Championship LIVE!
Ipswich Town returned to the Premier League at the first time of asking as a 3-0 victory over Queen's Park Rangers on the final day of the regular Championship season on Saturday ensured they took the second automatic promotion slot.
Needing a victory to make absolutely certain of finishing as runners-up to Coventry City, early goals by George Hirst and Jaden Philogene settled any nerves at Portman Road. The celebrations had already started by the time Kasey McAteer wrapped up the points late on.
Millwall and Middlesbrough also went into the final day with automatic promotion hopes if Ipswich slipped up. Millwall beat relegated Oxford United 2-0 to secure third place while Middlesbrough drew 2-2 at Wrexham - a result that meant the Welsh side missed out on the final play-off place and will spend a second season in the second tier.
Hull City's 2-1 victory over Norwich City mean they finished above Wrexham in sixth place.
Championship promotion battle latest
- Ipswich seal automatic promotion
- Millwall beat QPR but settle for play-offs
- Hull take final play-off spot ahead of Wrexham
FULL-TIME!
14:30 , Alex YoungHull hold on to muscle their way into the play-off party!
Full-time!
14:27 , Alex YoungIpswich are Premier League!
Full-time and a pitch invasion, straight back into the top flight.
Full-time!
14:26 , Alex YoungIt’s also all over for Wrexham... unless Norwich score at Derby!
Full-time!
14:26 , Alex YoungIt’s all over at Millwall, they will finish third after beating Oxford 2-0.
Wrexham 2-2 Middlesbrough
14:25 , Alex Young91min: But it’s all Norwich at Hull, and we are into six added minutes!
Wrexham 2-2 Middlesbrough
14:24 , Alex Young93min: Wave after wave from Wrexham, but they are running out of time.
Wrexham 2-2 Middlesbrough
14:21 , Alex Young91min: We are into FIVE added minutes at Wrexham.
Hull still lead 2-1 and are about two minutes away from added time.
GOAL!
14:18 , Alex Young85min: Game, set and promotion as McAteer slots home a third for Ipswich.
Wrexham 2-2 Middlesbrough
14:17 , Alex Young86min: Was that Wrexham’s chance?!
Windass blazes over from the edge of the area with the goal gaping!
82min: West Brom have pulled one back against Sheffield Wednesday, who are gunning for their first home win of the season.
As it stands
14:13 , Alex YoungHull sit sixth, but a goal for Wrexham will see them jump above.
81min: Into the final 10 minutes of the league season.
Wrexham 2-2 Middlesbrough
14:06 , Alex Young74min: Incredible! Castledine looks certain to put Boro back into the lead, but waits too long before pulling the trigger inside the area, gets the ball stuck under his feet, before Ward can smother.
GOAL!
14:01 , Alex Young67min: McBurnie at the double to put Hull into the lead over Norwich!
That means Hull are now in the top six ahead of Wrexham!
GOAL!
13:59 , Alex Young69min: This is very bad for Derby, and fantastic for Wrexham! Clarke, off the bench, as put Sheffield United into the lead!
And word has reached the Racecourse in Wales!
GOAL!
13:53 , Alex Young62min: Another twist as Cannon equalises for Sheffield United at Derby!
That moved Wrexham into the top six!
Ipswich 2-0 QPR
13:50 , Alex Young61min: QPR are still threatening to provide a late twist.
Hull 1-1 Norwich
13:49 , Alex Young60min: McBurnie unlucky not to put Hull back into the lead, made a slight mess of the finish from close range.
Ipswich 2-0 QPR
13:45 , Alex Young52min: I tell you what, QPR have not given up just yet.
One goal at the atmosphere will completely change.
Wrexham 2-2 Middlesbrough
13:44 , Alex Young53min: Rathbone with a fizzing effort from the edge of the area, which Brynn gobbles up at the second attempt.
They need to score.
GOAL!
13:38 , Alex Young48min: Azeez at the double, tucking home at back post to put Millwall firmly in control.
They have done their job today, but unfortunately so have Ipswich.
Second half
13:35 , Alex Young46min: Back underway across the country.
Only an historic collapse will see Ipswich not clinch the second automatic promotion spot.
Millwall are third.
Southampton are fourth.
Middlesbrough are fifth.
Derby are sixth.
Wrexham are seventh, level on points with eighth-placed Hull.
