Ipswich return after years of pain

It has taken five years, 401 points and enough tears to irrigate most of East Anglia but Ipswich are back in the Premiership at last. Even the most one-eyed Norwich City supporter might grudgingly accept that they deserve it.

After three years of play-off pain, this was fourth time lucky. And as Ipswich paraded the trophy, taking sporting applause from Barnsley's fans, the booming music was appropriate: "I get knocked down but I get up again." At Portman Road the hope is that, having finally got up, they will not be knocked straight back down.

As ever Ipswich made their fans suffer, falling behind and making the game safe only in the final minute. But they merited this victory after a dramatic 90 minutes that had everything: six goals, a penalty save by Richard Wright and a fantastic late stop by the same goalkeeper to prevent Barnsley making it 3-3. If Wright spends his summer anywhere other than at Euro 2000 it will be a travesty.

They return playing the stylish football that made the team of George Burley's era, under Bobby Robson, so successful. And they seem to have a backbone too, for this side four times came from behind to beat Bolton in the semi-final and recovered a deficit here as well.

But the jump from play-offs to Premiership is not easy, as the last two winners - Watford and Charlton - will testify. They lasted only one season in the top flight. Burley is confident Ipswich's fate will be different.

"Of course we will need help," he said. "Of course we will look to bring one or two in. Of course it will be difficult; it's a massive challenge. But we think we can survive."

Jim Magilton and Matt Holland were neat in midfield, and Marcus Stewart was a handful up front. But the man of the match was Tony Mowbray, 37 in November but defiant in defence and scorer of his side's first goal.

Mowbray's header from Magilton's cross deservedly clawed his side back into the game after Barnsley had taken a sixth-minute lead, Craig Hignett's shot from 30 yards cannoning off the crossbar and going in off the diving Wright's arm.

If it seemed then that Ipswich's bad luck would continue, the feeling grew when David Johnson was forced off injured and Wright was adjudged to have upended Hignett in the area.

Darren Barnard, though, saw his shot beaten out by the keeper. Ipswich rarely looked back.

Barnsley were given a second penalty when Mowbray tugged Georgi Hristov's shirt, Hignett tucked it away and only Wright's reflexes denied Hristov an equaliser before Naylor sent through Martin Reuser for number four.

BARNSLEY: Miller, Curtis (Eaden 71), Morgan, Chettle, Brown, Barnard, Tinkler (Thomas 60), Hignett, Appleby, Dyer (Hristov 64), Shipperley. Subs Not Used: Sheron, Jones. Booked: Appleby. Goals: R Wright 6 o.g., Hignett 78 pen.

IPSWICH: R Wright, Croft, McGreal, Mowbray, Venus, Clapham, Holland, Magilton, J Wright (Wilnis 90), Johnson (Naylor 22), Stewart (Reuser 83). Subs Not Used: Brown, Branagan. Booked: Naylor. Goals: Mowbray 28, Naylor 52, Stewart 58, Reuser 90.

Referee: T Heilbron (Newton Aycliffe).