This cannot be the promotion celebration that Ipswich supporters have been waiting for, as Hull’s late equaliser on Saturday night means, but three points here would put The Tractor Boys on the verge of the Premier League heading into Saturday’s match against all but relegated Huddersfield Town.
The goal now is to get the result to put Kieran McKenna’s team three points ahead of Leeds with one game remaining, meaning a final-day draw would be sufficient regardless of how Daniel Farke’s team performs against Southampton. Had McKenna’s team maintained their 3-2 lead from their previous outing, then a win here would have been enough to confirm promotion.
Coventry presents the visitors with an ideal opponent in many aspects. They’ve had a demanding few weeks, playing most weeks from Saturday to Tuesday to complete their league schedule in addition to their incredible FA Cup run. Then, a midweek loss to Hull that ended their hopes of finishing in the top six and, consequently, promotion, added to the emotional exhaustion that followed that heartbreaking cup loss.
Although they played poorly and were lucky not to lose, they showed some resoluteness in the 0-0 away draw at Blackburn given the circumstances. They were always playing against a team that was in danger of going down, and the pressure only increased when Liam Kitching was sent off in the second half.
Given how many games his team must play in a short amount of time, it would not be surprising to see Mark Robbins rotate his lineup for this one. He is suspended. They have dropped four of their last six league games, and it is difficult to see how they will be able to muster the kind of effort required to stop an Ipswich team, for whom the game has never been more important.
The injury returns of George Hirst and Wes Burns, who both surprised everyone by starting their first games back from an enforced layoff against Hull, have also strengthened the visiting team.
Eight of Town’s eleven road victories have come by a single goal.