Half-time scores
13:22 , Alex YoungIpswich Town 2-0 QPR
Millwall 1-0 Oxford
Derby 1-0 Sheffield United
Wrexham 2-2 Middlesbrough
Hull 1-1 Norwich
Preston 0-1 Southampton
Watford 0-2 Coventry City
Bristol City 1-0 Stoke City
Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 West Brom
Blackburn 0-0 Leicester
Swansea 0-0 Charlton
Portsmouth 1-1 Birmingham
Coventry are 2-0 up, by the way. Cruising to 95 points.
45min: Breathless stuff as we enter into injury time at the end of the first halves.
GOAL!
13:14 , Alex Young44min: Nightmare for Wrexham, as they are pegged back immediately!
Strelec levels it up in south Wales.
GOAL!
13:12 , Alex Young41min: It’s not all-square anymore!
Wrexham back in the driving seat as Smith heads home back across goal! Stunning header.
Wrexham are back in the top six!
Wrexham 1-1 Middlesbrough
13:11 , Alex Young37min: Ward will be wondering how he’s saved that, along with everyone else watching along.
A goalmouth scramble in front of his net looks certain to end with a Boro goal, but the keeper manages to trap the ball with his legs/sitting on it!
Still all square.
GOAL!
13:06 , Alex Young34min: Lift-off for Millwall as Azeez almost takes the net off the goal with a thumping finish!
But only an unthinkable Ipswich collapse will open the door for second spot.
Ipswich 2-0 QPR
13:04 , Alex Young31min: Ipswich have decided to start trying again and Furlong should have done better when the ball falls to him inside the area.
GOAL!
13:00 , Alex Young29min: Ollie McBurnie makes no mistake from 12 yards.
PENALTY AT HULL!
13:00 , Alex Young28min: Out of nothing, a lifeline for the hosts!
GOAL!
12:59 , Alex Young28min: There’s one for Wrexham! And it’s a stunner!
Windass curls home a free kick, and the momentum is all with the Red Dragons.
GOAL!
12:59 , Alex Young26min: Hull is a morgue already, and it’s got even worse as Toure finishes smartly to give Norwich the lead.
Millwall 0-0 Oxford
12:58 , Alex Young24min: Sturge’s drills a half-volley at goal, which clears the crossbar off Ter Avest.
Wrexham 0-1 Middlesbrough
12:53 , Alex Young20min: Wrexham firmly on top as they push for an equaliser, pressing high up to force the matter.
They need two goals, as it stands.
Ipswich 2-0 QPR
12:49 , Alex Young17min: Party atmosphere at Portman Road, with the hosts happy to let QPR have the ball for now.
Hull 0-0 Norwich
12:47 , Alex Young16min: Norwich enjoying the better of it in the early stages. Hull need to do something, and as yet are doing nothing.
As it stands
12:47 , Alex YoungIpswich are now firm favourites to finish second.
Middlesbrough are up into third.
Millwall are fourth.
Southampton are fifth.
Derby up into sixth.
Hull are seventh.
Wrexham are all the way down to eighth.
Millwall 0-0 Oxford
12:44 , Alex Young13min: Not a huge amount happening at the Den, and the atmosphere in the stands is one of resignation for a play-off spot.
GOAL!
12:41 , Alex Young9min: Ipswich are surely Premier League-bound already!
Philogene is fed by Hirst to slot into the near corner.
Delirium in the stands!
GOAL!
12:39 , Alex Young5min: Derby are now into the top six as Szmodics tucks home at Banel cross.
GOAL!
12:36 , Alex Young4min: And almost at exactly the same time, Conway has put Middlesbrough ahead at Wrexham.
That knocks Wrexham out of the play-off picture as it stands!
GOAL!
12:35 , Alex Young3min: Now they are ahead!
It’s a scramble in the middle as QPR throw bodies at a low driven cross into the area, but Hirst is on hand to slot home.
Dreamland already!
Ipswich 0-0 QPR
12:34 , Alex Young2min: Ipswich should be ahead side 80 seconds! Davis runs through and is denied by a fine save, when one on one.
Kick-off!
12:33 , Alex Young1min: Underway across the country!
Teams are out, not long to go now.
What a welcome
12:23 , Alex YoungThis would get any player geared up, not that they will need it today.
BLUE ARMY!
— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) May 2, 2026
Wow. pic.twitter.com/cT0EEh6CiP
A little over 10 minutes to go. The next season of English football will be defined by the next two hours or so.
Kieran McKenna to Sky Sports
12:12 , Alex Young"It's going to be a wonderful atmosphere in our stadium – it's the third time in four years that we're had a home game to try and get promoted. It's not lost on us that these are special times. We want to deliver a big performance and a big result.
