Ipswich Town Vs Swansea: Mehmeti, Azon and Hirst fire Ipswich into title chase with 3-0 win
ipswich town vs swansea produced a decisive 3-0 victory for Ipswich Town at Portman Road, a result that tightens the Championship promotion race and highlights the hosts’ strong home form. The win leaves Ipswich well placed as the run-in approaches, with particular significance for the club’s immediate push back to the Premier League.
Anis Mehmeti
Anis Mehmeti opened the scoring early after Leif Davis, recalled to the side, galloped down the left and delivered a low cross that was only half-cleared by Ben Cabango. Mehmeti latched on to the loose ball and drilled an emphatic finish from just inside the box, driving the shot high into the net. Later in the game Mehmeti played a direct role in the third goal when he dispossessed Josh Tymon and squared for George Hirst to finish; that assist completed a match in which Mehmeti was a constant attacking threat.
Ivan Azon and George Hirst
Ivan Azon doubled Ipswich’s advantage late in the first half with a curling shot into the far corner after some weak defending from Swansea allowed him to score from a tight angle. Substitute George Hirst steered in the third goal 16 minutes from time to make the margin emphatic; the strike was Hirst’s eighth of the season. Dan Neil and Azon had earlier drawn saves from Swansea goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux, but Ipswich’s finishing proved decisive.
Portman Road
This was Ipswich’s first home outing since January and maintained their formidable record at Portman Road. Charlton Athletic remain the only visiting side to have won at Portman Road in 2025-26, and Ipswich recorded their 11th victory in 17 home league games since they dropped out of the top flight last May. The Tractor Boys have conceded only 12 goals in 16 home fixtures this term, a defensive record that underpinned the low-scoring home victory many had expected before kick-off.
Match incidents and Swansea responses
Swansea’s best chance to level came when Gustavo Nunes tapped in from Melker Widell’s low cross, but the Swede Melker Widell was flagged offside and the goal was ruled out. Vitor Matos’ team did not fold, with Malick Yalcouye and Liam Cullen both denied by Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton, and Swansea’s leading scorer Zan Vipotnik—who began the game on the bench—struck a free-kick against the bar with the last kick of the match. The result left Swansea slipping to 16th and added to their away difficulties: Swansea have suffered ten away defeats this season and this was their ninth defeat in their past 11 away fixtures.
Standings, run-in and betting context
Ipswich’s 3-0 success cut the gap to second place to only three points. Kieran McKenna’s side remain fourth but have a game in hand on second-placed Middlesbrough and have played two fewer than Millwall, who sit third. Ipswich have scored 59 league goals this season, a tally bettered only by leaders Coventry City. Middlesbrough have the chance to respond when they go to Birmingham City on Monday, while Ipswich enter the end-of-season run-in having played fewer games than any other side in the division.
Outside the stadium, betting commentary ahead of the fixture had singled out the pairing as a candidate for a low-scoring home win. Tipster James Milton offered an 11-8 selection from the Championship on the Ipswich fixture, pointing to Ipswich’s defensive record at home and Swansea’s pattern of away defeats—only one of Swansea’s ten away defeats featured more than three goals, with 1-0 losses at leaders Coventry and second-placed Middlesbrough and 2-1 reverses at Millwall and Hull among them. The betting preview also noted Ipswich’s recent form swings: they had bounced back from a 5-3 defeat at Wrexham the previous weekend with a 2-0 win at Watford on Tuesday and could not afford to slip up against the Swans. That piece made clear it contained offers and promotions that may have changed since publication and that links within it could generate revenue for the publisher.
What makes this notable is how a compact defensive record at home combined with decisive finishing turned possession and pressure into three goals, leaving Swansea with few openings. Ipswich did so even with leading scorer Jack Clarke starting on the bench and Jaden Philogene absent through injury, and the club’s manager, Kieran McKenna, praised the players’ application: "A good performance. I thought the boys went at it with a lot of humility, recognised exactly what the opponent was and what we needed to do. "
Gallery and club material
A selection of images from Swansea’s trip to Portman Road has been published as a gallery capturing the match moments and atmosphere. That gallery is © 2026 Swansea City Association Football Club Limited and was designed and built by Other Media, powered by Clubcast.
