‎Kieran McKenna faces huge frustration after fresh double issue hits Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town managed to trim the gap to Middlesbrough by a single point during the midweek round of fixtures, but Kieran McKenna is likely to be frustrated that his side were unable to close the distance further.

The Tractor Boys were involved in one of the most dramatic matches of the round at the bet365 Stadium. Trailing Stoke City 2-0 at half-time, Ipswich produced an impressive second-half turnaround and were leading 3-2 with just eight minutes left to play.

An own goal from Eric Bocat, along with strikes from Jack Taylor and George Hirst, had put Ipswich on course for a remarkable comeback victory. It would have been their first win from a two-goal deficit since their 3-2 triumph over Southampton on Easter Monday two seasons ago.

However, the hosts were awarded a controversial penalty deep into second-half stoppage time after Lamine Cisse was judged to have been brought down in the box. Milan Smit stepped up and converted from the spot in the 96th minute, scoring his second goal of the game and ensuring the contest ended level.

As a result, Ipswich remain four points outside the automatic promotion places, although Middlesbrough’s defeat to Charlton Athletic the following day slightly softened the blow. The gap could easily have been just two points, particularly given that the late penalty decision has since been acknowledged as incorrect.

Ipswich suffered a further setback in the aftermath of the controversial call. McKenna has revealed that both he and the club received an apology from the PGMOL, confirming that the penalty should not have been awarded.

While the admission offers some validation, it does nothing to change the result or restore the two points that slipped away. It also cannot overturn the yellow card shown to Cedric Kipre during the incident.

That booking proved costly for the defender, as it was his 10th of the Championship campaign. The suspension rule now means the 29-year-old will miss Ipswich’s next two fixtures, starting with the trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday and followed by a crucial clash with Millwall the following week.

With the race for automatic promotion intensifying, the meeting with Alex Neil’s side could prove decisive in determining who stays closest to Middlesbrough heading into the final stretch of the season.

There is also added frustration surrounding the timing of Kipre’s suspension. The cut-off point for the 10-yellow-card threshold arrives after the Sheffield Wednesday match. Had the booking been avoided against Stoke, Ipswich could potentially have rested him in that game to prevent him from reaching the limit before the Millwall encounter.

Prior to this weekend, the Ivory Coast international had started 20 consecutive Championship matches and had firmly established himself as a key figure in McKenna’s defence at Portman Road.

Instead, he will now be unavailable until after the March international break. Given that his suspension stems from a booking linked to an incident that has since been deemed not to be a foul, the situation will feel particularly difficult for Ipswich to accept.

The Stoke decision also followed another contentious moment involving Kipre just days earlier. Late in Ipswich’s match against Leicester City on Saturday, Hamza Choudhury challenged the centre-back inside the penalty area, but appeals for a spot-kick were waved away despite strong protests from the home crowd at Portman Road.

Had that penalty been awarded and converted, and Tuesday night’s decision correctly ruled out, Ipswich would now be level on points with Middlesbrough and would still have a game in hand.

Instead, they sit four points behind the automatic promotion spots and must also cope without one of their first-choice centre-backs for two matches.

The situation underlines the narrow margins that often define the Championship promotion race. With only a few months left in the campaign, Ipswich will hope these controversial decisions do not ultimately prove decisive in their push for the Premier League, though they have every reason to feel hard done by at this stage.