"I watched their game against Derby last week, they had nearly 70 per cent possession against a team in the play-offs – they've got a very good manager, a very professional manager, I'm sure they'll have trained and prepared this week."
Alex Neil to Sky Sports
12:05 , Alex Young“It’s not in our hands. Ipswich will do what they do, obviously they’re certainly favourites. So as far as that’s concerned we’ve not spent any time thinking about what will happen elsewhere.
“We just need to do our job and try and win the game and then what will happen will happen. From that we’ll decide what we do next.
“As a fan, [games like today are] the whole point of being a fan. You’ve got the licence to dream and hope that we could be the team to maybe nick it in the end.”
Team news round-up
11:58 , Alex YoungMillwall: There is no Josh Coburn due to injury, so Mihailo Ivanovic comes in as Barry Bannan replaces Derek Mazou-Sacko.
Ipswich: Two changes as George Hirst is replaced by Ivan Azon and Dan Neil makes way for Jack Taylor.
Middlesbrough: The return of the back three as four changes are made, including Dael Fry and Matt Targett replacing Amadou Bangura and Alex Gilbert.
'We know what we need to do'
11:51 , Alex YoungMillwall have never competed in the Premier League, and they have never been closer.
Manager Alex Neil said this week: "We know what we need to do, we need to go and win the match, and that’s all I’m focused on, that’s all the players should be focused on, and we just need to take care of ourselves, and then whatever will happen at the end of the game will be what it is.
"We need to make sure we don’t lose sight of the fact that we’ve made the play-offs as a club for the first time in 25 years or whatever it is. We’ve got the best away record in the league. We’ve kept the most clean sheets in the league. There’s just so many bits to like about us this season that it’s been a remarkable year.
"But we want to have something to show for our efforts come the end of the year. For us to get promoted would be a remarkable achievement from everybody involved, but there’s a hell of a lot of work to be done between now and then."
Supercomputer has its say
11:40 , Alex YoungThose guys at Opta have run the numbers, and here’s how things stack up.
For those who believe in stats and numbers, here are Opta’s views on the potential outcomes...
To finish second
Ipswich Town: 75.5%
Millwall: 23.4%
Middlesbrough: 2.2%
To claim final play-off spot
Wrexham: 45.3%
Hull City: 34.2%
Derby County: 20.5%
Wrexham XI vs Middlesbrough
11:28 , Alex YoungAnd another.
Today's squad at the STōK Cae Ras 🫡
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) May 2, 2026
🔴⚪ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/iXPhyQTmY7
QPR XI vs Ipswich
11:28 , Alex YoungAnd another.
Final team news is 𝗜𝗡! 🗞️ pic.twitter.com/vrL4VVrkuG
— QPR FC (@QPR) May 2, 2026
Oxford XI vs Millwall
11:28 , Alex YoungNow the opponents.
Lining up to take on the Lions. 🦁 pic.twitter.com/QjtYqEvX27
— Oxford United (@OUFCOfficial) May 2, 2026
Middlesbrough XI
11:27 , Alex YoungAnd another.
Your Boro. pic.twitter.com/aK6NotBcEN
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) May 2, 2026
Ipswich XI
11:26 , Alex YoungAnd another.
COME ON YOU BLUES. 💪 pic.twitter.com/ssu9oXgfps
— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) May 2, 2026
Millwall XI
11:25 , Alex YoungHere’s how Millwall line up today.
🔵⚪️ Two changes made by Alex Neil in today's XI to face Oxford United! pic.twitter.com/vcsp6nm4Jn
— Millwall FC (@MillwallFC) May 2, 2026
What are the rewards for earning promotion?
11:20 , Alex YoungLast year’s Championship play-off winners Sunderland banked an estimated £200million, and they have invested wisely to more than make a fist of life in the top flight, perhaps providing a blueprint for those who follow.
More generally, the interest generated worldwide would increase immeasurably, even for teams who were not too long ago in the top flight.
McKenna confident Ipswich will get over the line
11:08 , Alex YoungKieran McKenna is confident Ipswich will secure promotion today after being “millimetres away” in a thrilling 2-2 draw away to Southampton.
Tractor Boys manager McKenna said: "As much as we said a draw isn’t any different than a loss, it is – in how we feel going into the [final day] and how it came about.
"We look forward to the weekend now, we go into it with confidence and belief from the work across the season and how that was evidenced tonight.
"We know it’s going to be tough, we know it’s going to be a big, big push from everyone, but we believe that we’ll find it."
