Tight at the top as Ipswich lead C’ship

LONDON: Ipswich were left with a slender one-point lead at the top of the Championship on Monday as the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League headed towards a thrilling finale.

Leeds left it late to see off Hull 3-1 in the final Championship fixture of the day as they went second in the table, just a point behind Ipswich.

And Leicester reignited their bid for automatic promotion with a 3-1 win at home to Norwich.

They ended the day in third place, a point behind Leeds and two adrift of Ipswich but with a game in hand.

Only the top two clubs at the end of the regular season are guaranteed a place in the Premier League, with the teams finishing third to sixth involved in the postseason play-offs that determine the other promoted side.

Jeremy Sarmiento proved to be a ‘super sub’ after scoring a stoppage-time winner as Ipswich, briefly nudged off top spot by Leicester, returned to the summit with a dramatic 3-2 win at home to Southampton.

It seemed as if goals from Che Adams and Adam Armstrong had put Southampton on course for victory following Leif Davis’s well-struck opener for Ipswich.

But Ipswich, who’ve now won 31 points from losing positions this season, again proved to be masters of the comeback.

Nathan Broadhead equalised in the 68th minute before Southampton’s Jason Bree was sent off in the 85th minute for dragging back Davis.

Ipswich’s attitude was summed up when Sarmiento, despite a slip, struck in the seventh and final minute of stoppage time to spark delirious scenes at Portman Road.

“It was right up there,” said Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna. “It was another brilliant day, brilliant match to be involved in.”