CHARLIE WYKE continued his hot scoring streak as Sunderland took advantage of Kayden Jackson's very early red card to maintain their impressive unbeaten away record.

Jackson saw red in the tenth minute for a studs-up shin-raking of Bailey Wright that handed a huge advantage to Lee Johnson's men.

Wyke's 15th goal of the season was also his fifth in the last four games and just enough to keep Sunderland within a point of sixth-place Charlton, who won at MK Dons.

The Black Cats have now won six on the road and drawn the other five, conceding just four goals in the process. It is clear what must be improved if promotion is achieved but this win also maintained Ipswich's self-destructive habit of never beating promotion rivals. If they can still call themselves that - Paul Lambert's side dropped to tenth with Accrington now ahead.

Johnson made one change to the starting line-up that beat Shrewsbury 1-0 at home on Saturday; Carl Winchester replaced Jack Diamond in midfield for a second start since arriving from Forest Green.

Sunderland put Ipswich under immediate pressure by Wyke winning a free-kick in the first minute and Aiden O'Brien burst into the box without being able to get the ball down before - suddenly - Ipswich were a man down with 80 still left on the clock.

Jackson recklessly went in over the top on Wright, with ex-Tractor Boy Grant Leadbitter also left on the turf by another Town challenge before referee Charles Breakspear could blow his whistle. The official had no hesitation in brandishing a straight red and the former Accrington striker, one of his side's four changes, had to trudge off.

Mark McGuinness planted a header straight at Lee Burge as Ipswich refused to lie down. Wyke put a decent chance wide at the other end however as the rain that had made parts of the pitch slippery became even more relentless.

O'Brien was also off target but the ten men were made to look vulnerable only occasionally, with Town keeper Tomas Holy quick off his line to gather too many hopeful balls into his box.

Wyke forced the Czech keeper into a reaction save when the ball broke to him in a crowded penalty area before Ipswich surrounded the referee when Winchester felled Flynn Downes but the card that followed was yellow.

Gwion Edwards fired a rare Ipswich chance into the sidenetting but Sunderland's reply was an opener seconds before the break through that man Wyke, who slid in between the two centre-backs to meet Max Power's cross with his left boot.

Winchester was replaced by Elliot Embleton for a second half that began with Ipswich living dangerously.

Leadbitter's duff corner somehow still found its way to Jordan Willis but the defender could not beat Holy from four yards. Within seconds Embleton saw an effort deflected narrowly wide.

The Tractor Boys found themselves penned into their half for a lengthy spell as Sunderland continued to make better use of spaces than they managed for most of the first half.

Suddenly, though, Luke Thomas burst into a gap in the Black Cats' backline but Burge dived to make a vital stop.

That also applied to McGuinness' block from Sunderland's next attack when O'Brien seemed odds-on to score that all-important second.

Bad news of a different kind followed straight after when Wright came off worse in a centre-circle clash of heads and was taken off, but Sunderland held on without any real discomfort.