Tommy Smith and Paul Green were on target as Town ended their season with a 2-1 home victory over Sheffield Wednesday. Smith stabbed home from close range in the 37th minute, Kieran Lee equalised for the visitors 10 minutes after the break but Green nodded in Stephen Hunt’s freekick in the 67th minute.

Anthony Wordsworth and Frank Nouble came into an otherwise unchanged starting XI for Hunt, who dropped to the bench, and the injured Cole Skuse.

Skipper Luke Chambers, Christophe Berra and Smith lined-up in a three-man central defence with Aaron Cresswell as the left wing-back and Frazer Richardson on the right.

Jonny Williams was between central midfielders Wordsworth and Green and strikers Nouble and Daryl Murphy. Former Blues academy scholar Caolan Lavery started for the Owls.

Wednesday had the better of a rather understated for 10 minutes but two blocked Michail Antonio shots were the nearest they came to testing Town keeper Dean Gerken. On 12 on-loan Chelsea man Sam Hutchinson headed wide from a corner.

Town began to get more into it and on 17 Green fed Williams inside the area, but the Wales international was solidly challenged by Glenn Loovens as he looked to shoot. Moments later, Atdhe Nuhiu nodded wide for the visitors from a cross from the right.

After cutting out a Wednesday break just outside his own area, Green broke forward before playing Nouble into space on the left. The striker took the ball into the Owls box but Hutchinson got back to tackle as he tried to cut inside.

Lavery, who turned down the offer of a pro contract with the Blues after his scholarship, saw an effort blocked, as did Antonio.

Richardson had a decent chance in the 35th minute after Williams had taken a freekick quickly to Nouble on the left. The striker over-hit his cross but the ball fell perfectly for Richardson, however, the on-loan Boro man screwed his volley well wide. Soon after Owls defender Oguchi Onyewu was booked for a foul on Williams.

On 37 Williams started the move which led to Town taking the lead. The on-loan Palace man crossed from the left, the ball falling to Smith, who stabbed it back to Wordsworth, who left it for Green on the edge of the box.

The Leeds loanee found Murphy on the right of the box and the Irish striker curled a shot which Owls keeper Damian Martinez could only palm out to Smith, who stabbed home his sixth goal of the season.

Hutchinson just got in ahead of Nouble to nod back to Martinez as the Blues frontman chased a ball down the middle on 38 as Town went looking for a second.

Within a minute Murphy was within a whisker of adding his 14th goal of the season when he cut in from the right and hit a shot which beat Martinez but struck the post.

In the final scheduled minute of the half Gerken did well to get across to his right to save Lavery’s shot from the edge of the box, then from the resultant corner made an even better stop. Oguchi Onyewu headed down Chris Maguire’s corner from the left and Gerken reacted superbly to block Antonio’s goalbound effort from close range.

The referee’s whistle followed soon afterwards to end a half which had taken a while to get going with neither keeper having to make a save until Martinez’s stop from Murphy which led to Smith’s goal.

Town had the better of it from there with Murphy unfortunate not to add to his total for the season, while only an excellent late save from Gerken prevented the visitors from getting back on terms.

Six minutes after the restart Murphy went close again, diverting Cresswell’s powerful left-wing cross over at the near post.

Nuhiu headed over from a right-wing cross on 53, but two minutes later the Owls were on terms. Joe Mattock crossed low from the left, Lavery miskicked his shot on the edge of the six-yard box, but the ball fell kindly for Lee, who hit a low effort across Gerken and into the corner of the net for his first ever Wednesday goal.

Gerken saved Maguire’s low strike with Wednesday having been on top since their goal. On the hour, Smith was booked for a foul on Giles Coke.

Town switched Smith and Williams — warmly applauded off in the final game of his loan spell from Crystal Palace — for Paul Taylor and Stephen Hunt in the 63rd minute. The Blues were by now in a flat back four with a three-man attack.

A minute later, sub Hunt, who is out of contract and is yet to be offered new terms, created the Blues’ second goal.

