Town’s 62-year stay in the top two divisions looks to be over after a 2-1 defeat to Reading saw the gap to safety extend to 12 points plus goal difference with only 11 to play. Nelson Oliveira’s 19th-minute opener gave the Royals a half-time lead before sub Gwion Edwards gave the Blues hope on 83 but Modou Barrow claimed the visitors’ second away win of the season and their first since September in the final minute.

James Collins and Teddy Bishop returned to the Town line-up with Jonas Knudsen suspended and Will Keane injured.

Collins, who had been out for five games with a hamstring problem, returned to the Blues’ defence for Knudsen with manager Paul Lambert, who was serving the second game of his two-match touchline ban, sticking with a three-man backline.

Trevoh Chalobah and Jon Nolan were in deeper midfield roles with Alan Judge and Bishop, who missed the draw at Wigan last Saturday as he had been ill earlier in the week, starting ahead of them behind lone striker Collin Quaner.

Reading fielded the same team which drew 1-1 at home to fellow strugglers Rotherham a week ago.

There was a late change of referee with Geoff Eltringham from County Durham in charge rather than Darren England who was initially slated to cover the fixture.

On 12 Tyler Blackett was yellow-carded for handball then a minute later, much to the delight of the home fans, be-masked on-loan Norwich striker Oliveira joined him in the book for an obvious dive after Bartosz Bialkowski had pulled out of a challenge in the area on the byline as the ball went out of play.

In the 15th minute Jon Nolan sent Quaner away down the right after a Reading attack had broken down. The German was breaking towards goal when the linesman’s flag was raised.

Town, watched by a crowd of 23,009, looked to be getting up a head of steam but in the 19th minute they went behind. Garath McCleary was sent away behind the Blues’ backline on the left and cut the ball back to Oliveira, who had held his run, and the Portuguese frontman had little problem in finding the net.

Olivera, already booked, celebrated in front of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand and was subsequently spoken to by referee Eltringham but wasn’t shown a further card.

The Royals weren’t far from a second in the 26th minute when one-time Blues trialist John Swift curled a shot wide from distance on the left.

On 32 Swift hit a low shot from the edge of the box which gave Bialkowski no problem, then a minute later Meite’s overhead kick was too close to the Town keeper to trouble him.

Town were seeing a fair amount of the ball but without being able to create a serious chance. On 36 Judge volleyed wide from 25 yards, then a minute later Royals skipper Liam Moore was booked for pulling down Quaner as the striker broke away in the Reading half.

There was a lucky escape for the Blues in the 38th minute when McCleary was sent away down the left into the space behind wing-back James Bree and to the right of skipper Luke Chambers but rather fortunately shot across the face and wide.

The Blues, who had struggled to settle into their system at both ends of the field, were forced into a substitution a minute later when Collins, who had been out for five games prior to the match and who had suffered a heavy late challenge earlier in the match, was replaced by Toto Nsiala.

Reading keeper Emiliano Martinez saved low from Judge on 42, then two minutes later the Blues should have levelled with their best move of the game.

Quaner did well to take down Kenlock’s long ball forward after a Town freekick had been cleared, then burst into the area on the right before cutting across to Bishop, who moved it on to Nolan to his left, but the former Shrewsbury man’s shot was somehow kept out by Martinez.

Town just about bundled a Reading corner from the left wide seconds before referee Eltringham ended two minutes of additional time.

It had been a struttering first-half performance from the Blues who never hit the level of their display prior to the red card at Wigan, although while still having one or two decent moments.

Nolan’s late chance was the best of them and the midfielder will feel he really should have been celebrating his third goal of the season.

Reading had looked the more dangerous side having created the better chances with Town not always appearing comfortable with their system, particularly at the back.

Town, desperately needing to win the fixture with half-time scorelines elsewhere also going against them, made a double change at the break with Cole Skuse and Edwards replacing Chalobah and Bree as the Blues moved to a four-man backline with Pennington at right-back.

The formation change was little surprise given the problems Town had had with their first-half system.

The Blues began to look more of a threat, Quaner made a strong run across the edge of the box but failed to find Judge with his pass, then on 55 the Irishman was sent away on the left by a superb Nsiala ball and struck a shot which Martinez saved.

The rebound bounced out to the former Brentford man who appeared to be manhandled out of the way as he looked to get in a second shot but referee Eltringham waved away Town’s protests.

Pantomime villain Oliveira departed in the 58th minute having pulled a hamstring, Nsiala having picked up an unfortunate yellow card with the linesman seeing him as the cause of the Reading striker’s fall rather than his injury. Oliveira was replaced by Modou Barrow.

