Rotherham United 1 Ipswich Town 3

Last updated : 11 April 2004 By Footymad Previewer

Ipswich Town revived their play-off hopes with a superb second half fightback at relegation-haunted Rotherham United.

Joe Royle's side had to defend desperately in the first half with the Millers leading through Chris Sedgwick's 24th minute strike.

But once Royle introduced subs Shefki Kuqi and Martijn Reuser at half-time it turned the game.

Town immediately had Rotherham on the back foot and after Reuser had forced home keeper Mike Pollitt to save at the near post they levelled after 66 minutes with one of the goals of the season, as Matt Richards picked out Jermaine Wright and he lashed in a spectacular 30-yarder.

After that Town continued to press with skipper Jim Magilton firing just past a post while Wright drilled another long-range effort over the bar.

With Rotherham going close through strikers Martin Butler, Michael Proctor and sub Richie Barker, it was Ipswich who snatched a crucial second with three minutes of normal time left, as Reuser's long throughball found Darren Bent and he beat the offside trap to fire underneath Pollitt and into the net.

And in injury time Kuqi sealed the win when he ran clear down the left as Rotherham were caught pressing and the burly striker flipped a sweet shot past Pollitt.

The Tractor Boys win had looked so unlikely after a first half bossed by the home side.

Proctor flicked an effort just wide early on and then Sedgwick saw an 18-yard shot blast into Proctor when the ball looked to be on its way into the net.

Sedgwick, who only passed a fitness check before the game, netted the opener just a minute after being clattered by Ian Westlake.

The winger picked himself up to round both Westlake and defender John McGreal in the box and smack a grass cutter past keeper Kelvin Davis.