Championship: Wrexham beat Ipswich in eight-goal thriller; championship play-off picture shifts
Wrexham climbed into the top six after a 5-3 win over Ipswich in an eight-goal game that reshaped the championship play-off race. Six matches across the division produced key results for Portsmouth, Birmingham and leaders Coventry.
Five-goal collapse at Racecourse
Ipswich Town conceded five goals away at Wrexham over the weekend, losing 5-3 after leading 3-2 and suffering a second-half collapse. The Blues had previously lost 1-0 to Wrexham in an FA Cup tie at the Racecourse Ground, a game in which Town failed to register a single shot on target. There were 10 changes for Ipswich between the cup and the league meeting, so most of those involved in the championship clash should have been well-rested.
What went wrong for Ipswich
Alex Jones previewed Ipswich's next game, noting they are back on the road to face Watford at Vicarage Road (7: 45pm). The Blues have had several low points this season including a 3-0 home defeat to Charlton Athletic and a rearranged trip to Blackburn Rovers where a poor performance was rescued by Sindre Walle Egeli’s stoppage-time equaliser. Poor displays away at Leicester City and Sheffield United either side of New Year were also highlighted. Price Park came next, a 2-1 win at Derby County with a brave display that got fans behind the team, but that momentum did not last.
Wrexham, ex-Blues and top-two impact
Wrexham were described as the fitter, hungrier team on the day and they deserved the points. Two of the goals conceded by Ipswich came from ex-Blues Kieffer Moore and Nathan Broadhead, and the defeat cost Ipswich ground on the top two. Ipswich will play a fourth successive game away this evening before returning to Portman Road to face Swansea City.
Other standout results
Portsmouth climbed six points clear of the drop zone with a 3-1 win at third-placed Millwall. Birmingham won 2-1 at Norwich. Watford beat Derby 2-0. Middlesbrough were held to a goalless draw by Oxford, and Charlton held Southampton. QPR beat promotion-chasing Hull 3-1, and Swansea beat stuttering Bristol City. Stoke scored in the 89th minute to draw 2-2 with Leicester, denying Leicester an escape from the bottom three in the 89th minute.
Coventry pull clear
League leaders Coventry beat struggling West Brom 2-0 through goals from Ephron Mason-Clark and Jack Rudoni, further pulling away from Middlesbrough at the top of the table.
Watford and managerial context
Watford head coach Ed Still spoke after his side's 2-0 win against Derby, saying: "It was to be able to start the game in the way that we did, to be able to score early and not step back too much after that. There was a phase in the first half where we were maybe a little bit too passive, but we managed to keep stepping forwards. Everybody had to make changes early in the game [after Giorgi Chakvetadze came on for injured Maamma], but seeing that the subs who came on stuck to the game plan was also great to see. It was special to be able to give the fans something to cheer about. We felt the energy and the support from kick-off all the way to the end so to be able to send everyone home happy and hopeful for the coming weeks is great. "
Watford sit ninth in the table, three points off the play-offs, and are on their third manager of the 2025/26 campaign. Former player Tom Cleverley was sacked at the end of last season after just over a year in charge. Uruguayan boss Paulo Pezzolano replaced him but was axed in October. Javi Gracia returned for a spell but found himself out of a job at the start of February. Ed Still is the new man in charge of the Hornets.
Fixtures and looming relegation drama
The day’s coverage noted tomorrow Bramall Lane will host the Steel City derby, giving Sheffield United the chance to doom Sheffield Wednesday to relegation once and for all (well, at least for next season). It was written: "It could be some miserable poetry... or it could be a victory the Owls will never forget. See you then!" Blues boss Chris Davies also spoke following a "big win" at Norwich.
Reporters on the day included Ian Woodcock, Kate Holloway, Tom Rostance and Joe Boon.
Closing note: Wrexham make the top six after a 5-3 thriller with Ipswich, Coventry pull away from Boro at the top, and Leicester were denied by an 89th-minute goal for Stoke.
