Premier League history made as Ipswich RELEGATED to Championship… but Newcastle tighten grip on Champions League
IPSWICH’S relegation to the Championship was confirmed as Newcastle ensured a perfect return for Eddie Howe after his health scare.
Goals from Alexander Isak, his 26th of the season, Dan Burn and Will Osula secured a 3-0 victory on their manager’s comeback after his pneumonia battle.
While that moved them third and bolstered their Champions League hopes, Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys were condemned to the second tier after ill-discipline caused their implosion.
And joining Southampton and Leicester saw them become the earliest confirmed relegated trio in Prem history with four games still to play.
Despite all the odds being stacked against them, Ipswich looked anything but overawed and took the game straight to Newcastle.
Dan Burn escaped lightly after his loose pass was pounced on by Jack Clarke, whose resulting shot just took a nick of Fabian Schar to divert it an inch the wrong side of the far post.
Liam Delap, perhaps auditioning for a potential summer switch to the North East, had a strike blocked before he latched onto a Schar error only for the Swiss star’s recovery block.
Newcastle were flat and just could not get going, but a harshly disallowed goal on 22 minutes finally got a bee in their bonnet.
Harvey Barnes knocked a cross towards the back post where the Brazilian stood his ground and turned his back as Alex Palmer darted out, only for the keeper to bounce off the Toon captain and fall to the ground after the slightest nudge.
Frustration was growing around St James’ both in the stands and on the pitch as another VAR check was needed to clear both Town skipper Sam Morsy and Joe Willock after a coming together.
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The visitors were sitting deep, not allowing Isak to get behind.
In fact, the hotshot Swede had to wait until after half hour for a sniff, firstly heading over Harvey Barnes’ cross and within a minute there were more groans as he volleyed high off target from Jacob Murphy’s knock in.
Up the other end, Johnson had just gone into the book for simulation after diving over the legs of Dan Burn 20 yards out and seven minutes later he was off after tugging at Isak.
Kieran McKenna was furious as he was forced to sacrifice ex-Sunderland winger Clarke to bring on defender Ben Godfrey.
The atmosphere was white hot now but his brave Tractor Boys refused to buckle as Luke Woolfenden denied Guimaraes the opener on the line and Sandro Tonali crashed an effort off the crossbar.
Ipswich were on the ropes and desperate for the break but their hard work was further undone by another lack of discipline.
Murphy got the wrong side of Julio Enciso and was sent flying after a pull, allowing Isak to send the resulting penalty kick past Palmer.
Chants of “Premier League, corrupt as f***” rang out from the away end and at least their second half collapse ensured they won’t have to endure any more apparent injustice next term.
Already facing a mountain to climb, things got even worse for Ipswich as their top-flight status was swept away in a Toon tidal wave.
A short corner routine resulted in Kieran Trippier floating a cross towards the back post for giant Burn to nod in and double the advantage.
Murphy’s long-ranger curled just wide as it turned into one-way traffic and the third eventually arrived.
Osula, only on the bench for a matter of minutes, rose highest to head home Trippier’s corner for his first top-flight goal for the club.
It should have been four, but Bruno Guimaraes hooked the ball high over the crossbar with the goal-gaping.
Anthony Gordon also forced Palmer into a diving stop in the dying seconds but they were forced to settle for three as their focus switches to next week’s trip to Brighton.
Although the one downside for Newcastle and Howe was a booking for his assistant Jason Tindall during the second half.
The man dubbed ‘Mad Dog’ had been on best behaviour while covering for Howe during his sickness, but this third caution of the campaign means he will be banned from the touchline against the Seagulls.
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