A master class in finishing

A master class in finishing kept classy Ipswich's play-off hopes very much alive against newly-promoted Portsmouth at Portman Road.

Three superbly-crafted goals from Martijn Reuser, Tommy Miller and Pablo Counago put Ipswich 3-0 up within half an hour.

Having now lost just once in 12 games, Joe Royle's side are within one point of the play-off places.

Playing their second game in three days, Portsmouth looked a pale imitation of the side that has set the pace in the First Division, evidenced by Arjan de Zeeuw's poor defending, which contributed to two of Ipswich's goals.

On 11 minutes De Zeeuw's hapless square ball across the face of goal was pounced upon by Reuser unleashed a fine 25-yard strike that took a bounce over the despairing dive of goalkeeper Shaka Hislop.

Gianluca Festa thought he had equalised when his speculative long-range drive was goalbound, but Andy Marshall expertly parried the Italian's effort.

Having been booked for dissent after 27 seconds, Festa might have been red-carded when he appeared to elbow Reuser, but referee Eddie Wolstenholme took no action.

Ipswich doubled their lead after 27 minutes.

Portsmouth failed to clear Matthew Richards' cross from the left flank was not dealt with and Miller hammered the ball past Hislop with the outside of his left foot. And three minutes later Counago added a brilliant third.

The Spaniard turned De Zeeuw inside out before hitting a wonderful strike that soared into the roof of the net.

Thomas Gaardsoe should have added a fourth when the ball fell to him two yards from goal, but defender stubbed his shot straight at Hislop.

Wolstenholme further enraged the home fans further after he failed to see Stone's handball that deflected Reuser's 64th-minute header.

Redknapp brought Gary O'Neill, Vincent Pericard and Kevin Harper into the action to give his side another attacking dimension but the triple substitution merely stiffened Ipswich's resolve.

BBC