Ipswich Town moved up to second in the Championship as they registered a fourth successive home win by beating struggling Oxford United.
Jaden Philogene’s quality finish put the Tractor Boys ahead, only for Will Lankshear to level the scores with an angled shot.
Town were soon back in front as Chuba Akpom – leading the line in the continuing absence of injured George Hirst – rounded off a good passing move for only his second goal of the season.
It proved enough for them to leapfrog Middlesbrough, who lost at Derby County, while Oxford’s eighth away defeat of the campaign saw them slip to 23rd in the table with Craig Short still in interim charge following the pre-Christmas sacking of Gary Rowett.
Ipswich had defender Leif Davis back from illness as one of four changes to the side which won at leaders Coventry City in their previous game, while Oxford were without forward Nik Prelec because of a groin injury.
The match began following a minute’s applause for former Ipswich forward Robin Turner, who died recently, and the home side began positively with Sindre Walle Egeli firing an effort over the bar.
Having taken only four points from six matches last month, Oxford needed to establish an early foothold.
But after failing to achieve any significant forward momentum, they fell behind when Jens Cajuste won the ball just outside the box and fed Philogene, who twisted and turned his marker before picking his spot in the far corner.
The visitors were forced into a change when Tyler Goodrham had to go off but drew level when an attempted Cruyff turn by Filip Krastev following Przemysław Płacheta’s run down the right saw the ball run on to Lankshear, who fired past Christian Walton for his sixth goal of the season.
The wind was not taken out of Ipswich’s sails for long, however, as Darnell Furlong cut the ball back to give Akpom a simple finish and Cajuste and Marcelino Nunez brought saves from Jamie Cumming as they threatened a third before the break.
Brian de Keersmaecker wasted a great chance for the U’s soon after the restart when he jabbed the ball wide when through one on one with the keeper and Cumming denied Nunez twice in the space of four minutes at the other end, his second excellent stop preventing the Chilean’s free-kick from finding the top corner.
Oxford, who won their first game of a the new calendar year in the previous two seasons, pressed forward in the closing stages without seriously troubling Walton and have now won only once in seven since beating Ipswich 2-1 at home on 28 November.
Ipswich are next in action away to Portsmouth on Sunday, while Oxford travel north to face Sheffield United.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:
“It should have been more comfortable for us.
“The game was there; we got the goal in the first half and played some great stuff through the pitch. We lacked a clinical edge.
“We shouldn’t have given away a goal with that level of control. It was harder than it needed to be.
“We knew the game wasn’t dead; it was a good reaction to their goal. But we wanted to win the second half. I thought we had good periods, but if you don’t kill the game off, it is always going to be edgy.”
Oxford United caretaker manager Craig Short told BBC Radio Oxford:
“In the last two games, I’ve said I want performances and we’ll see where we go from there.
“This is a difficult place to come in a busy period, confidence is low. We stuck at it, stayed in the game. I was disappointed when we got back to 1-1, you know we’ll have to defend and we had to like we did against Southampton.
“If you stay in the game you’ve got people to come on and be a threat at the end. The second goal was soft and it deflated us.
“The lads are flat but they’ve got confidence because of the performance. Everyone is going to play their part in this busy period; it is a massive game on Sunday [against Sheffield United].
“If they have the attitude and desire of today, they’ll have a chance.”
