Ipswich 2-0 Bolton: Town up to 10th in table

Ipswich bagged their first home goals in more than five weeks as they comfortably beat beleaguered Bolton 2-0 at Portman Road in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday evening.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Brett Pitman scored to ensure Ipswich got back to winning ways in the Sky Bet Championship and consigned the visitors to nine games without tasting victory.

It could have easily been more than the two goals, with Bolton only creating one chance of note: the game's first, when Max Clayton's close-range header was smothered away by Ipswich goalkeeper Dean Gerken after just two minutes.

From then on, an entertaining first half saw third-bottom Bolton play their part but Ipswich dominate in terms of chances created.

Kevin Bru shot wide from the edge of the area before turning provider when his driven cross was met by the head of Pitman but it was well held by the diving Ben Amos.

With 12 minutes on the clock, Ipswich took the lead with only their second goal in six games as a quick counter saw Daryl Murphy release Maitland-Niles down the right wing and the Arsenal loanee cut inside before finding the bottom far corner with a precise shot.

It was almost 2-0 when Murphy's cross caused Amos and Dorian Dervite to collide and Pitman picked up the pieces but saw his shot cleared off the line by left-back Jose Manuel Casado.

Freddie Sears was denied by the advancing Amos while Bolton's best moments were blocked by impressive Ipswich skipper Luke Chambers before they threatened Gerken's goal.

Sears, a livewire throughout the first half, volleyed over with eight minutes remaining and then saw a stinging low drive well held by Amos.

Little over three minutes after the restart, substitute Jonathan Douglas, who replaced the injured Maitland-Niles, cannoned a shot off the top of the crossbar which appeared to nick the head of team-mate Sears on its route to goal.

The chances kept coming for the home side with Sears denied again, a goal-bound header being cleared by Wheater after great work by Jonas Knudsen to pull the ball back.

With 20 minutes left, Ipswich finally made the game safe with a deadly counter-attack with Sears' pace causing a problem for Bolton all night and he broke clear to release Pitman who confidently drilled the ball beyond Amos.

It was almost 3-0 just minutes later when Sears this time was set clear by Murphy but he got his angles wrong and drilled his shot wide.

Jay Spearing then prevented a third, brilliantly heading Pitman's header off the line after super work by Murphy before Sears fired agonisingly wide of the far post after Pitman had returned the favour.

Sears, destined to end the night without the goal his performance deserved, was then denied one final time when his volley was brilliantly held by Amos.

The result lifts Town up to 10th in the table, while Bolton remain 22nd and are now four points from safety.

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy said: 

"I would have taken a scruffy shinner or an own goal to get back to winning ways but our performance was outstanding.

"We had a difficult spell in the first half but we weathered that storm. It was great to get a clean sheet, which was a team effort, and some of the play from the front lads was terrific."

Bolton Wanderers manager Neil Lennon said:

"We need to start showing moral courage to score goals and put our foot in. There is no point being a nice team - we have to start winning games.

"I thought we were in the game in the first half but we never competed in the second half. If you don't compete in this division, especially against a Mick McCarthy side, you will get beat."