Ipswich Town has regained their position in the top two of the Championship table after a contentious late penalty secured a 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough. The visitors had taken the lead through David Strelec, only for Kasey McAteer to equalize, and then Tommy Conway restored Boro's advantage. However, a penalty awarded to Ipswich after a minimal contact incident involving George Hirst and Adilson Malanda allowed Jack Clarke to level the score with just three minutes remaining. The decision has sparked debate, with Boro boss Kim Hellberg expressing his disappointment at the penalty call.
Despite the draw, Ipswich moves back into the automatic promotion spots, while Middlesbrough's chances of securing a top-two finish appear to be slipping away. The point moves Ipswich into second place on goal difference, with four games left to play and a game in hand over their promotion rivals. Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna felt his team was the better side in the first half but acknowledged that the momentum shifted in the second half. Middlesbrough's Kim Hellberg believed his team was the better side over the 90 minutes and felt they should have won the game.