Town continued to press, Skuse shooting just over on the hour mark, then Judge just getting crowded out as he chased a ball down the middle. On 65 Nolan was booked for a late challenge on Matt Miazga.

In the 68th minute, soon after Bishop had unsuccessfully claimed a penalty as he broke into the area on the left, the Blues went close to a fortunate equaliser when Andy Yiadom inadvertently diverted an Edwards cross from the right towards his own goal but Martinez clawed it away from his line. Kenlock sought to get on to the rebound but the ball was bundled behind.

On 74 Judge whipped over a freekick from the right which Bishop flicked on and Martinez saved ahead of Nsiala, who was breaking in at the far post.

The Blues had found openings harder to come by as the game entered its final 10 minutes but on 83 they levelled. After a ball into the box had been half-cleared to the edge of the box, Skuse looped it back in, Quaner flicked wide and Edwards slammed home from close range.

The Welshman’s fifth goal of the season gave the Blues, both on the field and off it, renewed hope going into the final minutes.

However, any momentum from the goal was temporarily nullified as Reading won a number of freekicks with players going down requiring treatment, Edwards picking up a yellow card for one of the transgressions.

Quaner won a freekick to the left of goal after he was felled following a strong break forward on 88 but Judge’s curling effort flew over.

But in the final minute of scheduled time, just prior to the fourth official showing a board indicating six additional minutes, Reading regained the lead.

Meite got the better of Nsiala just inside the Town half and fed Barrow, who beat Chambers as he broke into the area on the left and slipped the ball past the advancing Bialkowski. The Reading players celebrated wildly with their fans, a number of them leaping the hoarding to join them in the stand.

Town looked for what was now an unlikely comeback in injury time with Nsiala pressed forward as an additional frontman and they went close to levelling again twice in quick succession.

First Martinez, who made a number of crucial saves during the game, brilliantly tipped over Edwards’s strike from the edge of the box, then Chambers headed wide from a few feet out after Nsiala had flicked on when the skipper will feel he should have scored.

Deep in injury time Quaner nodded wide at the near post but referee Eltringham’s whistle brought the game to a close moments later with Town having lost another of their must-win home games, something which has been all too common this season.

After manager Lambert made a bold double change at half-time and switched his system, the Blues were on the front foot for much of the half but with the final ball lacking quality all too often, while Martinez in the Reading goal made a number of vital saves when chances did come.

Edwards’s equaliser gave the Blues hope of grabbing a late win but in the end Reading caught them with a sucker punch - the second time in two games Town had to claim three points which was harsh on Town who probably deserved a point from the match.

But even that wouldn’t have been enough for the Blues with Rotherham beating Blackburn 3-2 at the New York Stadium.

The gap to safety - and indeed to third bottom - is now 12 points plus goal difference with 11 matches left to play and is surely insurmountable, particularly with the Blues having a tough run-in, starting with next week’s visits to West Brom and Bristol City.

Town: Bialkowski, Pennington, Collins (Nsiala 40), Chambers (c), Bree (Edwards 46), Chalobah (Skuse 46), Kenlock, Nolan, Judge, Bishop, Quaner. Unused: Gerken, Jackson, Downes, Dozzell.

Reading: Martinez, Yiadom, Miazga, Moore, Blackett, Ejaria (Loader 89), Baker, Meite, Swift, McCleary (Harriott 80), Oliveira (Barrow 58). Unused: Walker, Gunter, O’Shea, McShane. Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham). Att: 23,009 (Reading 1,495).

Photo: TWTD

RobsonWark added 17:52 - Mar 2 bluemike1969 I've been saying Chambers is our downfall for the last few years. McCarthy couldn't see it and it was his downfall. Hurst couldn't see it and it was his downfall. Now Lambert can't see it! I like Lambert but he keeps on playing the worst footballer in the history of our club.
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heathen66 added 17:53 - Mar 2 Paul Lambert needs to take a large slice of the blame here. We had finally found a formation that suits us with 2 up top and Judge in the hole. So why oh why did we revert back to the ineffective one up front again....just so Chambers and Collins can play. The players looked lost playing this system and was borne out again (as at Wigan) where a long aimless ball is not dealt with by Chambers and it is another goal conceded. The when you have the chance to right the wrong and bring Jackson on for the unfit (again) Collins...no we keep with the ineffective back 3 (which does pose the question...is Chambers really fit ???). Then at half time swapping the determined Chalobah for the ineffective Skuse was again confusing...we needed to be more offensive not defensive. Edwards playing as a proper winger was again a revelation, but with only one up top no one to score goals. Should have stuck to the 4-1-2-1-2 formation and if that meant no Chambers or no Collins then so be it...it has been working. Bad formation and bad substitutions has cost us again. The fans had been crying out for 2 up top...Lambert finally relented, we played the best games of the season under Lambert and then for what even PL described as a must win game it was back to the one up top and 5 at the back. PL has done so many good things since his arrival galvanising the club and the supporters but today he must hold his hands up. His reluctance to play any PH signings unless he really has to is hurting us !!!

