Photo: Daryl Murphy despair after scoring return to Ipswich

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Will Newcastle United blow their chance of automatic promotion from the Championship?

Ipswich Town welcomed Newcastle United to Portman Road for what would prove to be an eventful Championship clash – with the outcome potentially damaging to the Magpies’ hopes of securing automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

Both clubs marked the encounter by celebrating Sir Bobby Robson Day – in memory of the late manager, who led Ipswich from 1969 to 1982, in addition to managing Newcastle between 1999 and 2004.

The game itself, a 3-1 victory for the Tractor Boys, was Newcastle’s second defeat from their last three games and means that Rafa Benitez’s side have now won only two of their previous eight matches.

The poor run of form may have occurred at the worst possible time for Newcastle – as the Magpies are now seven points behind table-toppers Brighton and Hove Albion; finding themselves closer to dropping into the play-off zone rather than perching at the summit of the division.

Newcastle’s solitary goal arrived courtesy of their Ireland international front man, Daryl Murphy – who bagged a 62nd minute equaliser only for Ipswich to strike twice to inflict defeat on Benitez’s faltering team.

Newcastle United’s Daryl Murphy reacts after Ipswich Town score their third goal

The feeling of disappointment amid the latest failure to secure three points was suitably pictured by a shot of scorer Murphy’s reaction following Ipswich’s third goal.

The 34-year-old striker played more than 200 times for Ipswich before joining Newcastle at the start of the season – but was clearly unable to hide his despair after his former employers inflicted a potentially significant blow to the his side’s hopes of securing a top two spot at the season’s end.

Newcastle United’s Daryl Murphy scores their first goal

Despite the result, Newcastle remain hopeful of achieving the eight points required to see a Premier League return without a play-off necessity. Benitez’s men have three Championship games left – with Preston North End and Barnsley visiting St. James’ Park, sandwiched between a potentially trickier trip to play Cardiff City.