Ipswich Town Vs Swansea: Mehmeti, Azon and Hirst fire Tractor Boys to 3-0 win
In a match that tightened the Championship race, ipswich town vs swansea ended 3-0 as Anis Mehmeti, Ivan Azon and George Hirst scored at Portman Road, a result that reduces Ipswich's deficit to the automatic places and reinforces their strong home form. The timing of the goals and a series of defensive lapses by Swansea left the visitors unable to mount a response as Ipswich moved closer to second place.
Ipswich Town Vs Swansea: early striking by Mehmeti sets the tone
Anis Mehmeti opened the scoring inside three minutes, rifling a finish from just inside the box after Leif Davis galloped down the left and delivered a low cross that Ben Cabango only half-cleared. Mehmeti latched on to the loose ball and drove the shot high into the net, a goal that put Ipswich on top from the outset and prompted Swansea to briefly think they had levelled when Gustavo Nunes converted Melker Widell's low cross eight minutes later, only for the flag to rule it out for offside.
Ivan Azon doubles lead with acute 41st-minute finish
Ivan Azon, on loan from Italian club Como, added the second with an acute curling finish in the 41st minute. Earlier, Azon and Dan Neil had both tested goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux. The second goal came after Mehmeti kept the ball alive near the corner flag and fed Azon, who swept a low finish from a tight angle into the far corner, extending Ipswich's control going into half-time.
George Hirst added gloss after Mehmeti's tenacity; Hirst's place in numbers
Sixteen minutes from time substitute George Hirst completed the scoring after Mehmeti dispossessed Josh Tymon and squared for a first-time finish inside the six-yard box. The strike was Hirst's eighth of the season and his second in successive matches, underscoring his recent contribution to the attack and putting clear daylight between the sides in the closing stages.
Portman Road form, fixture congestion and league implications
The result cut Ipswich's gap to second place to three points. Kieran McKenna's side remain fourth in the table but now have a game in hand on second-placed Middlesbrough and have played two fewer than Millwall, who sit third; Ipswich have also played fewer games than any other team in the division. The victory was the club's second comfortable win over Swansea this season after a 4-1 success in south Wales in November, and represented Ipswich's second successive league win and third in their past six attempts as they press for an immediate return to the Premier League.
Portman Road provided a familiar advantage: this was Ipswich's first home outing since January and their return after four straight away games. Charlton Athletic remain the only visiting side to have won at Portman Road in 2025-26, and this marked Ipswich's 11th victory in 17 home league games since they dropped out of the top flight last May. Ipswich have now scored 59 league goals this season, a tally bettered only by Coventry City.
Swansea resistance, injuries and late moments
Vitor Matos' side did not capitulate and produced chances: Malick Yalcouye and Liam Cullen were both denied by Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton, and early in the second half Walton pushed away a drive from Cullen after Dan Neil was muscled off the ball. Swansea's leading scorer Zan Vipotnik began the day on the bench and struck a ferocious free-kick against the bar with the last kick of the game. Swansea slipped to 16th and registered their ninth defeat in 11 away matches, with Jack Clarke starting on the bench for Ipswich and Jaden Philogene absent through injury.
Match notes, media extras and reaction
The match at Portman Road took place on Saturday and match coverage included highlights and a note advising the use of a Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. A gallery of the best images from Swansea City's Championship trip to Portman Road was published, copyrighted 2026 by Swansea City Association Football Club Limited, designed and built by Other Media and powered by Clubcast.
McKenna praised his players for their humility and work, saying they recognised the opponent and what needed to be done. Middlesbrough have the chance to respond when they travel to Birmingham City on Monday, leaving Ipswich well placed as the run-in approaches.
What makes this notable is how a three-minute strike, a 41st-minute finish and a late first-time tap-in combined to produce a comprehensive result that advances Ipswich's promotion chase while underlining Swansea's ongoing problems on the road.