The winger whipped over a freekick from the right and an unmarked Green — also yet to be offered a deal for next year with his contract at parent club Leeds up this summer — nodded home the second goal of his loan spell, the previous one having come in Town’s last home game.

Maguire shot wide from distance for the Owls, then Martinez punched away another Hunt freekick from the right which was just too far in front of Murphy. Wednesday subsequently broke but Antonio scuffed weakly wide.

Owls sub Maghoma shot low from 20 yards in the 83rd minute, then moments later Nouble was harshly penalised when he caught Onyewu in possession midway inside the Wednesday half.

On 86, much to the delight of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand who had been chanting his name to the tune of a well-known rugby anthem for much of the half, young striker Jack Marriott, recently returned from his successful loan spell at Woking, replaced Nouble.

Neither side threatened in the closing stages and the final whistle confirmed three points for Town on the final day of the season.

While the game lacked the intensity of a match with something riding on it, after a slow start it had its moments and Town deserved the win.

The victory and results elsewhere see the Blues end the campaign in ninth on 68 points, four points from sixth. A late winner grabbed the final play-off place for Brighton at Nottingham Forest, while Birmingham netted a last-gasp equaliser to draw 2-2 at Bolton and climb above Doncaster, who took the final relegation spot.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith (Taylor 63), Berra, Cresswell, Richardson, Green, Wordsworth, Nouble (Marriott 86), Williams (Hunt 63), Murphy. Unused: Loach, Mings, Tabb, Henshall.

Sheffield Wednesday: Martinez, Mattock (Helan 75), Onyewu, Loovens, Lee, Coke (Maghoma 80), Hutchinson, Maguire, Lavery, Antonio, Nuhiu (Best 61). Unused: Kirkland, McCabe, Llera, Stobbs. Referee: Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire). Att: 20,862 (Wednesday: 2,080).

Photo: Action Images

BrettenhamBlue added 11:34 - May 4 We need someone better than Nouble next season. Lavery looked class at times. Shame he did not stay with us
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superkevinwilson added 11:42 - May 4 Abuja, my comment was not a moan but a question, why bring on someone who is not wanted by the manager before bringing on a player who hopefully will be our future.
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AbujaBlue added 17:40 - May 4 Superkevin, you'd have to ask Mick that. Who knows, he was obviously going for the win so clearly he was trying to put on what he thought was his strongest team. I don't think he's ever doubted Taylor's ability, he just made it clear he is not 'his type' of player. Jimmy86: I don't really understand what Burnley has to do with us. Yes they are similar to us in respect of transfer fees (although they did spend closer to £1 million), but so are many other clubs in this league who have finished below us. Dyche has clearly done very well at Burnley to get them where they are now (as MM has done with Wolves in previous seasons), and good for him, but that does not mean that if he were put in charge of Ipswich instead of MM he would have got us to 2nd as well. Different players, different circumstances. Besides, if McGoldrick hadn't been injured then who knows where we would be now. What MM and TC has done at Ipswich is create a team spirit arguably second-to-none in this division that has allowed us to punch above our weight. This makes a change of the divisive and unsettling days of Keane/Jewell, and to be honest is what makes me look forward to next season. They've got a proven record of getting teams out of the Championship, so lets stop all this silly over-analysis over every move they make and just let them get on with it.

