Second-half sub Jay Emmanuel-Thomas scored his seventh goal of the season as Town drew 1-1 at home to Birmingham City. The visitors went in front against the run of play in first half injury time via Chris Burke, Emmanuel-Thomas equalising in a second half completely dominated by the Blues.

Paul Jewell made one change to his line-up with Michael Chopra coming in for Emmanuel-Thomas, who dropped to a bench which didn’t include a sub keeper for the first since the current boss took over early last year. Luke Hyam came into the 16.

The Blues, playing an orthodox 4-4-2, threatened twice within the first two minutes, Daryl Murphy sending in a cross beyond Chopra and Scotland, then the Trinidadian’s backheel was too close to Birmingham keeper Colin Doyle as Lee Martin looked to get on to a return pass.

On five, Chopra headed a Martin cross from the right wide when he should have scored but with the linesman’s flag having been raised.

Town continued to have the better of it and on 11 Chopra scraped a shot to Doyle’s right after good work from Martin, the keeper claiming without too much trouble.

Edwards made an important tackle on Nikola Zigic as the visitors threatened for the first time on 13, Chris Burke having done well down the right flank, then at the other end the Blues skipper sent over a dangerous cross which was put behind for a corner.

On 35 Birmingham lost skipper Steven Caldwell to an injury which had required lengthy treatment a few minutes earlier, Pablo Ibanez, who was interesting Town before he moved from West Brom last summer, taking over at the heart of the visitors’ defence.

Within seconds of the change, Scotland was played in on goal by Martin and held off a defender but struck his shot against Doyle, the ball cannoning out to Murphy, who blazed high and wide.

Morgaro Gomis got his name in the book on 40 for a foul on Grant Leadbitter, although referee Darren Sheldrake was probably taking into account a number of earlier indiscretions.

Leadbitter laid the 25-yard freekick off to Cresswell, whose powerful shot was batted away by Doyle but past the on-rushing Chopra. Edwards sent it back in and Murphy eventually looped it back across goal but wide.

The half was moving into injury time when Birmingham went ahead with what was their first shot of the game. Marlon King knocked the ball down to one-time Blues loanee Andros Townsend, the Town defence standing off the left winger as he brought the ball forward and then allowed Burke the time to hit a shot beyond the previously unoccupied Arran Lee-Barrett and into the net.

The whistle went moments later with the scoreline more than a touch harsh on Town, who had been on top for virtually the entire half but, as at Palace on Saturday, without having anything to show for it.

Again as at Selhurst Park they were hit by a sucker punch by an opposition who had hardly previously threatened having missed a number of chances themselves.

King should have put the visitors two in front on 50 when he escaped behind the Town backline, beating their offside trap. Fortunately for Town, Lee-Barrett was out quickly to block and Cresswell managed to get the loose ball away from Burke.

The Blues should have been on terms in the 53rd minute when Andy Drury found Cresswell down the left with a deft chip. The left-back whipped in a cross to the far post from where Chopra headed over, the ball probably coming on to him too quickly to control. At the other end, Townsend’s shot was too high to trouble Lee-Barrett.

Another Cresswell cross from the left led to another chance in the 56th minute, Martin’s shot deflecting wide for the first of a number of Blues corners. Two minutes later, Scotland failed to get any power on a 25-yard strike and Doyle claimed comfortably.

Martin and Murphy swapped flanks as rain began to fall heavily with Town dominating possession. On the hour, Doyle grabbed a Murphy cross from the right, then a minute afterwards the Irishman saw a shot deflect wide after a strong run and good work from Chopra.

Town switched Jay Emmanuel-Thomas for Scotland on 64, with Murphy moving up front and Martin to the left. The former Arsenal man immediately won a freekick on the Blues’ right, from which the ball was laid off to him, his shot deflecting out for yet another corner.

The home side were pinning the visitors back inside their area and went close on 66 when Drury turned inside the box and Martin diverted his shot over, although from an offside position.

Town, by now completely dominant, went as near as they’d yet come to a goal on 68 when, after Martin had been fouled 30 yards out, Emmanuel-Thomas rattled the crossbar with a fearsome strike. Two minutes later he scraped a less impressive effort wide from open play.

Birmingham might have made it 2-0 on 73 when, with the Blues caught with men forward, Townsend broke and fed King but again the controversial striker was thwarted by Lee-Barrett.

Town finally got the goal their complete domination of the second half deserved in the 75th minute. Emmanuel-Thomas brought the ball in from the right before hitting a low cross-shot which struck the inside of the post before nestling in the back of the net.

Parity was the least the Blues deserved but the visitors quickly went on the offensive, King hitting a well-struck shot across the face.

But the action quickly returned to the other end, Doyle saving from Emmanuel-Thomas, Martin failing to find Chopra as Town broke, then the former Manchester United man struck a low shot to Doyle’s left after he and Murphy had gone for the same ball.

On 86 Birmingham were an inch or so from going back in front. Lee-Barrett couldn’t hold King’s shot and Zigic looked to have tapped home the rebound until Cresswell cleared off the line behind his keeper.

In injury time, Emmanuel-Thomas curled a shot to Doyle, then seconds before the whistle, Martin crossed from the left and the ball hit Murphy on the back of the head as he ran in on goal.

The Portman Road faithful gave their side a warm ovation as they left the field, after what was one of the performances of the season, despite it only resulting in a point.

Town, with owner Marcus Evans watching from the stands, were on top in the first half but were even more dominant in the second which they completely controlled with the outstanding Leadbitter dictating the play and the visitors only threatening on the break.

The Blues had the chances to grab all three points but another excellent performance against one of the division’s leading lights suggests that Town have the potential to be nearer the top end of the table this time next year.

Town: Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Smith, Delaney, Cresswell, Martin, Leadbitter, Drury, Murphy, Chopra, Scotland (Emmanuel-Thomas 64). Subs: Sonko, Hyam, Bowyer, Stevenson.

Birmingham: Doyle, Ramage, Davies, Caldwell (Ibanez 35), Murphy, Burke, Gomis, Elliott, Townsend (Redmond 77), King, Zigic (Rooney 87). Subs: Butland, Huseklepp. Referee: Darren Sheldrake (Surrey). Att: 16,503 (Birmingham: 520).

Photo: Action Images

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