Ipswich promoted to Premier League by clinching second place on Championship final day

Ipswich have been promoted to the Premier League by securing second place with victory over Queen’s Park Rangers.

A three-way race for the Championship’s second automatic promotion spot was settled on the final day, as the Tractor Boys sealed an instant return to the top-flight by beating QPR 3-0 at Portman Road.

Ipswich, Millwall and Middlesbrough all headed into their last game with a shot at joining Coventry in the Premier League.

Ahead of kick-off, the Tractor Boys sat in second place on 81 points, just a point ahead of Millwall in third, while fourth-place Middlesbrough began the day on 79 points.

This meant victory would guarantee Ipswich a top-two finish, while a draw would be enough if the Lions and Boro failed to win.

And any early nerves at Portman Road were instantly settled, as Kieran McKenna‘s side went ahead through George Hirst after just three minutes.

The home team were in dreamland six minutes later, as Jaden Philogene finished off a slick team move to make it 2-0.

Kasey McAteer then put the result beyond any doubt by adding a third on 85 minutes, creating a party atmosphere in Ipswich as they cruised towards victory and second place.

And there were wild scenes at the full-time whistle, as fans spilled onto the pitch to celebrate the Tractor Boys’ return to the top-flight.

Ipswich ended the season on 84 points, just a point ahead of Millwall on 83, who kept their side of the bargain by beating Oxford 2-0.

Promotion means that Ipswich have secured their return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

After clinching top-flight promotion in 2024 with a second-place finish, they suffered an immediate relegation last season by finishing 19th in the top-flight on just 22 points.

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McKenna: This promotion was hardest

Ipswich boss McKenna, who has frequently been linked with jobs elsewhere, will now get a second chance to lead his side in the Premier League.

The Northern Irishman was in a reflective mood after securing his third promotion with the Tractor Boys, as he paid tribute to his team for bouncing back from last season’s disappointment.

Speaking to Sky Sports, McKenna said: “It means a lot. It’s probably been the hardest one to be honest. I’m so grateful.

“I know how hard we’ve had to work to turn it around. The club had such a big climb and then steep fall with such a big turnover of players. Club legends have left this club and we’ve had to try and rebuild this team. 

“Everyone stuck at it and we deserve to be where we are today.

“To have the third promotion in four years at home on a sunny May day is perfect. 

“We’ve steadily improved over the course of the year.

“We don’t start thinking about the Premier League today. We are going to enjoy this one.”

Who is in the play-offs?

Ipswich weren’t the only side who sealed their fate on the final day, with the play-off places now also confirmed.

Hull City clinched the final play-off place with a 2-1 victory over Norwich, as Wrexham failed to beat Middlesbrough.

But that barely paints the whole picture, with a thrilling final-day battle unfolding between Hull, Wrexham and Derby.

Before kick-off, the three sides were all separated by just a point after 45 matches, with the Rams starting the day on 69 points, just one behind Wrexham and Hull.

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Each side occupied sixth place at different points throughout the 90 minutes, but after Derby fell to a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United and Wrexham drew 2-2 with Middlesbrough, it was the Tigers who nicked the final play-off spot.

This ended Wrexham’s hopes of an unprecedented fourth straight promotion, who have soared since their Hollywood takeover in 2021.

Joining them in the play-off places are Middlesbrough – who ultimately finished fifth despite being in contention for automatic promotion at the start of the day.

Southampton finished fourth, leapfrogging Boro with a 3-1 win over Preston, while Millwall took third place by finishing a point behind promoted Ipswich.