Yet another last gasp goal prevented the Blues from beating West Brom at Portman Road. The Blues had repelled the high flying Baggies for the 90 minutes and beyond, even going ahead via a controversial Grant Leadbitter penalty, until Chris Brunt forced home a rebound in injury time.

Boss Roy Keane made four changes from the side which lost at Southampton on Saturday. David Wright came back at left-back, Jon Stead to the strike force after his lengthy suspension, David Norris to the centre of midfield after being rested at the weekend and Pablo Couñago alongside Stead. Jaime Peters moved to right midfield.

The visitors took control from the off with Jerome Thomas and Chris Brunt hitting early shots over and wide respectively.

Roman Bednar should have put his side in front in the ninth minute when a corner from the left reached him at the far post but somehow he put it over the bar, while Gareth McAuley complained to referee Stuart Attwell that he had been fouled.

On 14 Bednar got in behind Delaney but Arran Lee-Barrett saved his shot, McAuley clearing the loose ball. Moments later, the Northern Irishman again helped out his keeper after the former Hartlepool man had failed to hold on to a cross from the right.

David Norris headed over Town’s first opportunity on the quarter hour but it was virtually all West Brom and on 17 the lively Brunt struck another effort through to Lee-Barrett.

The Town keeper got his name in referee Attwell’s book in the 21st minute when he sent Bednar sprawling just outside the area after the Czech international had again got behind the Blues’ defence. The yellow card seemed the right decision with the striker going away from goal and with three Town defenders back in the area covering the goal. Brunt’s freekick flew well over.

David Norris sent a low ball across the six-yard box in the 23rd minute, then Bednar headed straight at Lee-Barrett.

The Blues were coming more into the game, having been under the cosh for most of the half, and a fine move led to Norris hitting a low shot which West Brom keeper Scott Carson did well to save down to his left. From the corner, Gareth McAuley was allowed a free header, but sent the ball well wide when he probably should have scored.

Youssouf Mulumbu was booked for a foul on Pablo Couñago in the 34th minute. From the freekick the ball was cleared to Jack Colback on the edge of the area but his shot was too weak to threaten the West Brom goal. Minutes later, Stead also shot too close to Carson and then scuffed a decent opportunity to the one-time England keeper.

But in the main West Brom were still having the better of the match and Brunt came close to scoring in the 42nd minute when he looped a poor Lee-Barrett punch goalwards only for McAuley to clear off the line.

The former Sheffield Wednesday man went well over from the edge of the area then, as the game moved into injury time, a clever piece of work from Couñago played in Jaime Peters, but the Canadian’s shot was blocked by Carson on the edge of his area.

Just before the break, Leadbitter and Graham Dorrans were booked for a minor scuffle after a foul by the stand-in Town skipper.

The Blues had very much been second best in a first half in which West Brom had shown precisely why they are close to the top of the division. Their passing and their movement had been far superior to Town’s for virtually the entire 45 minutes, however, with the Blues defending desperately at times, had failed to make their dominance tell.

Early in the second period Marek Cech confidently flicked a Delaney header to his keeper from a Norris corner, then at the other end David Wright intercepted a cross from the left at the far post ahead of Brunt.

On 53 Lee-Barrett kicked poorly to Jerome Thomas, the ball eventually finding its way to Bednar, who headed wide when well placed. A minute later, a Norris shot deflected through to Carson.

Referee Stuart Attwell was showing why he has a reputation for bizarre decision making and, with a number of freekicks, corners and throw-ins somewhat implausibly going against Town, the Sir Bobby Robson Stand began suggesting that they “might as well go home”.

On 64 Carlos Edwards replaced Pablo Couñago as the Blues looked to match West Brom’s 4-5-1.

Immediately the Trinidadian had an impact on the game when Delaney’s shirt was pulled by Jonas Olsson as his long throw flew into the box. Referee Attwell pointed straight at the spot. It was a harsh award, although Delaney certainly had been man-handled by the West Brom defender but in a manner so rarely punished by referees. Grant Leadbitter slammed the penalty into the corner of the net.

West Brom brought on Ishmael Miller for Robert Koren and switched to 4-4-2, then David Wright, who earlier seemed to be talking to the bench about an injury, was replaced with Pim Balkestein.

Leadbitter shot straight at Carson, then Miller weakly to Lee-Barrett after a number of West Brom players had failed to find themselves space to get in a strike inside the area.

Tamás Priskin took over from Jon Stead for the last 12 minutes, the Hungarian immediately playing in Carlos Edwards on the right, the Trinidadian screwing his shot wide. Moments later, Balkestein made a rampaging run down the left but his shot was blocked.

Bednar headed wide again on 83, then at the other end Priskin found himself in on goal. The striker took the ball past a defender but hit Carson with his shot. Leadbitter failed to control his headed rebound and the chance was gone.

As the game moved into the 89th minute, keeper Carson came up for a corner but the set piece came to nothing.

Just when it looked like the Blues had seen out the four minutes of injury time, a cross fell to Simon Cox, his volley was saved but Brunt followed up to claim the point.

There’s little doubt that West Brom deserved something from the game, having played much the better football throughout. However, the Blues had defended very stoutly for the most part and it was a bitter blow to concede yet another late goal and surrender two more valuable points.

The penalty was highly controversial and nine times out of 10 wouldn’t have been given but Leadbitter made the most of the opportunity. Despite the Baggies dominating for much of the rest of the game and having corner after corner, the Blues never seemed seriously threatened until Brunt’s late strike and even had a couple of chances to increase their lead.

Town can once again blame a failure to take their opportunities and an inability to defend until the whistle for more dropped points.

Town: Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, D Wright (Balkestein 71), Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter, Norris, Peters, Colback, Couñago (Edwards 64), Stead (Priskin 78). Unused: McLoughlin, Garvan, John, Martin. Att: 19,574.

Photo: Action Images

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