledgling career.

And when he went off midway through the second half, Rangers inevitably faded and boss Gareth Ainsworth’s limited options were underlined.

Ipswich took advantage and looked comfortable after going ahead, although Chair almost scored a sensational late equaliser when his audacious attempt from near the halfway line was tipped over by the scrambling Hladky.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna hailed a “top performance” from his side in the 2-0 victory over Stoke.

Goals in either half from defender Luke Woolfenden and substitute Kayden Jackson maintained Town’s 100 percent start to the season on their return to the Championship.

Woolfenden rose at the far post to head home in the 23rd minute from a Sam Morsy free-kick, while Jackson converted in the 81st minute following an incisive move involving Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin.

McKenna said: “I thought it was a top performance, no doubt about it.

“I loved the way we stuck to our identity on and off the ball, we were brave in how we played. We played with the intensity, quality, the spirit, the resilience and the threat that we want to have and I thought it was an excellent performance in so many different ways.

“Of course there are areas to improve and we’re learning from every game at the moment.

“We learnt an awful lot from Sunderland last week and we’ll learn from this one again and look to improve.

“There’s going to be spells every week because the level of opponents is so high and we’re having to work hard. We’re not going to be able to dominate games throughout the whole 90 minutes as we were at times last season, so there’s going to be spells where we have to dig in.

“We have to put our bodies on the line and try and defend and block well and I thought what was really important was the way we kept playing. It wasn’t about just digging in, it was our bravery on the ball that turned the game.”

Stoke boss Alex Neil praised Ipswich for their bravery and accepted they “deserved” the three points.

He said: “The first thing that you have got to do is give Ipswich credit. They were better than us in the game.

“I think that when you come to places like this that first game is a great party atmosphere. Everybody is at their peak, the team’s been playing really well, they added a couple of bits and bobs throughout the summer to try and get them better and the first time we give the ball away cheaply on two separate occasions and what happens, the crowd gets up.

“What you need to do is to take the sting out of the game and you need to make sure you quieten the crowd and take the game away from them.

“But they were really brave, they went one for one all over the pitch and we lost, in the first half, pretty much every individual battle, whether it be a header, whether it be a tackle. I didn’t think we passed the ball well enough and then I’m forced to make a change after 30 minutes because it looked like Ipswich were going to score another goal.

“I thought we started the second half better. I thought they wrestled back control of the game, we had two good chances at the start of the second half and then I thought the game ebbed and flowed, but for the last 20, 25 minutes I thought they were better and Ipswich deserved their win.”

Promotion and relegation is on the line as most EFL clubs play their penultimate matches of the season over the bank holiday weekend.

The automatic promotion places in the Sky Bet Championship are set in stone but with other issues at stake across all three divisions, the PA news agency looks at the state of play.

Championship

Burnley are champions and Sheffield United clinched promotion on Wednesday night.

Luton and Middlesbrough are guaranteed play-off places. Coventry can join them with a game to spare if they beat Birmingham and several other results go their way, but the immediate interest is at the bottom of the table.

Wigan play fellow strugglers Reading away on Saturday and will be relegated if they lose. If they draw, they need Huddersfield to lose at Cardiff on Sunday while if the Latics win they would need the Terriers to drop points or Rotherham to lose on Monday.

Blackpool, just a point better off than the Latics, must beat Millwall on Friday or match Huddersfield’s result and hope Reading do not win.

Reading can go down this weekend if they lose, Huddersfield win and Rotherham pick up a point. QPR can clinch survival with a victory, as can Rotherham as long as Reading and Huddersfield do not also win. Cardiff only need a point to guarantee their Championship future.

League One

Plymouth and Ipswich have the chance to clinch promotion with wins at home to Burton and Exeter respectively, or by matching third-placed Sheffield Wednesday’s result at Shrewsbury.

Argyle will be crowned champions if they win and Town lose, and are up unless Wednesday win and they do not.

Wednesday are guaranteed a play-off place at least. Barnsley are in the play-offs and Bolton and Derby can both join them if they win and Peterborough do not.

Morecambe and Accrington could be relegated if they lose to Lincoln and Cambridge respectively, MK Dons beat Barnsley and Oxford get a point against relegated Forest Green. Even draws would not be enough if Oxford and MK both win.

Cambridge are second-bottom but have a game in hand, meaning their fate cannot be confirmed until Wednesday at the earliest.

League Two

Northampton and Stevenage have the opportunity on Saturday to clinch promotion alongside champions Leyton Orient.

Victories for either, against Bradford and Grimsby respectively, would make sure – otherwise, they would need none of Stockport, Carlisle and Bradford to win. Boro must match that trio’s results but Northampton would be promoted instantly if the chasing pack all drop points.

Stockport and Carlisle can clinch play-off places if they better either Salford or Mansfield’s results.

Hartlepool will be relegated unless they win both their remaining games and Crawley lose both of theirs, with a six-goal swing in Pools’ favour.