Ten-man Ipswich relegated after Isak and Burn fire Newcastle up to third

Kieran McKenna and his Ipswich players arrived in the Premier League pledging to stay true to their purist principles but had an ignominious return to the Championship rubber stamped amid acrimony, indiscipline and refereeing controversy.

In mitigation Ipswich started quite well at Newcastle, their low block frustrating Eddie Howe’s side and the striker Alexander Isak in particular. Then they imploded in a manner that perhaps reflected the frustrations of a long, hard season when, all too often, a team who were League One residents two years ago proved not quite good enough to bridge the growing chasm between the top and second tiers.

While Sam Morsy and Liam Delap became distracted by running feuds with Newcastle’s Joe Willock and Dan Burn respectively, Ben Johnson was sent off in the 37th minute after receiving a second yellow card. If the first, for simulation in the face of Burn’s challenge was contentious, the second, for a blatant tug on Isak after the Swede invited contact, seemed plain stupid.

Hats off though for a sanguine McKenna’s honesty. “I thought we did a pretty good job in the early stages and it might have been different with 11 v 11, but 11 v 10 the challenge was just too big,” said the Ipswich manager. “I don’t think there was any need for the referee [Michael Salisbury] to give Ben a yellow card for the simulation and I think there could have been room for discretion with the second.

“But the challenge was just too big for us this season. Of course there’s things we would do differently now but it was a pretty big jump for us. The players have given everything and we’ve given it our best shot yet we’ve fallen short. Now we’ve got to stick together, keep doing the right things and use this as a springboard.”

Confirmation of Ipswich’s relegation came on a day when the outstanding Kieran Trippier rolled back the years for Newcastle and normal service was resumed as Howe exchanged hospital grapes for his trademark managerial chewing gum and returned to the home technical area.

By the second half the after-effects of the pneumonia that had forced Howe to miss Newcastle’s past three matches and hospitalised him for several nights were perhaps taking their toll as, unusually, he spent long periods sitting down in the dug out.

“It was great to be back,” said the Newcastle manager. “It was a difficult first half, we had to be diligent and patient but we’ve put ourselves in a strong position.”

View image in fullscreen Eddie Howe waves to the Newcastle fans on his return to the touchline against Ipswich. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Outside St James’ Park, Sir Bobby Robson’s statue looked resplendent, if a little over-dressed for the spring weather, in a half and half Ipswich/Newcastle scarf. The former England coach managed both clubs with distinction and his memory was serenaded with evocative chants of “only one Bobby Robson”.

If only Robson could still have been around to see Delap – incidentally, a striker on Howe’s summer shopping list – swiftly use his power of acceleration to destabilise Burn and unleash a couple of decent shots before Bruno Guimarães had a goal disallowed for a foul on the visiting goalkeeper Alex Palmer.

At that stage Isak looked badly out of sorts and Newcastle were missing Joelinton’s midfield dynamism. The bad news for Howe is that the Brazilian is due to see a knee specialist this week.

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At least he had Sandro Tonali around to retain his poise as things turned edgy. Shortly after the Italian saw a high velocity volley rebound off the crossbar – small wonder Howe worries for his goalkeepers’ wrists when the midfielder practises shooting in training – Julio Enciso conceded a penalty.

View image in fullscreen William Osula celebrates scoring Newcastle’s third goal. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters

Enciso’s challenge on the once again impressive Jacob Murphy prompted a lengthy VAR review but, eventually, Isak stepped forward to punish Palmer from 12 yards.

Burn doubled that lead with a second-half header prefaced by a smart short-corner routine involving Murphy and Trippier that concluded with the latter’s goal-creating cross.

There was a time when Trippier’s career seemed in sharp decline but his corner led to home substitute Will Osula heading his first Premier League goal. Right now the 34-year-old former England full-back is doing as much as anyone in black and white to drag Howe’s side into the Champions League.

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