By Aston
October 31 2004

Ipswich Town moved up into second in the football league championship after beating Preston North End 3-0 yesterday.

Report: Town 3-0 Preston

Ipswich Town moved up into second in the football league championship after beating Preston North End 3-0 yesterday.

Goals from Shefki Kuqi, Tommy Miller and Darren Bent were enough to see off Preston and send Ipswich up into second place, although Preston could of made it harder if they had taken their chances.

Preston could of taken the lead in under a minute has Paul McKenna kept his shot down and under Lewis Price’s cross bar, his way ward effort nearly created a goal for Ipswich at the other end after Price’s goal kick found its way off the pitch with the help of a Preston body.

Magilton’s corner was met by the foot of Drissa Diallo who sent the ball over from 18 yards.

Town had the better of the first half but with Shefki Kuqi having a shot drift on to the post and Darren Bent have one tipped over it seemed like luck was on the side of Preston until the 44th minute when Shefki Kuqi put Town in front just tapping the ball home from Jim Magilton’s pass.

Less than a minute later Town had gone 2-0 up, Tommy Miller powering home Darren Bent’s pass just before half time.

Ten minutes into the second half Joe Royle was forced to replace Tommy Miller with Matt Richards because of an injury to the midfielder.

Ian Westlake had an ambitious 35 yard effort saved by Gavin Ward in the Preston goal, it was Ward’s form during the game that stopped Town scoring more then the three they got but he was unable to stop Darren Bent making it 3-0 in the 72nd minute, Bent’s right footed shot flying into the top corner.

Town made two more forced changes after the goal, Jim Magilton and Fabian Wilnis replaced by Dean Bowditch and Pablo Couñago as Joe Royle played all four up front in stead of giving one of the youngsters a chance.

Preston did have a couple of chances towards the end of the game to score at Portman Road for the first time in 40 or so years but Dickson Etuhu and Omar Daley failed to find the target.

Shefki Kuqi came close to making it 4-0 in the final minute shooting form 25 yards, Gavin Ward keeping the ball out.

Ipswich Town squad Darren Bent, Dean Bowditch, Aidan Collins, Pablo Couñago, Jason De Vos, Drissa Diallo, Kevin Horlock, Shefki Kuqi, Jim Magilton, Tommy Miller, Scott Mitchell, Richard Naylor, Lewis Price, Matt Richards, Shane Supple, Ian Westlake, Fabian Wilnis

Preston North End Squad: Ward, Mawene, Lucketti, Alexander, Curtis, McKenna, O'Neil, Etuhu, Lewis, Cresswell, Ndumbu-Nsungu. Subs Not Used: Daley, Skora, Lynch, Smith, Gould.

Kuqi (44)
Miller (45)
Bent (72)

	Ipswich Town 3	Preston North End 0
Yellow cards	Diallo	Ndumbu-Nsungu Lewis McKenna Lucketti
Red Cards	None	None
Goals		None
Substitutions	Richards on for Miller (55) Bowditch on for Magilton (74) Couñago on for Wilnis (77)	Lynch on for Ndumbu-Nsungu (67) Skora on for O‘Neil (69) Daley on for Curtis (77)
Attendance: 23,745

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