Soccer: Burley still hoping for Champions League spot

Charlton 2 Ipswich 1

Ipswich received a double blow at The Valley last night as Charlton provided a reality check to their Champions League dream while star man Marcus Stewart limped off.

The Premiership’s top scorer, with 21 goals in all, suffered a calf strain and could miss next week’s visit of Manchester City.

Stewart found little reward for his endeavours before making his exit midway through the second half and despite creating the lion’s share of the chances the visitors were sunk by Richard Rufus’ second-half goal.

Martijn Reuser’s free-kick had caught Addicks keeper Sasa Ilic flat-footed to restore parity following Mathias Svensson’s headed opener.

But then Ilic was outstanding, with the pick of his stops a full-length diving save to tip over another Reuser free-kick.

The Dutch winger also hit a post from another dead ball situation and Titus Bramble wastefully planted a free header, late in the game, over the bar.

It left Burley rueing his side’s luck as he admitted: ‘‘Maybe I will have to be happy with the UEFA Cup rather than the Champions League.

‘‘We showed a lot of enthusiasm, quality and passion and it was a game where we had most of the possession and most of the play and we have performed like that all season.

‘‘But unfortunately we didn’t get our reward that’s the way football goes.’’

The Tractor Boys remain in fourth place, level on points with Leeds, with just two Premiership fixtures left in the race for Europe’s Premier club competition.

Burley acknowledged that the much-coveted third place was now probably ‘‘50-50 between Leeds and Liverpool’’ with his own side having played more matches.

‘‘We are still joint third and there’s still all to play for,’’ added Burley. ‘‘For us to be competing against world-class sides is a phenomenal achievement.

‘‘We have won nine away games this season, no one has won more in the Premiership and we haven’t gone to any ground with any fear and there are not many teams that come to The Valley and get anything.’’

In fact, Town became the 11th visitors to leave south east London empty-handed and Charlton boss Alan Curbishley is yet to give up on his own side’s hopes of European qualification.

This win took them into eighth place, above Aston Villa, and in line for the club’s highest finish in the top flight for 48 years.

Curbishley said: ‘‘I still hope Ipswich can do it and reach the Champions League and I can assure their supporters we will be doing everything to beat Liverpool on the final day of the season.

‘‘There are a lot of similarities between ourselves and Ipswich. We have been alongside each other for the past five years or so.

‘‘We didn’t want to underestimate them, they are a top three side and over the season they have proved that.

‘‘In previous games at home we have forced the issue but we had to change formation at the break because they dictated things.

‘‘We defended very well. People forget that’s part of the game.

‘‘Now we will try and win our final two matches and see where it takes us. Whatever happens we are pleased that we were safe with 10 games remaining and everything else has proved a bonus.

‘‘Our own achievement this season has been overshadowed by Ipswich and quite rightly so.’’