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tractorollson added 17:54 - Mar 2 All the optimism when PL came in has gone for me, the reality is he hasnt changed anything on the pitch - sad day
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richardpaul added 17:58 - Mar 2 Is anyone else starting to think that Paul Lambert is not the answer to what ails Ipswich Town He always talks a good game and says his players are brilliant but the longed for result never materialised We are going down and without a radical change in manpower and methods we'll struggle Such a sad time to be a Town supporter
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RobsonWark added 18:00 - Mar 2 All I want is for a manager at my club who can drop Chambers and tell him to do one. Is that so hard?
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d77sgw added 18:01 - Mar 2 Ok, everything is crap. I'm as gutted as anyone. Been a fan for 35 years now - and will be on the terraces next year too. But will all the usual suspects saying ‘Evans out' and criticising him for lack of investment please accompany those comments with some kind of suggestion of a solution? You can call for Hurst's head or Lambert's - they're employees, and can be replaced. But calling for Evans to go is just illogical - the man spends millions on the club that, until someone else wants to come in and try their luck, is absolutely needed if we're not to enter another administration. Again, I am no fan of the man, and clearly his ownership of the club has seen us go backwards massively - but him simply walking away (or stopping putting his money into the club) would be a disaster, without an alternative.

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algarvefan added 18:01 - Mar 2 There will be no miracle this season and we will not get any better, if we were going to we would have done so by now. Relegation is all but a certainty Please can we take an early bite of the bullet ans start preparing the team for next season.
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Nobbysnuts added 18:08 - Mar 2 Well that's the final nail in the coffin in this miserable, embarrassing season presided over by the grim reaper himself Paul hurst.💀 I had two Hope's today b4 the game. No hope and Bob hope. Well Bob has just f##ked off. RIP ITFC a once great club now the laughing stock of the football league.
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NoelTheDub added 18:09 - Mar 2 A sad day but its been a sad few years we have been slipping for a long time.Anyone who thought we could get out of this are dreaming. Our supporters have backed this rubbish for years and thats my issue taking the crap signings,poor performances from players and negative tactics from our present and previous managers.We supporters should have reacted ages ago and protested instead of supporting everything that was going very wrong on and off the pitch you get what you deserve and I for one predicted this situation many moons ago and got blasted for my view as I will today.Im gutted the way my club is been ran and allowing managers to amass the worse group of so called footballers to grace PR.Im ashamed to say so much bad stuff about my club that Ive supported since the 70s but its my view and I respect people who disagree with me but its my strong feelings at this sad time for ITFC.

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bluejake78 added 18:10 - Mar 2 Bolton 4 Town 0.....Port Vale 5 Town 0.....Why oh why.
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BuckieBlue added 18:13 - Mar 2 Ok ME got his fingers burnt with pre-MM managerial spending, so even if I can't blame him for cutting back, it is a fact that in this league you need to invest so much to be competitive and the league shows that currently we aren't .To get us out of League 1 at first attempt (and surely nothing short of that can be planned for?) either he needs to invest accordingly or sell up to the first decent buyer. Ironically we may be a more attractive proposition in a lower league, 'future potential,' 'revive a once great club,' etc.

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jas0999 added 18:14 - Mar 2 What a very sad day for a club which used to be proud, reaped in tradition and an all round family club, respected in the community. No more under the dreadful ownership of Marcus Evans. Appreciate Evans still has his supporters, but for me, he has to take a huge slice of the blame for this. It was probably one season too many of selling our better players, cashing in, but not bringing in adequate replacements. Even MM spoke our about the financial restrictions at the club. So has Hurst. There is no hiding away from it, we are where we are because our level of investment into the playing squad hasn't been good enough. Too many loans. Short term strategies. Today summed up our season. Good effort - can't fault it. But the squad isn't good enough. Nowhere near. Due to our position, we could only attract a certain type of player in Jan. Keane and Collins are prone to injuries so no surprise both are injured again. This season has been one of the worst in recent memory. Disappointing. Let's hope Evans has learnt from it.

