Ipswich maintain fine form with win over Wednesday

Last updated on .From the section Championship

Ipswich remain among the Championship pace-setters after seeing-off Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

Ipswich remain perfect on their travels and are third, just a point behind leaders Preston.

Wednesday stay winless with a single point from their opening six games.

The visitors began the brighter and Vasquez had to get down quickly to deny Freddie Ladapo a fourth goal in three games on 14 minutes when the striker got on the end of Wes Burns' low cross.

Burns then drove into the box and saw a low shot from an angle parried by the keeper on 36 minutes, with Chaplin's follow-up going past the post.

Michael Smith diverted a header from a free-kick well over the bar in a rare Owls attack before the deadlock was broken at the other end just before the break when Town built from the back and a fine Massimo Luongo pass found Leif Davis down the left.

He raced into the penalty area before cutting back for Chaplin to slam home a left-footed shot through a forest of legs and past Vasquez for his third goal of the season.

Davis departed with a knock before the break but five minutes after the restart Harry Clarke was denied a second for Ipswich when his bullet header from a Nathan Broadhead cross was saved by Vasquez.

Ipswich forward George Hirst, son of former Owls striker David, came off the bench against his former side and soon sent an angled lob over Vasquez's crossbar before seeing a low drive stopped by the keeper's left hand.

Vasquez also denied Broadhead from an angle in the closing stages while Owls substitute Ashley Fletcher's wayward header was as close as the hosts came to an equaliser.

"All I can say is sorry (to the fans) because I'm very, very disappointed about the first 45 minutes. After that, the team had a good reaction, but not enough.

"For me, we need to give for 90 minutes the same level and the same intensity.

"I can say 'so sorry' to the fans today because I was very, very frustrated about the first half. If we don't change, it is impossible to take the points because the Championship is a very, very, very high level."

"It's hard to pick one thing. I loved the game, the performance and the result. This was a big one for us today. We've not managed to win here in the last couple of visits and it's a barometer for us as a team.

"We imposed ourselves on the game, created some big opportunities, pressed well, I thought it was an excellent performance. We got a goal before half-time but we probably deserved a bit more than that.

"Second half I thought we should have been two or three up. The last 20 minutes was pleasing as when you don't get the second goal you have to see the game out in a different way, defend with organisation and resilience and dig in."