Michael Kightly’s 54th minute goal saw already-promoted Burnley to a 1-0 victory over Town at Turf Moor and ended the Blues’ hopes of reaching the play-offs. Tommy Smith had a first-half header nodded off the line and sub Paul Taylor’s late freekick was well saved, but overall the Clarets deserved their victory.

Frazer Richardson was handed the right midfield role — rather than the central position anticipated before kick-off - with Paul Anderson missing out with the hamstring injury he aggravated in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

Paul Green came into the centre alongside Cole Skuse with Anthony Wordsworth missing out with the dead leg he suffered on Monday. Luke Hyam remains on the sidelines with a hip flexor strain.

Christophe Berra was back at the heart of the defence with skipper Luke Chambers moving to right-back. Freddie Veseli was on the bench for the first time since he returned from his loan spell at Bury.

Having confirmed their promotion via a 2-0 win against Wigan on Monday, Burnley, wearing a vintage kit to celebrate their 1914 FA Cup win, struck the game’s first shot in the second minute, Scott Arfield’s effort deflecting wide from Danny Ings’s knockdown.

Daryl Murphy hit the first shot of the game for the Blues, who were wearing last season’s white and black away kit, from the edge of the box in the 10th minute but Ben Mee blocked.

Ashley Barnes just failed to reach Ings’s knockdown in the 11th minute as the home fans began a round of applause in tribute to Robbie Williamson, an 11-year-old boy who died earlier in the week after falling in a canal.

On 20 Burnley keeper Tom Heaton came off his line quickly to claim ahead of Stephen Hunt, but largely both keepers had been spectators.

Smith was booked for a tactical foul on Ings in the 25th minute after Aaron Cresswell had given the ball away midway inside the Blues’ half.

The New Zealand international was close to opening the scoring two minutes later when Kieran Trippier nodded his header off the line and over after Berra had knocked Richardson’s corner from the right back across the edge of the six-yard box.

The Blues were starting to look more dangerous, winning a number of corners. But on the half hour, following one of those Town flagkicks, the Clarets broke quickly but Arfield was unable to direct Kightly’s right-wing cross towards goal. On 33, Gerken claimed Barnes’s shot down to his right.

Burnley skipper Jason Shackell cut out Chambers’s right-sided cross as a rather lacklustre half moved into its final five minutes.

Murphy and Jonny Williams exchanged passes on the left in the 41st minute, the Irishman whipping over a teasing cross to the far post which Richardson couldn’t direct goalwards when under pressure from Kightly.

A minute later, Ings shot in to the side-netting, then Murphy cut in from the right before shooting across the face of goal. The less than exciting first period was brought to a close with no further significant action.

Town probably had the best chance of the first 45 minutes, with Smith’s header goal-bound until Trippier’s intervention.

But overall the Blues never gave the impression that they were a side desperately in need of three points to stay in the play-off race.

At the other end, Gerken hadn’t been seriously tested, although Burnley frontmen Ings and Barnes had had one or two threatening moments.

The home side took the lead with the second half’s first opportunity in the 54th minute. Barnes fed Ings, who took the ball into the area past Chambers before the advancing Gerken blocked, but Kightly, who played for Blues boss Mick McCarthy at Wolves, tapped the loose ball home from close range.

Immediately Blues subs Taylor, Frank Nouble and Jack Marriott started warming up on the touchline.

Ings shot not too far wide from distance just prior to the hour mark before the Clarets swapped Junior Stanislas for Kightly. Two minutes later, after Williams had received what looked like a high boot to the head inside the penalty area, Taylor and Nouble replaced Hunt and Richardson as the Blues moved to 4-3-3.

There was a scare for Town in the 69th minute when Stanislas nodded Dave Jones’s freekick from the right back across the box but Smith was on hand to block Barnes’s shot. Moments later, the Town centre-half similarly got in the way of an Ings strike with the Blues somewhat under the cosh.

Burnley almost went two goals in front in the 73rd minute when Ings crashed Dean Marney’s low cross from the right against the underside of the bar, the loose ball falling safely.

The Clarets were continuing to look the more likely scorers with the Blues rarely threatening Heaton’s goal. On 78 Green did well to intercept Marney’s ball for Stanislas as the home side broke after a Town corner.

The Blues weren’t far from an equaliser in the 80th minute when Heaton clawed Taylor’s curling 20-yard freekick wide after Green had been fouled by Michael Duff.

Williams was booked for a foul on the veteran Burnley defender soon after, then Nouble looped a powerful shot over from the edge of the box, the first signs that the Blues might stage a fightback in the final few minutes.

