Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna on Monday hailed a special night for his club as they won a home match in the Premier League for the first time in more than two decades, defeating Chelsea 2-0.
Goals from Liam Delap and former Chelsea player Omari Hutchinson led to their first top flight triumph at Portman Road since the April 2002 success over Middlesbrough.
The victory, only their third this season, puts Ipswich above Leicester City in the standings. They remain in the bottom three and one point from safety, but McKenna believes better days lie ahead.
Photo: Reuters
“Halfway through the season and we’ve been competitive in the large majority of our games. It’s only some small improvements we need to make to win more games. We’re a humble group with belief,” he said.
The win over high-flying Chelsea was one to savor, McKenna added.
“To do it against Chelsea was fantastic. Most of the supporters who have been here for 22 years, every moment here is a landmark for them. Winning the home game is another special little landmark, but I think the time of year, the night game, the opponent make this a special night and I want everyone to enjoy it a lot,” he said.
Elsewhere, Manchester United fell 2-0 to Newcastle United at Old Trafford in their fourth consecutive defeat, while Aston Villa stayed in the race to finish in the top four after Tariq Lamptey’s late equalizer salvaged a 2-2 draw for Brighton & Hove Albion.
Additional reporting by AFP
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