Ipswich Town 3 Northampton Town 1

Roy Keane succeeded where Roy Hodgson failed when he led Ipswich to a victory over Northampton Town and into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup, for the first time in 10 seasons, setting up the potential for a tantalising last eight meeting with former club Manchester United.

Northampton had seen off Brighton and Reading before shocking Hodgson’s Liverpool at Anfield in a penalty shoot-out but a sixth successive defeat, at Portman Road, handed Keane a much-needed victory.

This was Ipswich’s first home tie in eight cup games and Keane, when questioned about the potential of a trip to his spiritual home, said: “All we want is a home tie. Now the big boys will start flexing their muscles and the quarter-finals, semi-finals or final are a long way off.”

However, when Northampton took a 16th minute lead memories of Anfield came flooding back in the rain of Suffolk, with Liam Davis’s long range effort deceiving goalkeeper Brian Murphy after deflecting off Tommy Smith’s ankles.

But 10 minutes later Davis slipped after Jason Scotland fed Carlos Edwards and the Trinidad and Tobago international finished with ease.

Damien Delaney put Ipswich ahead, from Andros Townsend’s corner, and Tamas Priskin claimed Ipswich’s third two minutes from the end to confirm Northampton’s sixth straight defeat.

John Ley (Telegraph.co.uk)