Ipswich Town 1 Hull City 2

Robert Koren snatched a dramatic late winner from the bench to move Hull City six points clear in the Championship automatic promotion places.

The Slovenian playmaker rose highest to meet Robbie Brady’s cross for his ninth goal of the season after the winger’s corner was only half-cleared. Brady’s first half penalty had been cancelled out by Ipswich substitute Anthony Wordsworth's header soon after the break.

“First half in particular we played well and showed why we are a team at the top of the table, said Hull manager Steve Bruce. “We’ve played like it before and people are starting to take a bit of attention to us now with four games to play.”

“We’ve given ourselves a wonderful position but we can’t get carried away, if results go our way we could see it through on Friday [against Bristol City],” he added. “It’s within touching distance but we’ve still got to keep going.”

Ipswich hadn’t conceded in eight hours of football but nearly went behind when the usually-dependable Richard Stearman nearly put through his own net. It was Brady’s cool spot kick which eventually broke Ipswich’s resistance after surviving several Hull attacks - Guirane N’Daw was adjudged to have bundled over David Meyler as he raced into the area despite protests from six Ipswich players.

“I’ve not really seen it, at the time I had a whinge about it at the time but it looks like a penalty to me,” said Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy.

“I’m sure Steve thinks they deserved to win, we endured a tough first half and I thought it worked up until they got the penalty.”

The Ipswich manager was dealt another blow just before the interval when Jay Tabb hobbled off following Corry Evans’ late challenge but substitute Anthony Wordsworth almost immediately delivered, drifting clear of the Hull centre halves to meet Luke Chambers’ long through ball with a firm header past Stockdale - his first for Ipswich.

The winger has struggled with injury since arriving from neighbours Colchester in January and raced to the touchline to celebrate his first goal for his new employers with physio Matt Byard.

Having failed to muster an attempt on target in the first half Ipswich piled forwards in search of a winner, only for Koren to deliver a late knockout blow.

James Restall (The Telegraph)