Ipswich Town inflicted just a second league defeat of the season on runaway Championship leaders Coventry City with a superb performance at Portman Road.

Coventry almost hit the front when Josh Eccles' left-footed drive was tipped against the base of a post by Town goalkeeper Christian Walton who then helped Ephron Mason-Clarke's curling shot over the bar.

But the Sky Blues fell behind shortly before half-time when they failed to clear a corner and Jaden Philogene teed up Sindre Egeli on the edge of the box to lash in the opener.

The Tractor Boys kept their foot on the gas and deservedly doubled their lead on the hour when Marcelino Nunez's long ball played in George Hirst who slotted into the bottom corner.

And the hosts capped an emphatic win in stoppage time with a breakaway third when Ivan Azon scored at the second attempt.

It ended a five-match winning run for Frank Lampard's side whose advantage at the top was cut to seven points following Middlesbrough's impressive win at Hull on Friday.

And just a second win in five matches lifts Ipswich up to fourth place and within five points of the automatic promotion places.

Ipswich had the better of a quiet opening as Egeli's long-range strike forced Coventry keeper Carl Rushworth into a stop.

But the league pacesetters began to assert themselves, with Eccles firing narrowly wide and both Bobby Thomas and Kaine Kesler-Hayden going close with headers before Eccles struck the woodwork.

Yet Coventry were limited to a rare goalless half and went into the second half with work to do after falling behind for the fourth time in six matches.

They had shown their mettle by coming back to win those three previous games, but it was Ipswich who came out firing with Rushworth denying Jack Taylor and Hirst before the Town forward netted his sixth of the season soon after.

The Sky Blues' response was tempered by a disciplined Ipswich rearguard and an inspired Walton who made a brilliant flying save to his left to deny Jack Rudoni.

Without injured leading scorer Brandon Thomas-Asante, Coventry failed to find the net for the first time since a goalless draw at Leicester on 20 September, but they did follow that result with a run of 11 wins in the next 12.

The real question mark over Kieran McKenna's side in their bid for an immediate return to the Premier League is consistency.

Their biggest winning streak in the league this season is just two matches, but stopping the Coventry juggernaut could be exactly the inspiration they need to go on a run over the festive period.

Frank Lampard's side face another tricky away test on Tuesday when they head to fifth-placed Preston as they look to bounce back from their heaviest defeat of the campaign.

And the following day, Ipswich host sixth-placed Stoke City who occupy the final play-off spot.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

"We showed quality with the ball and composure in the second half and belief to play through the pressure. We defended well and counter-attacked well and I thought we were good value for it.

"We know where we're at. We're developing as a team, but there's still inconsistencies there that we're working through.

"But we know when teams give us space, whenever we have the confidence we know we can play really, really well and I also know that we can defend really well.

"We know we're capable of performances like that, but we also know it's a brutal, relentless 46-game league and it's about consistency and how you go after a good day and after a bad day, the strength of your mentality, it tests all those things.

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard told BBC Radio CWR:

"We were winning everything in the first half, the second balls were dropping to us, we were the team who had the real personality. Great organisation, work ethic off the ball, everything was great and we restricted them.

"And they get a goal from a bit of a mess at a corner. Then you've got a difficult job, but I still thought the players kept going.

"3-0, I don't like it, of course. I'm a bad loser, I hate defeats and I'll analyse them and maybe react to the players.

"Circumstances happen, I don't like losing and the reaction is the only important thing.

"But in terms of the game I thought anyone who was here and saw that first half will realise this isn't Coventry from the first half of last season, this is a team that wants to try and go and do something. Today we didn't but it can happen."