FREE AGENT HLADKY ON AUTO PILOT

Championship 1 1

FOR Ipswich Town, the nervous wait is on with goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky unsure what that will mean for their automatic promotion chances.

Saturday’s comeback draw took them to the top of the table two points clear of third-placed Leeds.

But the Tractor Boys must now sit back and watch their rivals play catch-up for the next fortnight.

Ipswich were due to play Coventry next weekend but that match has been moved to the final midweek of the season because of their opponents’ FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

Leicester and Leeds will play twice, and Southampton four times, before Ipswich next kick off.

Hladky (above) said: “We don’t really know whether it’s an advantage to have two weeks off, but of course when you don’t have a match, you look at the table and the other results.

“I don’t see into the heads of the other lads but I don’t really see any disruption because of other results.”

Hladky also brushed off any doubts about Ipswich’s character after failing to win any of their past three games.

The Czech added: “I’ve seen good performances.

“We haven’t got too many issues. We’ll just stay on it and I don’t see any big troubles.”

Hladky pulled off a miraculous point-saving stop to flick a Matt Clarke header over the bar after Kieran Mckenna’s side had come back from losing an early goal to Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Massimo Luongo’s lunging volley on the half-hour gave them the equaliser.

Middlesbrough’s play-off chances now appear to be over but captain Jonny Howson said: “We don’t just want to throw these final three games away.

“We want to end them in the best possible manner and keep this unbeaten run going.

“Hopefully we can then take that into next season as well.”