(Credit: Imago, Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)

Evan Shaw

Tue 28 April 2026 21:37, UK

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Southampton saw their hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League ended on Tuesday night as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Ipswich Town.

Tonda Eckert’s side knew that only three points would be enough to take their fight down to the final day of the Championship season, and their hopes were crushed in the 86th minute, when Jack Clarke secured an all-important leveller for the visitors.

Kieran McKenna’s men had taken the lead through Wes Burns in the 48th minute, only to see Southampton mount a spirited comeback, with goals from Ryan Manning and Cyle Larin turning the game on its head.

However, their joy was short-lived, as substitute Clarke stepped up to lash home an equaliser for his team, leaving them one point clear of third-placed Millwall heading into the final game.

It was a very high-stakes evening at St Mary’s, with both sides having plenty to lose, and with that in mind, Football Insider picks out three mistakes made by referee Thomas Kirk.

Azor Matusiwa lucky to escape early yellow card

Kirk appeared to make a clear effort to allow the game to flow in the early stages of the game, but that brought its issues for the man in the middle.

The official tried to keep his cards in his pocket for as long as possible during the first half, and that massively worked to the advantage of Ipswich midfielder Azor Matusiwa.

The Dutchman found himself up against the dangerous Leo Scienza on the left wing midway through the Southampton half, and left a foot in after he was beaten by the Brazilian.

Matusiwa’s challenge was punished with nothing more than a free-kick by Kirk, but replays showed that the 28-year-old had a little kick out as his opponent, as he cynically brought him to the floor.

Kirk was clearly reluctant to avoid throwing out cards left, right and centre and having an impact on the game himself, but Matusiwa can count himself extremely lucky not to have been cautioned.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis gets away with off-the-ball incident

Taylor Harwood-Bellis tried to make his presence felt against Ipswich striker Ivan Azon during the opening period, and the pair enjoyed several battles during the opening stages.

The Southampton centre-back ultimately came out on the right side of their individual tussle in the first half, as he was able to keep Azon quiet until he set up Burns’ goal shortly after half-time.

However, Harwood-Bellis was arguably fortunate to avoid punishment for one particular incident involving him and Azon behind the play in the 22nd minute.

The incident was missed by Kirk, who kept his eyes on the ball, but Sky Sports replays appeared to show Harwood-Bellis jab a forearm into his opponent’s midriff as he went to make a run.

It was the sort of incident that would undoubtedly have been picked up by VAR had the game been in the Premier League, and it should have resulted in punishment for the defender.

While Harwood-Bellis’ challenge could not have been deemed as violent conduct or sufficient for a red card, it should undoubtedly have received a caution had it been seen by the referee.

Thomas Kirk falls for Jack Clarke theatrics

Clarke was sent on by McKenna in the 67th minute to go and try to win the game for Ipswich, but the winger ended up doing his best work defensively in the latter stages.

One example saw him react cleverly to get to the ball ahead of James Bree in the corner of the Tractor Boys’ half, before quickly slamming on the brakes and going to ground.

The wideman undoubtedly got to the ball first, but then he reacted theatrically once he felt contact from Bree, and was able to buy a free-kick that was truly never there.

It was a relatively innocuous incident in the context of the game, but Kirk fell for the 25-year-old’s theatrics and awarded a set piece that was crucial for the visitors when it came to disrupting the hosts’ momentum.