Ipswich Town strengthened their automatic promotion chances with a 3-0 victory over Posh at the Weston Homes Stadium.
Peterborough United dropped out of the play-off places with two games to go in Sky Bet League One following a 3-0 defeat to automatic promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Oliver Norburn was cautioned on 10 minutes by referee Grant Ward for a foul after a combative start to the game. The deadlock was broken on 16 minutes as a swerving effort from Conor Chaplin was repelled by Will Norris, but Wes BURNS was alive to the rebound and slotted into the bottom corner to give Ipswich the lead.
Chaplin dragged a shot wide of the target two minutes later as Kieran McKenna’s men continued to do most of the running in the attacking areas. Posh came close to a leveller on 25 minutes a corner from Joe Ward was nodded back across goal by Frankie Kent to Ephron Mason-Clark, who saw his overhead kick superbly kept out by Christian Walton.
Norris was well placed to keep out a Chaplin free-kick on 36 minutes after Kent was penalised for a foul on the former Portsmouth man on the edge of the box. Morsy was cautioned for a foul on Mason-Clark two minutes before the interval.
On the stroke of half-time, Walton produced another fine stop, this time to keep out a powerful drive from Clarke-Harris from 20-yards before Mason-Clark glanced a header well wide from a Kyprianou centre.
Darren Ferguson made a change at the interval with Kwame Poku on in place of the booked Norburn. Chaplin dragged a shot wide on 48 minutes as Ipswich tried to find the second goal in front of their sizeable following of supporters.
Mason-Clark sent an overhead kick over the crossbar at the other end after a floated cross from Ward from the right. The visitors doubled the lead on 56 minutes as CHAPLIN raced onto a through ball and drilled his effort low and through the legs of Norris.
Clarke-Harris was denied by a flying Walton on 66 minutes, moments after Posh had made a double change with Ben Thompson and Harrison Burrows introduced. Burns was cautioned by the referee two minutes later.
Taylor whistled a shot inches past the post on 71 minutes after a forceful run from the middle of the park. Thompson was denied by Walton moments later after cutting inside onto his right foot from the left.
Ipswich made it 3-0 on 82 minutes and you have to say it was a superb individual goal from substitute Freddie LADAPO who took a fine first touch and then volleyed past Norris and into the bottom corner.
Posh: Norris, Butler (sub Thompson 63min), Edwards, Kent, Taylor, Clarke-Harris, Mason-Clark, Ogbeta, Norburn (sub Poku 46min), Kyprianou (sub Burrows 63min), Ward. Unused subs: Watts, Knight, Blackmore, Tshimanga.
Ipswich: Walton, Davis, Morsy, Woolfenden, Burns (sub Jackson 85min), Chaplin, Burgess, Luongo (sub Ball 74min), Hirst (sub Ladapo 74min), Broadhead (sub Harness 85min), Clarke (sub Donacien 68min). Unused subs: Edwards, Hladky.
Half-time: Peterborough United 0-1 Ipswich Town
Full-time: Peterborough United 0-3 Ipswich Town
Attendance: 12,785 (3,874 Ipswich fans)
Referee: Gavin Ward