Burnley v Ipswich – The Tractor Boys look to crash the promotion party
After securing promotion on Easter Monday, the Clarets will plan to give their fans a real celebration as Turf Moor gets set for Premier League football again. However, Ipswich have a job in hand to crash the play-offs and the Burnley party in the process.
For Burnley the season is over. Monday’s victory over Wigan at Turf Moor confirmed was has been a formality for the past month or so. Sean Dyche or the ‘Ginger Mourinho’ has mastered one of the greatest seasons in recent memory. With one of the best home records in the division picking up 14 wins, 6 draws and 2 defeats from their 22 home games to date this is something they will have to maintain if they have hopes of having an extended stay in the Premier League. Danny Ings has 20 goals for the season, but since his injury has failed to reignite his blistering form and this could be a slight concern for Sean Dyche with other marksman Sam Vokes likely to be out till December.
Ipswich will look back at their Easter weekend as a missed opporutnity. After a disappointing 3-1 defeat at Watford they led twice over the impressive Bournemouth, but failed to hold onto their lead, finishing the game 2-2. A win in either of these games would have seen them at least level on points with Reading who sit 6th. Focus turns to the final two games where Mick McCarthy will be targeting 6 points to put the pressure on the rest of the teams chasing the play-offs. The loss of David McGoldrick in the New Year was a massive blow for the Tractor Boys and who knows where they would be if he had played throughout the final few months of the season. In his absence Daryl Murphy has had a chance to shine and only improved his reputation. He is this game’s key man.
Score prediction: 3-1 Burnley win
