Ipswich thrash Millwall to bounce back into EPL promotion race

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Ipswich bounced back to winning ways with a 4-0 thrashing of Millwall on Wednesday to rekindle their hopes of promotion to the Premier League.

Kieran McKenna's men had won just one in nine previous league games to slip to fourth in the table behind in-form Leeds and Southampton.

However, they closed to within three points of the automatic promotion places by inflicting another night to forget on struggling Millwall.

Nathan Broadhead opened the scoring and then forced Wes Harding into an own goal.

Bournemouth loanee Kieffer Moore headed home the third early in the second half before Ali Al-Hamadi converted a stoppage-time penalty.

"I think we are long due a night like that to be honest," said former Manchester United assistant manager McKenna.

"Statistically, in the last nine games we have been creating more shots and having less against than in the first nine games but sometimes football works like that.

"We were clinical and we produced the defensive moments whenever we needed to."

Defeat leaves Millwall just four points above the relegation zone as they slip to 21st in the table.

Coventry climbed back into the playoff places thanks to Liam Kitching's 95th-minute equaliser to snatch a 2-2 draw at Plymouth.

Sunderland and Middlesbrough's hopes of challenging for a place in the top six come the end of the season stumbled in defeats at Huddersfield and Preston respectively.

Matty Pearson scored the only goal as Huddersfield moved five points clear of the relegation zone against the Black Cats.

Preston are outside the playoff places only on goal difference after Emil Riis scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Boro.

QPR remain rooted in the bottom three after a 1-0 defeat at Stoke.