Newcastle United 3 Ipswich Town 0 match report: Tractor Boys relegated to Championship after one season in Premier League
Ipswich Town have been relegated from the Premier League following a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Alexander Isak, Dan Burn and Will Osula were all on target as the Blues fell to their seventh defeat in nine league matches to finally seal their fate and confirm their place in the Championship next season.
The writing was on the wall when Ben Johnson was sent off in the first half for a pair of yellow cards, the first coming controversially for simulation after he appeared to be tripped by Burn.
The second card, which was shown just seven minutes later, was less arguable. Isak turned beyond the Town man, who just did not let go and haul the Sweden international to the ground.
Isak would score the first goal of the afternoon and his 31st for club and country this season from the penalty spot after Jacob Murphy was tripped by Julio Enciso.
Burn doubled the lead early in the second half as Kieran Trippier’s cross was stood up to the 6ft 7in defender at the back post, giving him the simplest of tasks to nod into the net from a yard out.
Trippier would become provider for the second time of the day as the scoring was rounded off from a corner kick.
The dead-ball was perfectly placed onto the head of Osula, who struck the first Premier League goal of his career just minutes after coming on as a substitute.
With Eddie Howe back in the dugout and a UEFA Champions League place to go after, Newcastle ensured they made little trouble in dispatching the Blues on their own turf.
The warning signs were there early on as the hosts tried the tactic of death by a thousand crosses. Cameron Burgess and Jacob Greaves, the latter filling in at left-back in the absence of Leif Davis, did well to initially nullify the threat.
Magpies captain Bruno Guimaraes had the ball in the net midway through the first half but referee Michael Salisbury, who would become a key figure, ruled it out for a light nudge on a relieved Alex Palmer.
Johnson’s red card marked the fifth dismissal of a Town player this season and tipped the balance firmly in the home side’s favour as a few minutes of chaos ensued.
Luke Woolfenden denied Guimaraes from a bicycle kick with a goal-line clearance, with Sandro Tonali slamming against the woodwork just moments later.
The St James’ Park crowd were becoming louder and louder, especially when referee Salisbury said no to Murphy’s claims of a penalty shortly before half-time.
VAR would overrule the decision, though, and the Geordies were celebrating Isak’s fourth goal against the Blues this season as he converted from the penalty spot.
Burn was the Wembley hero as Newcastle won the Carabao Cup last month, and once the local defender had doubled his side’s lead against Town, the rest of the contest became somewhat of a non-event.
Former Norwich City winger Murphy went close but it was Osula who provided the icing on top of the Geordies’ cake as he found the top corner of Palmer’s net to move one step closer to a top five place.
The Magpies, with a fifth straight home league victory, might have hit form at just the right time.
In reality, this was a day that has been coming for a number of weeks.
Kieran McKenna’s side have slowly been trending towards the trap door for most of the second half of the season and their fate was finally sealed in the north-east.
Four league wins all season was never going to be enough to mount a serious challenge to the established 17 clubs, with the Blues ultimately joining Leicester City and Southampton in making an immediate return to the second tier.
It marks the first time in Premier League history that the relegated trio have been decided with four matches to go, while also being back-to-back seasons where the three promoted sides have all returned to where they came from.
Without doubt, Town will take plenty of learnings from their one-year stay in the top flight, but perhaps their form during the last few months will be a particular area of focus.
With as many as 11 first team players absent through injury, the Blues were forced to name teenagers Somto Boniface and Tommy Taylor in the squad for the first time in the last two weeks, with Ben Godfrey making a surprise appearance off the bench when needs must after his season looked to be over.
With four matches remaining, Town will insist there is still plenty to play for. Performances, particularly on home soil, will undoubtedly be a specific focus.
The building towards a Championship season that they hope will prove to be similar to the last, begins now.
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Burn, Schar (Botman 83), Trippier; Willock (Miley 68), Tonali, Guimaraes (c); Barnes (Osula 77), Isak (Wilson 77), Murphy (Gordon 68). Subs: Dubravka, Ruddy, Krafth, Longstaff.
Booked: Burn.
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Greaves, Burgess, Woolfenden, O’Shea; J Taylor (Luongo 86), Morsy (c); Clarke (Godfrey 40), Enciso (Chaplin 71), Johnson; Delap (Hirst 71). Subs: Walton, Cajuste, Hutchinson, Boniface, T Taylor.
Booked: Johnson (2), Delap, Greaves.
Sent Off: Johnson.
Referee: Michael Salisbury (Lancashire).
Attendance: 52,171.