Ipswich Town 6-0 Sheffield Wednesday: Tractor Boys back up to second

Omari Hutchinson scored twice in a virtuoso performance as Ipswich Town put six goals past Sheffield Wednesday to reclaim second place in the Championship.

The result was never in doubt as Hutchinson, Cameron Burgess and Nathan Broadhead goals had the game won by half-time.

Hutchinson added his second, and created two more for substitute Ali Al-Hamadi, as Ipswich made it consecutive defeats for relegation-troubled Wednesday.

Ipswich suffered the heartache of losing to a goal in the 100th minute at Cardiff, ending a run of six straight victories that had given them a second wind in a breathless promotion race.

They hit back from that disappointment in fine style against a Wednesday side who have roused themselves from their slumber under the guidance of German manager Danny Rohl and went into the game having won five of the previous seven.

The Tractor Boys were without 12-goal leading goalscorer Conor Chaplin, who was injured in training this week, but it made no difference they scored three times in each half.

Chelsea loanee Hutchinson took centre stage in a fine team display, and he opened the scoring by turning and reversing his shot into the far corner after the Wednesday defence gave him too much space.

Ipswich suffered another injury blow as Wales winger Wes Burns limped off with what seemed to be a muscle problem that makes him a doubt for his country’s upcoming internationals.

That could not interrupt the home side’s rhythm, however, and after Kieffer Moore headed Leif Davis’ corner against the bar, Burgess snapped up his first goal of the season to double the lead.

Ipswich made it three in added time in the first half with a slick move as Moore held up the ball, played in subtitute Kayden Jackson, and his cross was neatly turned home by Broadhead for his 12th goal of the season.

Any thoughts of a revival by the away side were quashed within three minutes of the restart as Broadhead played in Hutchinson and he netted his fifth goal in his last five Portman Road appearances, and took his season tally to eight.

With the game as good as won and Wednesday offering little resistance, Ipswich scaled down their efforts in the second half – but the introduction of Al-Hamadi spiced it up and brought two late goals that boost the team’s goal difference in what could be a tight fight for the top two places.

Hutchinson’s driving run scattered the defence, and when Jeremy Sarmiento’s shot was parried by keeper James Beadle, Al-Hamadi snapped up the rebound.

Hutchinson had one last delight for the fans, dancing into the box and teeing up Al-Hamadi for the sixth goal.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

“I thought it was an outstanding performance from the first minute to the last and pretty much all phases in the game. Our work on the ball, off the ball, our set plays, our transitions were excellent. A top, top performance.

“Against a team in good form, a Sheffield Wednesday team who were improved and have been performing well against the top teams who have been performing well. To impose ourselves on them to that extent is a really, really good performance.

“You can’t complain having scored six by any means and they were high quality goals, but we created chances right the way through the game and the players never settled, never stopped, kept pushing for more goals while still respecting things defensively so that’s always really pleasing.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl told BBC Radio Sheffield:

“It’s a hard defeat. It’s hard to say the first half was OK when we conceded three, but I saw some moments, six or seven minutes, where we had a cut back into the area and a shot from [Ike] Ugbo.

“We conceded the first goal and were still in the game, then another from a set piece and the third just before half-time, and then it’s difficult.

“All in all it was well deserved from Ipswich. They are a strong side, and that’s why they are at the top of the table at the moment.

“We need to refresh our minds and face eight finals in the coming days, games we have to win, with no excuses.”