Ipswich secure Premier League return after 22 years away

Ipswich Town have been promoted to the Premier League after 22 years out of the top flight.

Ipswich Town players celebrate promotion to the Premier League. Pic: Reuters

The Tractor Boys beat Huddersfield 2-0 at Portman Road to secure a second successive promotion, having finished runners-up to Plymouth in League One last season.

Kieran McKenna’s side already had a three-point advantage over third-placed Leeds going into the final game of the season and only needed a draw to secure promotion from the Championship.

Ipswich became the first club since Southampton in 2012 to gain back-to-back promotions from the third tier to the Premier League, while the result sealed Huddersfield’s relegation to League One.

Ipswich Town celebrate their side’s promotion to the Premier League. Pic: PA

Thousands of Ipswich fans gathered outside the ground before kick-off with some setting off smoke bombs and flares.

The expectant home crowd watched their team pin the opposition in their own half in the opening 20 minutes and Ipswich should have taken the lead following a breakaway in the 25th minute.

But the dominant display saw the Tractor Boys go 1-0 up two minutes later from a well-worked move where Conor Chaplin found Wes Burns unmarked in the box and the Welshman fired home to a huge raw from the crowd.

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna celebrates. Pic: PA

Omari Hutchinson struck again three minutes after the restart, skipping away from a challenge to find the back of the net from the edge of the box.

Fans poured on to the pitch after the final whistle to celebrate a remarkable turnaround in the club’s fortunes.

McKenna pledged to “work really hard over the summer” and praised his “incredible” players.

“To get here so far so quickly, a lot of hard work, everyone together, it’s amazing what you can do,” he said.

“They’re incredible [the players]. I’ll speak to them over the next few days, they have been an absolute privilege to work with, my first managerial job. I’ve been fortunate with the group of players, group of people that I’ve come across and they are a wonderful group and they deserve all the success.

“It’s been great and a massive thank you to my family and to my parents.

“What a journey it’s been. I’m not sure it will happen again in the way that we’ve done it. I know you can say technically it’s been done before but I’m not sure it’s been done like this in a football club like this, how we’ve done it and not sure this will happen for a very long time.

“We will work really hard over the summer and what a fantastic challenge ahead and enjoy the celebrations and look forward and we will make sure you enjoy next season.”