Jack Clarke's two goals against Bristol City moved Ipswich Town into second place in the Championship with a fourth successive win.

The winger stepped in for injured Jaden Philogene and duly became the Tractor Boys' leading league goalscorer with one in either half against a side which still has designs on a play-off place.

Clarke followed the well-worn route for Ipswich this season, carving in from the left wing to open the scoring, and then converted Ivan Azon's cross to clinch the points in the second half.

Defeat means the Robins have won just one of their past five league games and slip into mid-table after being in the top six at Christmas.

Ipswich's stay in the automatic promotion places could last just 24 hours as Middlesbrough, the side they displaced, take on Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night.

But Kieran McKenna's side are undoubtedly a team with real momentum, racking up their sixth home win on the bounce and taking 16 points from the last 18 available.

The fact that they rode the loss of Philogene, who had been the club's leading goalscorer going into the game with nine, by replacing him with the equally dangerous Clarke, underlines their promotion credentials.

It took the former Sunderland man just eight minutes to break the deadlock, receiving the ball from Jens Cajuste tight to the touchline he moved across the Robins' defensive line on the edge of their box, awaited his moment, and passed the ball expertly into the far corner.

It would have been more by half-time but Azon skimmed the roof of the net with one effort and then saw on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Radek Vitek brilliantly tip his close-range effort over the bar.

Emil Riis squandered two good chances to level for the visitors, first when seizing on Cedric Kipre's sloppy pass he was denied by Christian Walton in the Ipswich goal, and then fired tamely at the keeper.

Ipswich were always the more likely to score and they doubled their lead on 55 minutes, after Robins defender Rob Dickie wobbled under a high ball.

Azon has struggled for goals since joining the Tractor Boys on loan from Como in the summer, but he harried Dickie into a mistake, with the defender heading the ball up in the air.

The Spaniard instantly controlled the ball as it fell and looked up before perfectly picking out Clarke's run, with the winger despatching the ball into the opposite corner this time to make it 10 goals for the season and overtake Philogene.

Neto Borges turned and fired wide as the Robins tried to hit back instantly, but it was one last show of resistance as Ipswich saw out the game comfortably.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

"To me it doesn't change much whether we're second or third. It's a nicer atmosphere round the place when people look at that line [on the league table] but where the line is on 3 May is all that really matters."

On Clarke's performance:

"I really enjoyed him. He worked so hard off the ball in every aspect. His link-up was really good as well.

"His approach to the season has been top. There's some great competition with another player there who's having a great season in a similar position, but Jack has really hung in with the mindset of developing himself and trying to improve his all-round game, to work well if he starts and work well if he comes off the bench."

On Philogene's injury:

"It's not very, very serious, which is good. He had a scan today and has a little issue in his knee. I can't give definite timescales but it looks tough for Saturday but thankfully it's not a long-term injury."

Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber told BBC Radio Bristol:

"We expected a tough game and higher quality from Ipswich, so I'm not surprised from them but at the same time, I missed sharpness, I missed ruthlessness, the typical energy from us.

"In the end the goals they scored were really cheap, the way we gifted them, and I saw so much space for us, so many moments when we could have created much more.

"We sometimes had too much respect for them and this is a shame. We have to always be on the front foot. We had to be brave as we could not lose here.

"In the critical moments we were not on the highest level you need."