Play-off permutations
10:57 , Alex YoungFor two of Ipswich, Millwall and Middlesbrough, there will be the pain of missing out on automatic promotion and having to prepare for the play-offs.
All three teams along with Southampton are guaranteed a play-off spot, but the race to finish third and fourth - thus securing home advantage in the semi-final second leg - becomes a mini battle in its own right.
The Saints will begin the day fifth on 77 points and can finish third by virtue of a superior goal difference but would need to beat Preston and hope Millwall and Boro both lose.
The last play-off slot in the Championship is still yet to be settled though, with three teams battling it out on the final day.
Wrexham are in pole position in sixth on 70 points, the same as Hull who are seventh. Both teams are at home against Boro and Norwich respectively.
Derby are a point back in eighth, they host a Sheffield United side that has nothing to play for.
Wrexham will be in play-offs if they win and Hull do not win by one more goal. A draw will be enough if Hull and Derby fail to win. If Wrexham lose, a top six finish will be confirmed if Hull and Derby also lose, but provided their margin of defeat is not greater than Hull's.
Hull will be in play-offs if they win and Wrexham fail to win, or if the better Wrexham's margin of victory by more than one goal. A draw will only be enough if Wrexham lose and Derby fail to win. A defeat could be enough for a top six finish but that is dependant on Wrexham losing by one more goal than their margin of defeat and Derby also losing.
Derby’s superior goal difference means they can draw and get sixth if both Wrexham and Hull lose. A win and draws for the other two will also suffice.
If Wrexham and Hull finish with identical records, the head-to-head record between the sides would come into play. As Hull did the double over Wrexham, they would finish higher in the Championship table.
Promotion permutations
10:45 , Alex YoungCoventry have secured automatic qualification to the Premier League, but the race to join them will go down to the wire as it is between Ipswich, Millwall and Middlesbrough.
Ipswich are at home to Queens Park Rangers, while Millwall welcome already relegated Oxford to The Den, in what is arguably the more favourable fixture, and Boro finish up away at play-off chasing Wrexham
Ipswich are on 81 points and will confirm a top-two finish - and an immediate return to the top-flight - with a victory. A draw would be enough if Millwall and Boro fail to win their respective matches.
Millwall are on 80 points and must beat Oxford and hope Ipswich drop points to have any chance of finishing as runners-up. A draw will not be enough in any scenario because of their inferior goal difference.
Middlesbrough are on 79 points so will finish second with a win over Wrexham coupled with Ipswich losing and Millwall failing to win their game.
There is a scenario where Ipswich and Middlesbrough both finish on 82 points. Remarkably, Boro would be promoted if they win by six or more goals and Millwall fail to win.
Today's schedule
10:37 , Alex YoungAll eyes on the top two.
- Ipswich Town vs Queens Park Rangers
- Millwall vs Oxford United
- Bristol City vs Stoke City
- Sheffield Wednesday vs West Bromwich Albion
- Blackburn Rovers vs Leicester City
- Swansea City vs Charlton Athletic
- Hull City vs Norwich
- Derby County vs Sheffield United
- Wrexham vs Middlesbrough
- Watford vs Coventry City
- Portsmouth vs Birmingham City
- Preston North End vs Southampton
And at the bottom?
10:28 , Alex YoungIt’s a jam-packed day at the top, though everything at the bottom has been decided.
Sheffield Wednesday are looking for a final-day win to move to zero points, after their points deductions this season, and will be joined by Leicester City and Oxford United in League One next season.
West Brom have survived, just,
Leicester are today celebrating 10 years since they won the Premier League title, on the same day they play their final Championship game before dropping into the third tier.
How to watch
10:18 , Alex YoungSo many games, too many eyes needed today.
Ipswich Town vs Queens Park Rangers will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting from 11am BST.
Millwall vs Oxford United will be broadcast on Sky Sports Football, with coverage starting from 11am BST.
Both Ipswich and Millwall’s matches can also be found live online via the Sky Go app or website.
All remaining fixtures can be found live online via Sky Sports+, with coverage starting at 11.30am.
Championship final day LIVE
10:08 , Alex YoungHello and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the final day of the Championship season.
It’s a thrilling conclusion at the top of the table was three times fight it out for the final automatic promotion place, and the right to join Coventry City in the Premier League next season.
There is also the play-off spots to be confirmed, with two of those three plus Southampton and another set for at least two more games last this month.
All the action kicks off at 12.30pm. Stick with us.