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barrysandals added 18:26 - May 4 Well let's look at positives. We will be playing Norwich next season!
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superkevinwilson added 19:08 - May 4 Abujablue, what part of my comment was silly, you need to get of your high horse.
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AbujaBlue added 22:23 - May 4 Honestly Superkevin, please tell where I said your comment was silly? I said over-analysis in general is silly, and that was not even to you. I thought I answered you fairly, but instead you ignore all that and accuse me of being on a high horse? I give up.
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Hiltzkooler added 22:27 - May 4 A football clubs support is made up of many different people from all walks of life, with differing means and different levels of understanding of what 'support' is. I watch our team play regularly, mostly away matches, read all there is to read, mostly on the net...I avidly take in others opinions, to countenance my own...but my opinion is that Mick has not delivered to the level that I perceive the team was capable of...his tactics have fallen short, his team selection pertaining to some players is mystifying at best, nihilist at worst..and simply put there are not to many, overly, memorable moments from the season....Derby away first half fabulous, Reading opening game maybe...I mean memorable, not run of the mill...and perhaps that is what the season has been, run of the mill, when expectations have been low against the last handful of seasons...but, personally I'm running short on "hoping", have a higher level of expectation and am getting fed up up of Micks trite post match comments....and yes, Mick I think you are a mercenary, albeit a decent bloke...but not my flavour..so, AbujaBlue, Mick apologists if you will, it's not "trolling", it's called a different opinion to yours.....

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Hiltzkooler added 22:40 - May 4 PS...forgive my ignorance on these cryptic matters but what is a WOTB troll?!...my 14 year old didn't know either....
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AbujaBlue added 22:46 - May 4 Fair enough Hiltzkooler, I respect you have your opinion, I just genuinally don't get it. 1. How is Mick a mercenary? Just like any job he has a set of skills, and as any employer would ME has to pay the right price for his skills.It is the same with any football manager. 2. Can you at least acknowledge the positives he has brought to the club? It looks to me that you are expecting him to be near-perfect in his selections, and also that the team must also take blame in those few matches where they fell short. ps. WOTB = Wrath of the Barclay (the main Norwich fan forum). I take back my troll comment - that was just me not sure whether you were actually being serious or not, but your follow up post shows you are.

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Hiltzkooler added 00:16 - May 5 Abuja, I thank you for your correction, re WOTB, again not one of my flavours, but an insight none the less!!...re Mercenary mick...from comment alas not fact, Mick, is a very, very well paid manager in the Championship...I question his motives for choosing Ipswich Town aside a substantial Marcus salary....however I do not decry his achievements last season, nor his improvement this....money paid for his skillset...nowt wrong with that!... But, and it is a significant but, Mick had a set of players given a set of skills, greater for the sum of their parts...but never the less skilled....and Mick chose to deploy them according to his beliefs, at times robust but more often, professional, diligent and hard working....but not, more importantly interesting to watch or full of vitality..he deployed them to his whims...that is my criticism, and indeed my soap box call....his dinosaur tactics has, in my given opinion, under achieved...I believe ITFC are better than Brighton, bettered by Wigan and QPR, and superior to Derby...the play offs should have been achieved not swerved through albetary team tactics and selection....

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Luka added 00:25 - May 5 ITFC_REALIST get yourself down the hospital and have that head examined, you are a football illiterate. Mick has done a great job with little support. Chambers is fantastic, Skuse and Anderson have both been good too, and you cannot ever guarentee anything in the Championship. Ridiculous
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Luka added 00:31 - May 5 Going back to the money thing, even Yeovil Town outspent Ipswich Town. Says it all about the (lack of) backing
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superkevinwilson added 07:38 - May 5 Abujablue, you need to re-read your comments, and may be it is time for you to give up.
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blueboy1981 added 15:19 - May 5 More antagonistic tactics, subsstitutions and original team selections. Why do we ever expect logical thinking reference the above ? - this is MM - he will play his favourites whatever anyone thinks. All I can say, is at this rate Portman Road will eventually end up with around 10 - 12k of support, made up entirely of people who know no better, and certainly not wanting to be entertained. No doubt they will also keep comparing MM's efforts with the previous encumbents of his position - for FOREVER and a day. With such support our 'succesful' Club days are well and truly over, because the afore mentioned people will FOREVER be happy with whatever they get served up. Dissboy got it right - is 9th in the Championship really great ? - unless you compare it with the two previous diabolical Managers efforts - of course NOT. Acceptable perhaps this season - but no great shakes for sure. This is about as good as it gets with this Manager - prove me wrong next season and beyond Mr McCarthy - if you are capable of changing your ways !!!!.

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