Ipswich Town are up to second in League One after a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Portman Road, the Blues’ eighth league win in a row equalling a club record previously achieved in the 1953/54 Third Division South title-winning season. George Hirst and Conor Chaplin set Town on their way with goals in the first half before Wes Burns and a Freddie Ladapo penalty sealed the three points in the second as the Blues kept their ninth clean sheet in a row and went ahead of Sheffield Wednesday, who again dropped points.
Town, with Ed Sheeran watching from his box in the Magnus Group West Stand, made one change with Leif Davis returning at left-back having missed the 2-0 win at Derby with a hamstring injury, while Greg Leigh dropped out of the 18.
Wycombe, who are managed by former Town midfielder and boyhood supporter Matt Bloomfield, made two changes from last week’s 2-2 home draw with MK Dons, with Nick Freeman and Jason McCarthy coming into the team for Chem Campbell and Tjay De Barr, who were among the subs.
Town started on the front foot with Davis scuffing a cross from the left over the bar in the opening seconds.
In the second minute, Harry Clarke exchanged passes with Nathan Broadhead and broke into the area on the right but was stopped in his tracks by a Chris Forino tackle.
Town continued to dominate and in the 15th minute had the ball in the net after a typically slick move. However, George Hirst was flagged offside as he was played in by Broadhead before he took the ball wide of Max Stryjek and slipped it into the net.
The game was held up ahead of the restart as Wycombe’s Josh Scowen took to the turf with the Blues support making their frustration regarding the time-wasting tactic clear.
Wycombe struck their first effort of the game in the 24th minute, the ball falling loose to Lewis Wing on the edge of the box following a free-kick but his effort was sent well over.
The Blues had lost something of their early impetus but on 26 the ball was worked to Clarke 25 yards out from where the former Arsenal man hit a low effort which Stryjek saved down to his right and just about hung onto with Hirst lurking.
As the half-hour mark passed, Town began to put the visitors under pressure once again with the Chairboys unable to get the ball away following a blocked Clarke shot.
On 35, Chaplin curled a free-kick low towards the corner of Stryjek’s net but the keeper got down well to palm it wide.
The Blues maintained their momentum and three minutes later took the lead. Davis whipped over a corner from the right and Hirst rose highest at the near post to nod his fourth goal in four games and his fifth since joining the club on loan in January before performing the golf celebration seen at Derby last week in front of an ecstatic Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
Town went about adding to their lead with Clarke playing a superb ball in behind for Wes Burns, but the Welshman’s effort was blocked, then a minute later last season’s top scorer shot over.
But in the final scheduled minute, the Blues did double their lead. Burns brought the ball forward on the right and stopped, causing Chairboys skipper Joe Jacobson to slip, giving him time to pick out Chaplin, who had been given far too much space.
The forward worked the ball onto his left foot and hit a low shot into the corner of the net with Stryjek motionless to claim his 21st goal of the season.
Town might have made it 3-0 two minutes into injury time, Hirst reacting quickly to an under-hit back-pass and beating Stryjek to the ball but sending it the wrong side of the post.
There was applause for the Blues at the break from the home support with their side deservedly in front.
Town had made a strong start but faded a little midway through the half before showing renewed impetus prior to Hirst opening the scoring with his towering header.
Chaplin’s goal once again showed the former Pompey man’s predatory instincts and his link-up with Burns to see the Blues into a very strong position at the break.
Town began the second half as they had ended the first and in the opening minute Massimo Luongo worked his way to the byline on the left but saw his low cross turned behind.
Seven minutes after the restart, Forino was shown the game’s first yellow card for shoving Burns on the touchline on the right.
In the 53rd minute, Burns was played the ball in acres of space on the right but by the time it came down, Forino had been able to get across to cut out his cross to the similarly unmarked Hirst.
Two minutes later, Jack Grimmer hit a shot from the edge of the area which looped into the air and into the previously untested Christian Walton’s arms.
But on 57 the Blues went three in front. Clarke brought the ball forward from inside the Town half and exchanged passes with Broadhead before running into a tackle. The ball looped to Hirst, who played a ball to the right of the box from where Burns slammed a powerful low shot between Stryjek’s legs and into the net, the Wales international’s seventh goal of the season.
Wycombe swapped Jacobson for Campbell following the goal and, with the Blues looking for their fourth, later replaced Freeman with De Barr.
Hirst shot wide just after the hour, then on 68, and with the Sir Bobby Robson Stand in fine voice as news emerged that as it stood given results elsewhere the Blues were top of League One, Town made a quadruple change.
Chaplin, Broadhead, Hirst and Burns made way for Marcus Harness, Kyle Edwards, Freddie Ladapo and Kayden Jackson with the departing players given a rousing send-off by the Blues’ support.
On 70, Jackson almost reached a Davis cross from the left but Jason McCarthy bundled it behind, then two minutes later Cameron Burgess headed over from a Davis corner, but the Town support didn’t have to wait too much longer for their side’s fourth goal of the afternoon.
Edwards broke forward and exchanged passes with Davis on the touchline before the former West Brom man was tripped by Scowen. Referee David Rock pointed straight to the spot.
Ladapo took the penalty - perhaps his first touch of the ball since coming on - and hit it low to Stryjek’s right with the keeper diving the wrong way to claim his 17th goal of the season.
Town swapped Luongo for Dominic Ball in the 78th minute, the Australian given a warm ovation as he left the field.
With three minutes of scheduled time remaining, the Chairboys made a double change, Dominic Gape and Christie Ward replacing Scowen and Brandon Hanlan.
Deep in injury time, Wing curled a free-kick over the bar and seconds later referee Rock confirmed Town’s eighth win in a row.
The Blues have only previously won eight in a row in the league once before, in 1953/54 as Scott Duncan led his side to the Division Three South title. Town last won eight in a row in all competitions as part of a club record nine-in-a-row during 1981/82 under Sir Bobby Robson.
The clean sheets record is now up to nine and 866 minutes, while the Blues have scored 24 goals in that time.
In addition to Town’s victory, which comes on the second anniversary of the Gamechanger 10 takeover, results elsewhere went in the Blues’ favour with Sheffield Wednesday drawing 1-1 at Oxford, and dropping to third behind Town on goal difference as a result, and fourth-placed Barnsley losing 2-1 at Burton.
Wednesday have now taken four points from their last 18 and are without a win in six, while the Tykes are six points behind the Blues.
At one stage it looked like the Blues might end the afternoon top with Plymouth behind at Morecambe before eventually coming back to win 3-1.
However, despite the Pilgrims’ result, the Easter period couldn’t have got off to a much better start for the Blues, who are in action at Cheltenham on Monday afternoon.
Town: Walton, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns (Jackson 69), Morsy (c), Luongo (Ball 78), Davis, Chaplin (Edwards 69), Broadhead (Harness 68), Hirst (Ladapo 68). Unused: Hladky, Donacien.
Wycombe: Stryjek, Grimmer, Jacobson (c) (Campbell 58), Forino, Tafazolli, Wheeler, Wing, Hanlan (Ward 87), Freeman (De Barr 65), McCarthy, Scowen (Gape 87). Unused: Cartwright, Willis, Pattenden. Referee: David Rock (Hertfordshire). Att: 28,511 (Wycombe: 643).