‘Horrible’ for Ipswich as drop is confirmed

IPSWICH will play in the third tier of English football for the first time since 1957 when Alf Ramsey was the manager who got them promoted from the old Division Three (South). The 1-1 draw with BIRMINGHAM confirmed their relegation, which was ‘gut-wrenching’ according to manager Paul Lambert. ‘It’s horrible. You can’t put it into words what it feels like,’ said Lambert (below).

ASTON VILLA kept up their fine run with a 2-1 win against

BRISTOL CITY. Dean Smith’s Villa have now won eight League games in a row for the first time since April 1975.

WEST BROM kept faint hopes of automatic promotion alive with a 4-1 win over PRESTON, whose manager Alex Neil signed a new three-year deal yesterday, despite interest from the Baggies. ‘I’m delighted to commit my future and to continue with the project we’ve been working on,’ he said.

MIDDLESBROUGH moved back into play-off contention with a 1-0 win over HULL, while eighth-placed DERBY, with a hat-trick from Chelsea loanee Mason Mount, hit four for the second home game in a row as they beat BOLTON 4-0. NOTTINGHAM FOREST slumped to a 2-1 defeat by BLACKBURN. It was Forest’s third defeat in a row, the first time that has happened to manager Martin O’Neill outside the top flight since February 1994.

QPR, who sacked Steve McClaren a fortnight ago after going 15 games with just one win, picked up their fourth point in a week with the 4-0 win over SWANSEA. Darnell Furlong scored his first league goal, 12 years after his father, Paul Furlong, scored his last league goal for the club.