Saturday 27 February 2016 17:50, UK
Ben Pringle's first half strike was enough for Ipswich to edge out Huddserfield 1-0 in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday afternoon.
Winger Pringle, on a month's loan from Sky Bet Championship rivals Fulham, scored his first goal for the club against the run of play in a one-sided opening half.
The home side dominated and should have been ahead but Pringle cashed in on hesitant defending by Joel Lynch midway through the first period for what proved the only goal.
Ipswich, who had slipped out of the play-off positions after losing five of their last six matches, improved in the second half.
Huddersfield ended the game with 10 men as all three subs had been used when midfielder Jonathan Hogg limped off in the 80th minute.
The Terriers got after Ipswich from the start, mounting a wave of attacks, and could have been 3-0 up inside the first 10 minutes.
Left-back Jason Davidson delivered an inviting cross for the incoming Kyle Dempsey but his flying header flashed wide.
Nahki Wells almost caught Bartosz Bialkowski off his line, forcing the keeper to back pedal furiously as his 20-yard lob landed on the roof of the net.
Wells had the best chance of the three, however, when Tommy Smith's huge clearance from the right side of defence put him in behind the Ipswich rearguard. Wells steadied himself but his shot came back off the keeper's legs.
The home side continued to press and Wells failed to connect cleanly with another effort before Harry Bunn snatched at a chance and lifted his finish high over the bar.
Ipswich went ahead in the 19th minute against the run of play, and with their first attempt on goal, but were helped by centre-back Lynch who laboured in trying to guide the ball out of play.
Striker Daryl Murphy would not give up and stuck out a leg to keep the ball in play before picking out the unmarked Pringle who fired home despite Davidson's attempt to block it on the line.
Huddersfield kept their heads and almost equalised straight afterwards but Wells' snapshot was brilliantly turned away by Bailkowski and had another sight of goal two minutes later but his powerful effort was off target.
Ipswich could have made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time when Murphy slammed wide from Jonas Knudsen's cross.
The second half was a more even affair as Ipswich battled to protect the lead.
Dempsey dragged his shot wide for Huddersfield before the Terriers had a great chance to level on the hour when Smith's volley deflected to Davidson who diverted wide.
Murphy went close to sealing it for the visitors six minutes later when Freddie Sears set him up but the striker drilled wide.
Jamie Paterson's long-range shot was well held by Bialkowski before Hogg tried his luck with a volley.
Just after that Hogg went down in a midfield challenge clutching his knee and signalled to the bench that his game was over, leaving Huddersfield a man short.
Ipswich played down the clock and survived five minutes of stoppage time to claim three valuable points.
