State of Ohio as Hutchinson efforts are cancelled out
OMARI HUTCHINSON scored two goals that would have graced the Premier League as Ipswich moved closer to the promised land before being denied victory late on.
The Chelsea forward, 20, arrived on a season-long loan last summer and his deadly double last night took him into double figures for the Tractor Boys.
Although Hull substitute Noah Ohio fired home in the 87th minute, Kieran Mckenna’s men remain well place to secure automatic promotion along with Leicester.
George Hirst’s early opener was cancelled out by Hull striker Ozan Tufan before Hutchinson scored a stunner on the stroke of half-time.
Liam Delap’s strike levelled matters before Hutchinson took centre stage with another sizzling strike in the 67th minute.
After Leeds were thumped 4-0 at QPR on Friday night, Ipswich arrived in Hull knowing that a place in the top flight is theirs for the taking.
Skipper Sam Morsy tried his luck from 25 yards in the ninth minute, forcing Hull goalkeeper Ryan Allsop to push his effort away.
Ipswich continued to threaten and they led in the 19th minute through Hirst.
Hull recruited lavishly in January in a bid to make the play-offs and have a crack at reaching the Premier League.
Fabio Carvalho – who was signed on loan from Liverpool – produced a neat turn 20 yards out and curled a left-foot shot just wide of Vaclav Hladky’s far post. But Hull continued to probe and were rewarded in the 40th minute when Jean Michael Seri pilfered possession from Morsy as the Ipswich skipper attempted to play out from the back.
Seri then showed intelligence to slip in the unmarked Tufan, who blasted in a superb rightfoot shot.
But Ipswich are made of stern stuff and scored again in the second minute of first-half added time. Hutchinson collected a pass from Luke Woolfenden and brilliantly conjured the space to curl a stunning left-foot shot into the top corner from 18 yards out.
Tufan missed a decent chance just after the break but Hull equalised in the 56th minute when Carvalho’s low right-wing cross was clinically dispatched by Delap from six yards out.
In the 67th minute Hutchinson scored with another superb left-foot shot into the far corner before Ohio blasted home from close range late on.
HULL: Allsop 6; Slater 6, Jones 6, Greaves 6, Jacob 6; Morton 5 (Delap (46) 6), Seri 7; Omur 6 (Ohio (74) 6), Carvalho 6, Philogene 6; Tufan 7 IPSWICH: Hladky 6; Tuanzebe 6, Woolfenden 6, Burgess 6, Davis 6 (Clarke (82) 6); Morsy 6, Luongo 6 (Taylor (76) 6); Burns 7 (Sarmiento (62) 6), Chaplin 7 (Travis (76) 6), Hutchinson 9; Hirst 7 (Moore (62) 6) STAR MAN: Omari Hutchinson – Chelsea loanee showed his class with two stunning strikes that would have graced any stage.
Andrew Kitchen 6