In-form Ipswich crushed Charlton Athletic 3-0 in front of their biggest crowd of the season to maintain the pressure on the Championship leaders Bournemouth.

Tommy Smith and Daryl Murphy continued their fine form in front of goal with a goal in each half before David McGoldrick netted a deserved third in injury time. The win moved second-placed Town a point behind the Cherries.

Charlton started the match the brighter, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson streaking clear down the right, but his fierce cross was poked into the side netting by the stretching Jordan Cousins.

At the other end Ipswich went even closer on nine minutes after McGoldrick's free-kick came back off a post.

Charlton were giving as good as they got before a cagey opening half finally came to life in the 31st minute as Ipswich took the lead from their ninth corner of the game.

Jay Tabb's delivery was miscued by Murphy but only into the path of Smith, who bundled it into the roof of the net.

Eight minutes before the interval, Charlton almost levelled when the onrushing George Tucudean was denied by the legs of Bartosz Bialkowski and Gudmundsson's effort was cleared off the line by Christophe Berra.

Ipswich went closer still, on the stroke of half-time, when McGoldrick once again shot against a post, the rebound striking the back of the diving Neil Etheridge and going just wide.

Charlton started the second half brighter, but without reward. A sustained period of pressure, their first in the second half, ended with Ipswich's Paul Anderson firing across goal.

McGoldrick was again denied by the woodwork, his header coming back off the bar, but Murphy was on hand to nod into the empty net for his 17th of the season.

It was almost three just a few minutes later when Tabb slipped the ball into the path of McGoldrick, but his first-time shot went just over.

Gudmundsson remained Charlton's biggest threat and his shot towards the near post needed to be beaten away by the alert Bialkowski.

Chances were few and far between with Berra having to clear Igor Vetokele's header from inside his own six-yard box and then doing the same from Gudmundsson's cross towards goal.

The points were made completely safe in injury time when McGoldrick finally got his goal, neatly chipping the ball over Etheridge as the Charlton keeper came out.

There was still time for the keeper to save from McGoldrick and Joseph Gomez to clear off the line from Kevin Bru as Ipswich ended the match dominant in front of 26,157 supporters at Portman Road.

The Guardian