Ipswich Miss Chance to Seal Premier League Return as Kieran McKenna Reacts to Southampton Draw

Ipswich Town’s bid for an automatic return to the Premier League has been delayed after Kieran McKenna‘s side could only manage a 2-2 draw against Southampton, leaving their promotion fate unresolved heading into the final game of the Championship season. McKenna shared his reaction to the result on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast, which aired on 28 April 2026.

The draw at Southampton, who secured their own playoff place through the result, means the race for the final automatic promotion spot from the Championship remains a three-horse contest. Ipswich will need to wait until the last round of fixtures to determine whether they will be competing in the top flight next season.

Elsewhere in the Championship, Coventry City’s promotion has already been confirmed, with the club’s celebrations discussed on the programme. The automatic promotion picture below Coventry remains unsettled, with the identity of the third team joining them in the Premier League still to be decided on the final day.

In League One, former Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere, now managing Luton Town, joined the podcast to outline the club’s pursuit of a playoff position. Luton, who were a Premier League side as recently as the 2023-24 season before suffering relegation, are pushing to begin a potential route back to the top flight via the League One playoffs.

The episode also featured Bristol Rovers manager Steve Evans and Chelmsford City striker Lyle Taylor, who is reportedly in contention for a final FA Cup appearance. Taylor is the top scorer in this season’s FA Cup, adding further intrigue to whether he will feature before the campaign concludes.

At the other end of League Two, the programme highlighted a tight three-way battle for automatic promotion involving Cambridge United, Salford City, and Notts County. All three clubs are in contention for the automatic spots as the division heads into its final round of matches.

The threat of relegation from the English Football League also looms for five clubs, who face the prospect of dropping into the National League on the final day of the season. York City, meanwhile, have already secured their place in the EFL after winning promotion from the National League.

The Football Daily podcast, presented by Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff, covered the full breadth of the EFL’s climax across all four divisions, with the final weekend set to produce significant movement across the promotion, playoff, and relegation standings.