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

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 09:22 - Apr 27 The old adage that "the table doesn't lie" still remains true. I think we have found our proper position for this season, round about 10th, which was actually quite a popular prediction before the show started back in August. It's no good saying we should have done this or that against Burnley. That wouldn't have altered the fact that we weren't quite good enough: they were better (just) and they won. It's still been much more fun chasing a play-off place, even the slim chance of one, than fighting relegation and going into possible free-fall. The real test will be whether or not we can crack and improve further next season. I for one am looking forward to it already. COYB!

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 09:23 - Apr 27 * "crack on" - I hope we don't "crack"!
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BlueandTruesince82 added 09:42 - Apr 27 Surely a season fighting for the play offs as opposed to against relegation represents progress? 68 points was enough for 6th last year, we are on 65 to say there has been no progress is a nonsense. MM and TC fully deserve the chance to build on that. I just can not buy inyo this Ken Bates school of hiring managers. A great season? No. Decent? Yes. The best since magilton left? By far. I dont belive anyone would have got this squad up this year and I remind everyone that Keane and Jewell were not capable of pulling a squad together that could be this competitive. Is everything rosie yet? No but things are looking up. Everyone in football seems to see progress its just a few on here who dont. Given none of those people are managers, coaches or pundits I'll take the side of progress thanks. .

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Guru_of_Ipswich added 09:55 - Apr 27 I really can't work out what the moaners on here actually expect mick to have done this season, he started this season with hardly 11 players to call our own, found freebies that improved the side that the last to clowns couldn't do with a small fortune, had his hands tied when our leading scorer got injured at the most critical part of the season. As for people saying we should have fergie jr or eddie howe, well fergie jr has proved he can't cut it the championship, and why the would howe come here when he can spend millions at bournemouth! I think some people need to wake up and smell the coffe, and if you want to moan have a go at marcus evans for pulling the funds on the best manager we have had in years.

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rollercoastertown added 10:15 - Apr 27 On another note, was in the only one amazed that Burnley couldn't sell out a game like that and how quiet the place was! Apart from the small group to our left it was dead in the ground. Pretty sure if Town were in their position PR would be full and rocking.
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JWM added 11:19 - Apr 27 Great Post Guru and I fully agree with everything you have said. Silk purses and sows ears spring to mind and Mick has done a fantastic job this season. To be even in with a chance of the playoffs with 2 games to go is solid progress in my book after four or five seasons of battling to stay in this division and spending millions in the process! All this moaning about the style of play is just bizarre when you have a group,of very limited and average players to begin with what the hell do they expect? Jewell tried the expansive game and look where that got us... Tonked every week and in serious danger of relegation! Yet the moaners won't accept this inconvenient fact in their arguement. We are clearly in transition and there is a balance to be struck but without any serious investment in the players that can take us to the next level we will always be a mediocre team! Sorry to state facts but that us the reality! Darren Ferguson? Eddie Howe? You got to be kidding!

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blue_moon09 added 14:01 - Apr 27 The moaning, stay away, know it all, arm chair fans are not happy, I've been 40 games this season and I'm happy with the progress made. MM has done wonders only spending 20K in the summer it's pity he didn't have a few more quid to spend, but hopefully he will pick a few gems in the summer and clear out the dead wood out and paul taylor. Stop the moaning and be careful what you wish for you MUGS

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TimmyH added 15:27 - Apr 27 Actually agree with some points @Guru has made - yes your right in the respect Mick has brought some good players in on freebies and I do think that is a positive side of Mick, I feel players do want to play for him so in that respect ME owes Mick quite a bit over the last season but then again one hand washes the other with that supposed £1M that Mick got for keeping us up, and that could be the easiest money he has ever earned. Re: Howe at Bournemouth, not sure he's got millions to spend, not sure where you got that from? yes a Russian owns the club but certainly doesn't have that sort of money. Moaning? again if that's what you want to call it, more like critical analysis and to be Frank many people have the right to do so after that rather inept performance yesterday when a win was a must. By the way we had 3 loanee's playing and one playing on a short term contract.

