Ipswich move top of Championship with win over Hull

Ipswich beat Hull 3-0 to move ahead of Leicester at the top of the Championship.

It was only the second defeat of the season for the Tigers, who slipped three places to eighth on goal difference, while victory for Ipswich kept their early-season form rolling.

Town got off to a flying start thanks to a marvellous strike by Wes Burns in the fifth minute and Conor Chaplin completed a wonderful move to make it 2-0 just before the break. Marcus Harness scored the third midway through the second half from close range.

The opener came when Leif Davis delivered a crossfield pass which Chaplin let run across him to Burns, who angled a shot past Ryan Allsop into the bottom corner of the net from just inside the penalty area.

Hull nearly equalised in the 17th minute following a break by Liam Delap. Ipswich centre-back George Edmundson raced back with him and the ball spun to Republic of Ireland international Aaron Connolly, who stabbed across the face of the goal.

Sam Morsy and Davis combined to square the ball to Harness, who tested Allsop with a firmly struck shot, and moments later another effort from Harness went narrowly wide.

Hull still displayed positive touches to show they were in the game and Jacob Greaves’ shot from just outside the penalty area nearly deceived Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky, who just managed to beat the ball away.

Town went further ahead in the 41st minute following a move which started at the back through Hladky. Harness played in Davis who rolled the ball across to Chaplin just inside the D. He took a touch to control the ball and another to expertly curl it into the far corner of the City net for a picturebook goal.

Connolly just failed to make a quick enough turn in the six-yard box to make a clean contact with the ball after he spun Edmundson only to shoot wide.

Town pressed forward on numerous occasions in a bid to extend their lead, with the third eventually coming from Harness in the 65th minute. Hladky again started the attack and George Hirst showed a turn of pace down the left to cross for Harness to bundle the ball home.

Two minutes later Hull won a free-kick just outside the box but substitute Scott Twine curled his effort over the wall and narrowly over the angle of the bar and post.

Referee Matthew Donohue turned down penalty appeals from Ipswich after Town substitute Omari Hutchinson appeared to have his heels clipped by Dogukan Sinik as Town ran out worthy winners in front of 27,070 fans.