Brentford continued their push for a debut European qualification as they secured a 1-0 victory over Ipswich at Portman Road, extending their winning streak in the Premier League to four matches.
Kevin Schade scored the lone goal of the game with a header from a corner in the 18th minute, giving Brentford the lead. Despite a late surge from Ipswich, where Omari Hutchinson hit the post and Mark Flekken made a remarkable save to stop Cameron Burgess, Brentford held on firmly to their advantage.
The impressive form of Thomas Frank's team, coupled with upcoming fixtures and Fulham's defeat, has put them in contention for an eighth-place finish and a potential spot in the Conference League.
The battle for the eighth spot could go down to the wire, with the final European qualification places depending on the outcome of the FA Cup final.
Next, Marco Silva's Fulham will face off against Gtech Stadium, while Brentford will play Wolves in a crucial match that could define their season.
On the other hand, Ipswich will have one final opportunity to improve their home record this season, with the stark realization that they have scored only 13 goals in front of their home supporters.
The decisive goal came early in the game and was the highlight of a lackluster first half. Bryan Mbeumo's corner found Schade inside the six-yard box, where he brilliantly headed the ball over his shoulder and out of reach of the defender on the goal-line.
In the first half, Ipswich's only threat to Flekken's goal came from Jack Taylor's shot from distance, following good play from Julio Enciso on the left wing.
Brentford came close to doubling their lead just before halftime, but Mikkel Damsgaard's effort narrowly missed the target.
As Ipswich look to the future, manager Kieran McKenna will need to assess the positives from their short-lived time in the top flight, with goalkeeper Alex Palmer standing out as a key performer since joining from West Brom in January.
Palmer continued to impress in the second half with crucial saves to deny Yoane Wissa and Mbeumo, keeping Ipswich in the game.
Ipswich almost salvaged a point at home, with Hutchinson hitting the post and Flekken making a spectacular save to deny Burgess towards the end of the match.