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bring_back_Wickham added 15:50 - Apr 27 JWM, blueboy and billblue should meet up and have a proper fight rather than banter over the internet
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BlueandTruesince82 added 17:58 - Apr 27 Howe left Burnley for Bournemouth. He would still be manager of Burnley if he wanted to be. He wont leave Bournemouth for anything other than a huge job. He eats, sleeps, lives Bournemouth. He's going nowhere. For the record I think hes turning into an excellent manager
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alfromcol added 17:59 - Apr 27 Football, like life is all about ifs and buts. The biggest in terms of ITFC is that Dids got injured. IF he hadn't he would have almost certainly have scored 6/10 more goals in the 14 games that he missed. This would have certainly meant several more points and a place in the play offs. Roll on next season and the hope that we can emulate Burnley, small club, small budget, lots of effort and team spirit. If we feel down think how Liverpool fans feel tonight, they thought they were in the promised land. Such is life and football. I don't rate Stevy Gerrard as a center half! COYBs

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StochesStotasBlewe added 18:45 - Apr 27 JWM. Some points you make throughout the season us so called "moaners" do actually think are quite correct, Mick has stabilised the club, has had very little money to spend, has created an excellent team spirit, however, we are entitled to complain, moan, constructively criticize whatever you want to call it. The football on offer this season has generally been average at best, piss poor on several occasions, very good maybe a handful of times. Strange substitutions in many matches, defending leads for long periods of games instead of killing off teams, square pegs in round holes, defence minded lineups at home games. I don,t expect champagne footy but a bit of sparkling wine thrown in would be nice. Bluemoon09, most of us are not armchair fans. Many of us have been for donkeys years season ticket holders who have seen loads of highs & lows, perhaps you could a bit of humility sometimes. Next season will be the defining one. Evans must be prepared to sensibly back MM or we will remain where we are for many years to come.

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Dissboyitfc added 18:55 - Apr 27 pinewoodblueboy... well said
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whosroundisitanyway added 19:28 - Apr 27 Great season you Blues. I'm proud to be a Town Fan again. Will look forward to your lap of honour on saturday & those idiots that have been messaging nothing but negativety all season. please stay away. We dont need you! IPSWICH TILL I DIE & AFTER IF IT'S AN OPTION!
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Guru_of_Ipswich added 20:43 - Apr 27 Timmyh, top of my head bournemouth spent 3.5 million this season, slightly more than our mick.
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Cloddyseedbed added 22:12 - Apr 27 whosroundisitanyway. Is it ok to play negatively all season then? If it is then I don't think people will have to be asked to stay away, especially by you. I think ITFC needs all the fans they can muster whether we agree with your views or not. Like you I will be Ipswich till I die. I hope I don't die of boredom!
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Pabloisgod84 added 09:47 - Apr 28 utterly rubbish performance against a team with nothing to play for. 1 up front and powder puff in midfield. why not play 3 up top and go for it we have nothing to lose so might as well lose 5-0 as opposed to 1-0. total joke from MM. the players also didnt want it as they know potential promotion means most of that 11 would be gone. we need to change and thank Mick for the back 5 he has built and let someone with free flowing attacking football come in and build on that base.

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Pabloisgod84 added 09:54 - Apr 28 and i do appreciate what MM has done he has been great and rememeber he got a £1m for keeping us up i think so he can enjoy that. anyone who half understands football will see we cant achieve much more with these type of players and this type of footbal. we cannot retain possesion well enough, we create little chances and we dont have box to box midfielders.
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blueboy1981 added 20:58 - Apr 28 Really sad that some on this forum have to be insulting - but, when logical words run dry, it's all that some posters are clearly left with - and absolutely NOTHING else. No need for it - and shouldn't be allowed Phil.
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