Nouble curled another effort wide on 88, then in the final minute centre-half Berra, who had by now been thrown forward as an additional striker, flicked Taylor’s excellent right-wing cross just wide.

But the comeback which would have taken Town’s play-off challenge into the final week of the season never came, Brighton’s victory over Yeovil last night having put the Seagulls four points ahead of the Blues.

Overall, it was an underwhelming manner in which to end the push for sixth place, Town having shown little urgency until after the home side had gone in front.

Even after Taylor and Nouble had been introduced, Burnley continued to look the more likely scorers — and Ings was unlucky not to increase their lead when he hit the bar - with the former Peterborough man’s freekick the nearest the Blues got to an equaliser.

Burnley: Heaton, Tripper, Shackell (c), Duff, Mee, Arfield (Wallace 71), Marney, Jones, Kightly (Stanislas 63), Barnes, Ings (Treacy 90). Unused: Cisak, Edgar, Baird, Long.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Cresswell, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Richardson (Nouble 65), Green, Hunt (Taylor 65), Williams, Murphy. Unused: Loach, Mings, Veseli, Tabb, Marriott. Referee: James Linington (Newport, Isle of Wight). Att: 14,574 (Town: 460).

Photo: Action Images

hancockingoal added 17:10 - Apr 26 Sorry to Bring_back_wickham you I don't think you will ever experience the great days I have! If it is any consolation, I bought my son who is now 30 a copy of The History of ITFC dvd and after watching it he was peed off and jealous! He can only reminisce over the Burley team of 2000 and even that is a 1000 times better than today! Sorry mate
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runaround added 17:31 - Apr 26 A frustrating match that summed up our season. A big improvement with lots of heart & effort but just falling short & lacking that extra bit of quality. The hard running the players have put in all season has seemed to have caught up with them in the last week with lots if injuries & heavy legs. First half we edged it without ever really looking like scoring then once we fell behind we huffed & puffed but never looked like turning it around. The one annoying thing was in the whole match, Cresswell our best set piece taker, only took one. The others taken by Hunt, Taylor & Richardson were poor. I assume this is because Cresswell is told to stay back in case we get caught on the break but this is such a negative mindset & I just wish we were a bit more positive because, who knows, it may have got us a top 6 place. Once I get over it I can look back & say it's been a season of improvement & high hopes we can give promotion a right go next season

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floridaboy added 17:37 - Apr 26 PJewellisgod, where are you from. That list you posted of playes who may well be off is ridiculous. Not one of those listed would be able to grace the premiership. Simply not good enough. Unless the club gets silly money all of them will be here next season
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BlueandTruesince82 added 18:19 - Apr 26 The defence looks solid for the most part. The Strikers have goals in them, as does our defence. Midfield does seem like the issue. We need a Williams type player and stronger wingers. I think a fit SEB will score but maybe to injury prone. Offload Hunt and Taylor (15 mins to go 1 nil down corner and he plays shortish looking for a flick on). Leave green at Leeds and pesrsonally leave Richardson too. We need a Rb (be it from within or outsider current squad) 2x wingers and an attacking midfielder ideally another striker to push Mcgoaldrick if we could add those I'm a happy boy. As for Cressie anything around £6 million with add ons I would take. I think we have every reason to be positive about next season

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BlueandTruesince82 added 18:28 - Apr 26 As for tactics Burnley have scored for fun at home due to fluid attack minded wing backs. The team was set up to stop them and it was working. They were no threat 1st half. The goal killed us but up ti that point I thought we were better. We went to smash and grab and had we set up diffrently we may have taken a hammering. When we did move more attacking we were chasing the ball and chasing shaddows. We need the ball to win the game. I think the tactics were right today. I don't think thats the case all season but today we lost to a good team who got lucky with a goal against the run of play. If honest attack, attack, attack from the get go would have been basically bending over

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Pip50 added 19:08 - Apr 26 Hancock the joy of a son has come late to me he is 4 . I was practicing tribal chants before the TV game and he responded with Ipspoo clearly he knew something we all suspected. I was there in the 70's European adventures 78 at Wembley 81 and all that and the cameo Burley years. Now I hope to simply keep a Chelsea shirt off his back, we will never see those days again and too much more of this football I might just be wearing the alternative blue x

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blueboy1981 added 19:39 - Apr 26 ..... no intention of agreeing with your post BlueandTruesince82 - slip of the finger - should have been a BIG MINUS from me. Tactics correct today ? - absolute joke !!!
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Cloddyseedbed added 20:12 - Apr 26 Sorry BlueandTruesince82, can not agree with you that the tactics were right. We were supposed to go there and win, no good drawing or loosing. Negative from the off like the vast majority of games this year which has contributed to the decline in supporters turning up.
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BillBlue added 20:23 - Apr 26 runaround - Sorry I cannot agree with your comments re Taylor. When he and Cressie stood over the ball at the free kick I assumed Cressie was going to take it but when Taylor did it was one of the very best free kicks I have seen for years. From an angle and going right into the top corner and only kept out by an excellent save from a top class keeper who was apparently at Bristol City last year, Burnley got him and we got Gerken.

