Ipswich 3 Leeds United 0: Warnock vents fury on Lees as play-off dreams are crushed

The centre-back was sent off for a dangerous, high tackle on Jay Tabb just after the half-hour mark, with the visitors well on top at Portman Road.

The red card proved a major turning point and David McGoldrick’s strikes either side of half-time were followed by a third from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.

“It’s difficult doing a press conference when you think you should have won three or 4-0 and you’ve lost 3-0, ” said Warnock.

“It’s a crazy day and I can’t believe we haven’t won. We’ve got one lad who’s let everyone down. He’s let me down, the team down and all the fans who travelled here.

“It was one stupid moment. I don’t know what else I can say, other than it was a ridiculous tackle.

“We were dominating. I’ve never been to Ipswich and dominated as much as that in my life and if I were (Ipswich chief) Mick (McCarthy) I’d fill in a lottery ticket tonight.”

Warnock admitted the defeat put a major dent in his side’s already slim Championship play-off chances.

“Mathematically, we’re still going, but it means we’ve got to win every game now, ” he said.

“We put a great effort in, but you need a little bit of luck – not stupidity like that.

“It’s absolutely criminal that I’m sat here talking about a defeat and the lads aren’t on the bus having clawed back points against the teams above us.”

Warnock’s side made much of the early running, only to find goalkeeper Scott Loach in inspired form.

Loach made his expected return in goal for the Tractor Boys following the end of Stephen Henderson’s loan spell from West Ham and was McCarthy’s only change to the XI that beat in-form Bolton before the international break.

Fit-again striker Steve Morison and veteran midfielder Michael Brown returned to the Leeds starting line-up, with Luke McCormack and Rodolph Austin dropping to the bench.

Ipswich survived the early onslaught from the visitors and took advantage of the red card for Lees when McGoldrick opened the scoring seconds before half-time.

Carlos Edwards’s cross was headed against the bar by Luke Hyam, but McGoldrick was in the right place to nod in his third Ipswich goal.

Hyam was also the architect of the second goal, soon after the restart.

The midfielder battled into the area and cut in from the left, before squaring to the on-loan Nottingham Forest man, whose shot deflected in off substitute Jason Pearce.

Ipswich’s third goal came midway through the second half.

Aaron Cresswell’s cross reached substitute Emmanuel-Thomas, who showed quick feet before drilling a low shot inside the right-hand post to rubberstamp Ipswich’s win.

McCarthy said: “I’m pleased because it’s the first time I can remember when we got away with an ordinary performance.

“Leeds were better than us, certainly for 30 minutes. It was our turn to have a bit of good fortune and the red card changed the game.

“I don’t think anyone could argue against it. It was a sending-off, in my view.

“We worked hard. We were under the cosh and there was a time when we would have capitulated, but it doesn’t happen now.

“We make saves and blocks, stuck at it and kept a clean sheet until we had opportunities to score.”

Of his side’s ongoing battle to beat the drop, McCarthy added: “The whole league is bonkers and the pressure’s starting to tell.

“You can worry like hell about other results, as I’m sure we all do, but you can only concentrate on your own results and performances.”

Back-to-back wins mean Ipswich lie four points clear of the bottom three with seven games remaining, three points and five places below Leeds in 11th.

Ipswich Town: Loach, Stearman, Chambers, Smith, Cresswell, Edwards (Emmanuel-Thomas 64), Hyam, Drury, Tabb, Murphy (Nouble 78), McGoldrick (Chopra 77). Unused substitutes: Lee-Barrett, Hewitt, N’Daw, Reece Brown.

Leeds United: Kenny, Byram, Peltier, Lees, Warnock, Green (Pearce 46), Norris, Brown, Tonge (White 69), Morison, Varney (McCormack 69). Unused substitutes: Ashdown, Austin, Habibou, Dawson.

Referee: J Adcock (Nottis).

Man of the match: David McGoldrick.