Ipswich Town have reduced the gap at the top of the Championship table to just one point courtesy of a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic at Portman Road this evening.
The hosts made a bright start to the match and were inches away from breaking the deadlock inside 10 minutes when David McGoldrick's curling free kick struck the inside of the post.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson was the first to threaten for the visitors, although Bartosz Bialkowski appeared to have his dipping shot from range covered as it flew just past the post.
The deadlock was broken just past the half-hour mark when Luke Chambers's header caused a scramble inside the box, with the ball eventually falling for Tommy Smith to poke home.
Charlton should have levelled things up shortly afterwards when George Tucudean was sent clean through on goal, but Bialkowski made the save before Christophe Berra nodded the rebound off the line.
Tucudean had another chance to equalise in the 39th minute having been picked out inside the box by Chris Solly, but he blazed his effort over the top.
The Tractor Boys almost made Charlton pay for those missed chances right on the stroke of half time, but once again McGoldrick was denied by the upright from a free kick.
The Addicks began the second half on top and drew a save from Bialkowski early in the period as the Ipswich keeper got his body behind Gudmundsson's curling effort.
Johnnie Jackson then had a fine chance to restore parity for his side as he met a teasing cross, but his header flew narrowly over the crossbar.
The visitors were punished for their wastefulness just past the hour when top scorer Daryl Murphy added another to his tally, nodded home a rebound after McGoldrick had hit the woodwork for the third time.
McGoldrick had another chance to finally get his name on the scoresheet shortly afterwards, but this time he curled his effort over the top having been released by Jay Tabb.
Charlton kept looking for a goal to get them back into the contest, but for the second time in the match Berra denied the visitors with a clearance off the line, this time to keep out Igor Vetokele's header.
It was Ipswich who got the third goal of the night, however, wrapping up the points in injury time as McGoldrick finally found the back of the net with a cool finish.
It was almost four in the dying embers of the game as McGoldrick raced through once again, but this time the keeper denied him and Kevin Bru's rebound was cleared off the line.
Barney Corkhill
