Kieran McKenna and Ipswich head into promotion shoot-out with confidence

Kieran McKenna is confident Ipswich will secure Premier League promotion on the final day of the season after being “millimetres away” in a thrilling 2-2 draw away to Southampton.

Substitute Jack Clarke lashed Town level in the 87th minute at St Mary’s before being denied a late winner by a post and then a stunning save from Saints goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.

Victory would have lifted the Tractor Boys three points ahead of third-placed Millwall and, due to their vastly superior goal difference, all but guaranteed a return to the top flight.

But Ipswich instead go into Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship climax at home to QPR just a point ahead of the Lions, while fourth-placed Middlesbrough are two points back and also in the hunt.

Despite stretching their unbeaten run to 18 league games, fifth-placed Southampton must be content with a place in the play-offs on the back of Saturday’s agonising FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City.

Tractor Boys manager McKenna said: “I thought it was an outstanding game, definitely right up there with any game we’ve had in my time here. Certainly in the Championship, one of the very, very top ones.

“I loved the large majority of our performance. I thought we were excellent.

“We would of course have loved to finish it tonight and were millimetres away from doing it but it was an outstanding performance with all the things we want to be as a team.

“As much as we said a draw isn’t any different than a loss, it is – in how we feel going into the weekend 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.”

In a tense tussle between two teams relegated from the Premier League last term, Ipswich had the better of the limited first-half chances as the contest initially struggled to justify the pre-match hype.

Wes Burns ignited proceedings by thumping home a 48th-minute opener before goals from Saints pair Ryan Manning and Cyle Larin threatened to set up a four-club, final-day promotion shoot-out, prior to the late drama.

Southampton complete the regular campaign at Preston and can now begin planning for the play-offs.

Saints head coach Tonda Eckert said: “It’s two top teams that tried to do everything to win the game.

“It doesn’t help us and it doesn’t help them, that’s the reality of the result. You can’t do more than do everything to push forward and try to win the game and I think both teams have done that.

“We have clarity now, I think that’s sometimes a good thing. Obviously if you would have asked me if I prefer to win, I would take the three points.

“But we know what’s coming up. We make sure we finish strongly on Saturday. We will do everything to win that game on Saturday and then on to the play-offs.

“We need to go all out for another four games.”