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barrystedmunds added 18:15 - Mar 2 Good evening, I am an incredibly obese lady and I would like to sing a song. It's OK, I've been practising for quite a few months now!
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therein61 added 18:16 - Mar 2 Get rid of Chambers, Knudsen and Skuse our biggest earners who have cost us loads of points over the last 5 seasons even more since they were awarded lucrative contracts by the departed( they have been far too comfortable and just go through the motions) who left such a stench at our great club(Hurst was a mistake who ran amok with signings and Doig upsetting anyone around him the clueless idiot ), we are now in League1 and need to get the basis of the side within the club who will be here next season who will fight to get us back up again on the park as a unit for the next 11 games then with a few additions(and loanees back) in the summer(try and keep judge and build around him give him a good wedge and the armband) next year will be the sixty first season since my first game and it would be nice to see us promoted, over to you Mr Lambert. C.OY.B.

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DebsyAngel added 18:16 - Mar 2 So, so sad. Just need to prepare for League 1 now. Thought Judge was the best player, and also Skuse and Bishop put in a good shift. Shame that Collins had to be subbed. Oliveira can basically "do one"! Lovely to see Bowser proudly leading the teams out. He was adorable.
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AYACCA added 18:19 - Mar 2 We'll look back on this in 10 years after winning the champions league and say 'that was the turning point'
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RobsonWark added 18:21 - Mar 2 You wouldn't pick Chambers for a reserve team in a Sunday morning football match. So Why does he keep being selected for our club on Saturday afternoons? Does he have a clause in his contract Marcus that says the manager MUST pick him week in week out to play? I'm totally confused.
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BlueArrow added 18:23 - Mar 2 Relegation been on the cards for some time now, still gutted though.
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RobsonWark added 18:26 - Mar 2 Why does everyone keep blaming Marcus? He is not the one picking the team and picking our great calamity captain in the team. Blame the useless managers who can not see how useless Chambers is. I could improve the team no end by doing one thing...DROP CHAMBERS!!!
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brian_a_mul added 18:27 - Mar 2 Sad to see another home defeat but the club has been preparing for the drop since Jan, lots of youngsters signing long term deals which is really positive and a manager that will play them in an attacking style of football, i dont think the heart has been ripped out, Evans made it clear a few years ago that the future of this club will be built on our own home grown players. The set up and structure is there to do this, its one step back, two steps forward in my view. Lots to look forward to next season, keep the faith!!

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therein61 added 18:27 - Mar 2 Robsonwark: Chambers is the second his mate the premiership class no/8 is worst
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jas0999 added 18:28 - Mar 2 Alexsmith111 - the budgets were the same for both. There was a choice wages OR fees. Not both. MM chose wages. PH chose fees - the latter finding it difficult to attract players when the wages on offer were league one or two rather than Championship. It's a sorry situation which Evans is accountable for.
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herfie added 18:34 - Mar 2 I met a girl who sang the Blues, and I asked for some happy news, But she just smiled, and turned away. So I went down to the sacred turf, where I'd seen the best for years before, But the man there said the players couldn't play. In the stands the children screamed, grown-men cried whilst others dreamed, Many words were spoken, the Suffolk Punch lay broken. And the heroes I admired most, looked down with hearts that finally broke, As they mourned the passing of final hope, The day the football died.

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runaround added 18:36 - Mar 2 I know we are not good enough & I have known for sometime that we are going down but today's result was still a heartbreaking & deflating reminder of how poor we are. First half we were poor for a large part of it with system not working at all with midfield seemingly non existent but that said we had a great chance just before the break which Nolan wasted. Second half was much better & we deservedly equalised but then a terrible error by Nsiala as the clock hit 90 minutes saw us throw it away although even then Chambo missed a good chance to make it 2-2. Most of our players are either not fit or not good enough as the errors by those mentioned above. The horrendous injuries the squad have suffered has made the small chance of a miracle impossible as the players that remain aren't good enough. Pennington looked good today whilst Judge & Edwards battled hard to create chances but the rest despite their efforts didn't make a positive difference. What hurts more is we gifted Reading a win which their histrionics diving & time wasting didn't deserve & I hope Rotherham stay up instead of them & I hate to see actions like that prosper. Despite results on the pitch having not really improved since Lambert arrived, going to games has been a lot more enjoyable due to the fantastic atmosphere being created with the Blue Action people making a real difference & the club really seeming to buy into the new way forward. Going to games has been fun again and I really hope that despite relegation being a certainty that continues because that fan backing & togetherness with the club will really help the club recover & move forward again. I am heartbroken now but know it will get better & I am too addicted to ITFC to give up W

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TimmyH added 18:41 - Mar 2 @martin587 - what makes you think Lambert is a good manager?...so far still to win me over and certainly some formation set up's which look a bit suspect (as heathen66 alludes to), his statistics look even worse over the last few years though did an okay job at Wolves. As said he largely inherited this mess and the magnifying glass will be on him as well as our illustrious owner and to see if he sells anybody or to see if he might even open his wallet to buy (don't hold your breath).

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