Town and Bristol City played out their second 0-0 draw of the season at Portman Road with the Blues unlucky not to take all three points. Jack Colback hit the post in the second half, then in the final minute the Blues thought that Robins keeper Dean Gerken, the man of the match by some distance, had punched Connor Wickham’s long throw into his own net only for referee Nigel Miller to decide the former Colchester man hadn’t got a touch.

Blues boss Roy Keane made two changes of personnel, Liam Rosenior coming in for David Wright, who has been suffering with ankle and shoulder injuries lately, and David Healy returning while Shane O’Connor dropped out. Jack Colback moved to left-back with Jon Walters at left midfield, although swapping regularly with Carlos Edwards on the other flank.

Bristol City included former Blue Danny Haynes wide on their right flank and Gavin Williams on the bench.

David Norris struck the game’s first shot well wide with the Blues having the better of the opening exchanges. Soon after, David Healy hit an effort which Gerken did well to save but couldn’t hold.

On 17 Carlos Edwards hit a low shot wide, then seven minutes later Healy cleverly sent Daryl Murphy away from the halfway line but the Irish international was dispossessed once he had reached the Bristol City area.

The visitors probably should have gone in front with their first chance of the match. Lewin Nyatanga will probably feel he should have at least have hit the target with his header from Paul Hartley’s corner, given the lack of Town marking but the ball bounced narrowly past Brian Murphy’s right post.

There was controversy in the 36th minute when Gerken appeared to handle the ball outside the area on the Town right. The keeper slid out of the box and let go of the ball as he did so, referee Nigel Miller feeling that he had done so before leaving his area.

In any case Town were awarded a freekick at the same spot only seconds later when Jon Walters was fouled. The ball was played to Grant Leadbitter on the edge of the area and Gerken saved, claiming the ball at the second attempt.

Bristol City gradually took control of the game as the match moved towards half-time, keeping the ball but rarely threatening Brian Murphy’s goal, Hartley’s 41st minute shot causing the Town keeper little trouble.

A minute later, Chris Iwelumo came close to putting the Robins in front. The ex-Colchester striker looked to be offside when he headed goalwards from virtually point blank range, Murphy superbly pushing the ball on to the cross bar with the Town defence looking for a flag which didn’t come.

Just before the break, Louis Carey’s shot was deflected wide then after the corner, Iwelumo shot wide.

Town had had more than a few chances before the break without being particularly good. The visitors ended the half the stronger of the two sides and will feel they might have been in front had Murphy not stopped Iwelumo’s header.

The Blues started the second half much more strongly and could have been ahead within a minute. Edwards broke down the right, backheeled to Liam Rosenior, who sent in a cross, which Daryl Murphy flicked over at the near post.

Two minutes later, Bradley Orr tripped over the ball inside his own area, gifting it to Jon Walters, but Gerken made yet another save.

David Healy felt he ought to have been awarded a penalty in the 49th minute when Liam Fontaine hauled him down inside the area as a cross came over but referee Miller waved away his protests. Moments later the same player made a similar challenge on the Town striker in the centre circle and this time Miller considered it a foul.

Jack Colback almost put the Blues in front in the 54th minute, making a superb run from left-back and slipping Grant Leadbitter’s inch perfect pass beyond Gerken but fortunately for the Robins off the post, the loose ball falling kindly for the visitors’ keeper.

David Norris flicked a header to Gerken, then Brian Murphy was forced into a rare save, the Town keeper superbly blocking David Clarkson’s volley from Iwelumo’s knockdown.

Walters flicked another header straight at Gerken as Town continued to completely dominate, moving the ball around slickly with centre-halves Gareth McAuley and Damien Delaney even joining in a number of the Blues’ attacks.

On the hour, Walters played in Murphy, Gerken blocking his effort and then Healy’s, referee Miller somehow awarding a goalkick.

Former Blue Gavin Williams was booked for a foul on Liam Rosenior within a minute of coming on, then a couple of minutes later Grant Leadbitter lashed a freekick into the wall from the edge of the area.

Daryl Murphy got away beyond the defence in the 64th minute but the ball fell to his right foot and his cross flew behind. Four minutes later, Pablo Couñago replaced David Healy and Connor Wickham took over from Daryl Murphy.

Gerken made another fine save in the 69th minute, Edwards finding McAuley with a fine cross from the left but the ex-Colchester keeper did superbly to save the central defender’s header low down to his left.

The Bristol City keeper pulled off yet another excellent save two minutes later, getting across to his left to push away Jon Walters’s deflected 25-yard strike. Danny Haynes made way in the 73rd minute to applause from the Town support but having made little headway against the excellent Jack Colback.

On 75 subs Couñago and Wickham almost combined to tackle the ball into the net from the edge of the six-yard box, the 16-year-old eventually scrambling an effort under Gerken but without the power to cross the line.

Owen Garvan took over from Carlos Edwards for the final nine minutes. Within seconds of coming on, a short corner was played to the Irishman who sent in a cross for Gareth McAuley who had lost his marker but headed over.

Connor Wickham picked up his second yellow card in a week in the 84th minute for a tackle when he clearly caught the ball.

In the final minute, Wickham sent in a long throw from the right, Gerken rose to punch under pressure from a number of players and the ball ended up in the back of the net. The Town team felt the keeper had got a touch, while referee Nigel Miller and his linesman decided the ball had gone in straight from Wickham’s throw. It was difficult to draw a definitive conclusion without video evidence.

Garvan shot wide from Couñago’s lay-off as the game moved into injury time, while at the other end Clarkson shot straight at Brian Murphy.

The whistle went with Town still pushing for the winner they would have deserved, but the goal never came, the Blues picking up their 17th draw of the season, one behind their overall season’s record total set in 1990/91, and their ninth at home, extending this season’s already record total to 10.

Town’s second half performance fully warranted all three points with only a superb display from Dean Gerken in the Bristol City goal preventing the Blues from claiming their victory. The saves from Gareth McAuley’s header and Jon Walters’s shot stood out amongst several impressive saves.

After a rather disjointed first half, the Blues’ performance after the break was probably their best footballing display of the season with Grant Leadbitter at the heart of everything. Jack Colback was superb at left-back with Damien Delaney and Gareth McAuley once again solid in defence and adding an attacking dimension to their game.

In goal, Brian Murphy again impressed, even though he was a virtual spectator in the second half, one fine save aside.

Despite the result, a hugely promising performance which is hopefully a sign of things to come and which takes the Blues to 17th in the table, four points from the relegation zone.

Town: B Murphy, Rosenior, Colback, Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter, Norris, Edwards (Garvan 81), Walters, Healy (Couñago 68), D Murphy (Wickham 68). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Peters, Balkestein, O’Connor. Att: 20,302.

Photo: ITFC

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