Late goals from Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi earned play-off chasing Ipswich
three points against a Rotherham side who remain deep in the relegation mire.
Bent held his nerve to score his 14th goal of the season with a precise finish
after 88 minutes, before Kuqi sealed the win with a fierce drive at the death.
It was harsh on the home side, who went in at the interval a goal to the good
thanks to Chris Sedgwick's superb finish.
The Millers winger embarked on a stunning solo run before stabbing the ball
past onrushing goalkeeper Kelvin Davis after 26 minutes.
However, Jermaine Wright's stunning 30-yard volley after 67 minutes earned the
Tractor Boys a foothold in the contest before Bent and Kuqi's dramatic
intervention confirmed the victory.
In contrast to the second half, the home side were quickest out of the traps
and Jody Morris fashioned the best chance when his fierce 25-yard free-kick,
after John McGreal had fouled Martin Butler, rocketed inches over the crossbar.
Ipswich may have scored 75 league goals this season but their porous defence
has proven their undoing many times.
Indeed, Ronnie Moore's side were rewarded for their vibrant play when Sedgwick
fired them into a 24th-minute lead.
The Millers winger received the ball just inside the Ipswich half and slalomed
past three desperate lunges before angling into the penalty box.
Sedgwick still had work to do but kept his composure to waltz past Davis
before slotting the ball into an empty net.
Ipswich manager Joe Royle responded by replacing Dean Bowditch and Drissa
Diallo with Martijn Reuser and Kuqi at the interval.
However, the double substitution failed to alter the flow of the contest as
Rotherham remained in the ascendancy.
United were a whisker away from extending their advantage shortly after the
hour mark when Michael Proctor showed Matt Elliott a clean pair of heels before
unleashing a fine drive which rebounded off the woodwork and away to safety.
Despite their defensive inadequacies, Ipswich often turn on the style when it
matters, and restored parity after 67 minutes following a sustained spell of
intense pressure.
Matthew Richards' cross-field ball found Wright in acres of space 30 yards
from goal and although there appeared little danger, the Town midfielder had
other ideas and let fly with a dipping volley which soared majestically into the
top corner of the net.
Rotherham were out on their feet and Ipswich went in for the kill.
With just two minutes remaining, Bent scored the decisive goal after Reuser's
deft flick broke the home side's offside trap to give the youngster the easiest
of chances to slide the ball into the back of the net.
A rousing Ipswich comeback was galvanised in injury-time when Kuqi smashed the
ball past Pollitt from the edge of the penalty area to give their hopes of
reaching the play-offs a huge shot in the arm.
Teams
Rotherham: Pollitt, Stockdale, Swailes, Shaun Barker, Minto,
Sedgwick (Richard Barker 74), Morris, Mullin, Monkhouse,
Butler, Proctor.
Subs Not Used: Montgomery, Warne, Baudet, Hurst.
Booked: Mullin.
Goals: Sedgwick 24.
Ipswich: Davis, McGreal, Elliott, Diallo (Kuqi 45), Wright,
Richards, Magilton (Santos 90), Miller, Westlake,
Bowditch (Reuser 45), Bent.
Subs Not Used: Wilnis, Price.
Booked: Westlake.
Goals: Wright 67, Bent 88, Kuqi 90.
Att: 6,561
Ref: D Pugh (Merseyside).
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