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blueboy1981 added 20:23 - Apr 26 JWM ....... you obviously think the tactics were right today !! ...... says it all I'm afraid.
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barrysandals added 20:33 - Apr 26 Oh my gosh. There are so many negative comments. Anybody supporting itfc in the last 10 years will know that MM and TC have done a brilliant job and I personally would like to say thank you. For those of you moaning and criticising them, well that is easy. If you are a true fan ....you have to accept that this year was not quite was the one for the play offs. If you want to have a moan ...bugger off to carrow rd

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blueboy1981 added 20:41 - Apr 26 barrysandals - PATHETIC POST - no 'true blue' would tell anyone to 'bugger off to carrow rd'. Sorry you are not a 'true blue' by doing so - JWM has agreed with you - so he isn't either, like it or not. Perhaps you should both learn what a 'true blue is' before posting.!!!! Digusted with you both.
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JWM added 20:45 - Apr 26 Like I'm bothered....
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BlueandTruesince82 added 20:47 - Apr 26 I agree we needed to win today, gungho attack was not the way. Stifle them so they cant play their own game was the way to beat burnley. We dont have enough with out MCG to go toe to to with burnley at home. Their strikers have 50 odd goals between them if gung ho would simply have had us out of it half time. Anyone who thought we would be in at this stage at the beginning of the season is psychic, we would all have snapped the hand off. Exoectations have been raised. Had MM played tabb instead of FR he would have been slated. Had he started Nouble same. Just like PJ you slated him for not pkaying Hyam now you slate MM for doing so. You slated him for attacking at Watford (also a must win surely ). Damed either way. Instead of being miserable we should be looking forward to next season with more anticipation than any for the last 10 years, yet still some moan. If we dont make it next year fine but Mick dederves to build on progress)

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blueboy1981 added 20:47 - Apr 26 ......... surprise, surprise - NOT.
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BlueandTruesince82 added 20:49 - Apr 26 Bill said free kick was the only contribution Taylor made, to often the case for me
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barrysandals added 20:53 - Apr 26 Blueboy..... get a life! I've grown up and supported town for 35 years. Fed up with idiots like you who don't get behind my team. Put a constructive argument together and I'm happy to read your posts.
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TimmyH added 20:55 - Apr 26 oh well season over nearly, at least JWM and Mick will have more time in the sun together, skinny dipping and staying at 5 star hotels thanks to that lovely 1M he collected (not going to say earned - outrageous) last year :)
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barrysandals added 20:56 - Apr 26 JWM.... Ignore blueboy.
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Pip50 added 21:03 - Apr 26 Definition of progress so often quoted on here. "Develop towards an improved or more advanced condition" Our best creative player today goes back to his club next week. Our next who came on as sub is likely to be sold having been used sparingly this season. Our next two in defence are being looked at as transfer kitty. No youth. No tactics no future under this manager! Be careful what you wish for .....someone who will at least create progress.

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BillBlue added 21:11 - Apr 26 barrysandals - havn't seen you post on here before but am wondering if you are the same guy who posts as 'cleverbudgie' in the Anglian/Green 'Un, same type of post!
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Letchworth_Blue added 21:13 - Apr 26 JWM and Barry sandals......you can.......and this will shock you........still be an itfc supporter AND not be happy with how the team have played or MM's selections during some of the matches this season. It's called an opinion.
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BillBlue added 21:15 - Apr 26 BlueandTruesince82 - I most certainly did not say the free kick was Taylor's only contribution, far from it. Please do not misquote me.
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BillBlue added 21:20 - Apr 26 JWM - See you have given me a minus re my post about Taylor's free kick. Wonder what you could find wrong with that? You might be encouraged to note that the other person to give me a negative is a thirteen year old, just about your level me thinks!
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barrysandals added 21:26 - Apr 26 A genuine fan. I'm very happy with MM and TC. Also happy to let them do the jobs they are paid for. Of course everyone is untitled to an opinion but sometimes teams like Ipswich town fc need a united front from their so called supporters
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