Ipswich climb to seventh after defeating Preston

Posted Sunday, November 05, 2017 by PA

Ipswich climbed to seventh in the Championship table after condemning Preston to a fourth straight defeat in the Sky Bet Championship match at Portman Road.

A direct free kick by Martyn Waghorn in first-half stoppage time, a David McGoldrick,header and a wonder strike by Bersant Celina ensured victory for the hosts.

Ipswich won a free kick in the second minute midway into the Preston half which was taken by Waghorn and following a goalmouth scramble McGoldrick headed over the bar.

McGoldrick and Jordan Spence then combined down the right with the former's shot on goal deflecting for a corner.

The Portman Road crowd was getting restless with the continuing halt in play and in the 23rd minute, Jordan Hugill was booked by referee Andrew Madley for persistent fouling.

A minute later McGoldrick was also booked for arguing with the referee after netting from an offside position.

In the 29th minute Cole Skuse came off injured and was replaced by Kevin Bru and seven minutes later another injury, this time to Preston's Daniel Fisher, resulted in Marnick Vermijl replacing him.

A minute before half time a foul on Waghorn on the edge of the penalty area, following neat play between him, McGoldrick and Bru, resulted in the Ipswich number nine curling a left-footed shot past the Preston defensive wall and into the net for the opening goal of the game.

In injury time Johnson curled a shot from outside the penalty area which struck the bar.

Ipswich started the second half brightly and in the 49th minute a cross from the right by Spence was headed home by McGoldrick.

Spence provided another cross three minutes later which was flicked on by Bru only for Jonas Knudsen to head narrowly wide.

Good play wide right again in the 57th between Garner and McGoldrick resulted in Waghorn crossing for Knudsen to fire his shot just over the bar.

In the 64th minute another move down the right, involving Spence and Celina, resulted in a wonderful strike from the Kosovan forward just inside the penalty area, who beat the Preston goalkeeper Chris Maxwell by firing into the roof of the net.

In the 84th minute Ben Pearson was booked for a comment he made to the referee and good play between McGoldrick and Garner resulted in a corner which was played to McGoldrick, whose shot was saved by the Preston keeper.