Barnsley sub Jim O’Brien’s 70th minute equaliser claimed his side’s first away point of the season at Portman Road. Daryl Murphy headed the Blues in front in the 41st minute with Town on top, but the visitors were the better side after the break. Aaron Cresswell was sent off after the final whistle for foul and abusive language after Town were denied a late penalty when Frank Nouble appeared to be brought down.

On Mick McCarthy’s first anniversary as Blues boss, Town were unchanged for a seventh successive match for the first time since a club record 12-game run in the 1991/92 Second Division Championship-winning campaign.

Striker Paul Taylor, who was recalled from his loan at Peterborough on Wednesday, was on the bench, while former Blue Jason Scotland was amongst the Tykes’ subs.

Neither side managed a shot on goal in an uneventful opening 10 minutes. On 12 Tommy Smith required treatment for a head wound after an aerial clash with Chris O’Grady, the centre-half returning to the fray sporting a bandage.

The game gradually started to come to life. Luke Chambers lost out to Tykes’ skipper Martin Crainie from a Paul Anderson cross from the right in the 17th minute, then Dean Gerken claimed a through ball ahead of Marcus Pedersen. A minute later, Daryl Murphy diverted a Ryan Tunnicliffe cross well wide.

On 23 Aaron Cresswell wasted a freekick on the right by hitting a shot into the Barnsley wall when he should have crossed. The ball looped up to Luke Hyam, who headed the ball into the area, Smith nodded it on ahead of Tykes’ keeper Jack Butland, but over the bar.

At the other end, Gerken came out to clear ahead of Pedersen with his feet. He ball fell to Paddy McCourt who shot towards the open goal but Cresswell blocked and the Town keeper claimed. Almost immediately, play switched to the other end and Anderson scraped a shot over.

Town were starting to get on top and in the 27th minute Cresswell’s cross from the left deflected off Cranie to Butland, the keeper, who was at Portman Road with the England U21s last month, reacting well to save.

Just before the half hour David McGoldrick lashed wildly off target with former Barnsley loanee Tunnicliffe better placed to his left.

Town were dominating possession and on 33 Chambers found McGoldrick with a pass over the top from deep but the frontman lost his footing when well placed. The Blues quickly regained possession, however, and Cresswell smashed a cross shot which flew only narrowly wide of Butland’s left post. Two minutes later Chambers headed over from a corner.

The Blues got the goal their pressure deserved in the 41st minute. Cresswell sent over a corner from the left and Murphy rose highest to head the ball down and into the net for his fourth goal of the season.

Town looking to increase their lead over the Tykes, who lost Jacob Mellis to an injury two minutes before the break, Anderson hitting a low shot through to Butland.

The Blues were worthy of their lead at the break. After the game had begun in a very understated manner, Town got on top and had threatened a number of occasions before Murphy’s goal. Barnsley, defeated in all six of their away games so far this season, had rarely threatened Gerken’s goal.

Murphy hit a weak shot to Butland early in the second half, then on 50 O’Grady forced Gerken to save well to his right with a 25-yard shot after Pedersen’s knockdown.

Tunnicliffe sent a low ball across the face of Barnsley’s goal in the 51st minute, before Tykes sub Jim O’Brien shot over.

On 54 Chambers almost played McGoldrick in with a superb ball over the Barnsley backline from inside his own half. However, Butland came off his line quickly to claim ahead of the Town striker.

Barnsley started to get the upper hand, keeping hold of the ball better than the Blues with the home crowd beginning to get frustrated. However, other than a blocked O’Grady effort they’d failed to create a significant opportunity.

Cole Skuse volleyed wide on 63 but it was still mainly Barnsley, Pedersen throwing himself unsuccessfully at a 66th minute cross from the left. The Norwegian had an even better opportunity two minutes later but curled a shot over when in space on the edge of the Town box.

Moments later, the Blues switched Anderson, who had drifted out of the game in the second half, for Jay Tabb, Tunnicliffe moving to the right.

The visitors netted the goal that their second half performance had deserved in the 70th minute. After Town had failed to deal with a cross from the right, McCourt chipped back into the box, Smith and O’Grady challenged in the air and the loose ball fell to O’Brien, whose low shot beat Gerken to his right.

O’Brien hit another effort not far over soon after his goal, then Murphy headed a Cresswell corner over. Ex-Blue Scotland came on for the final 16 minutes for Pedersen.

Two minutes after coming on the Trinidad and Tobago international, who had received warm applause from his old fans, was nodded in on goal by O’Grady, but Christophe Berra got back to challenge as he looked to shoot.

Skuse teed up Chambers just outside the area in the 77th minute, the right-back lashing a shot which Butland failed to hold on to with Tabb unlucky that the loose ball didn’t fall to him.

Blues boss Mick McCarthy swapped Frank Nouble and Paul Taylor for Tunnicliffe and McGoldrick with the Town top scorer’s departure met with boos.

With four minutes remaining former Blue Scotland had a chance to seal it for the visitors. A freekick from deep on the left reached the 34-year-old, but he slammed his shot into the sidenetting.

The visitors were looking the more likely winners and a goalmouth scramble following a corner eventually saw Berra clear Crane’s effort from inside the six-yard box. O’Brien again went close in the 88th minute but could only divert a ball over the top into Gerken’s arms.

Town began to put on the pressure as scheduled time ran down, Tabb’s shot from Chambers’s cross from the right deflecting wide with Nouble making a despairing lunge at the far post. Tabb’s corner hit the first man.

The Blues had what looked to be a good shout for a penalty in injury time when Nouble turned past Jean Yves M’voto and looked to be tripped by the defender, albeit coupled with a fair amount of shirt pulling on both parts, but despite vehement protests from the Town players referee Andy D’Urso waved away the complaints.

The arguments continued as the players left the field and Cresswell was red-carded after the whistle had gone for foul and abusive language.

On the balance of what was a poor game overall, Barnsley were worth their point. While the Blues had been the better of two disappointing sides before the break, the South Yorkshiremen were on top for most of the second half with Town as poor as they’ve been at home for some time.

Mick McCarthy will be disappointed that his team failed to claim all three points having been ahead on home turf and also with Cresswell’s needless late, late dismissal.

Town: Gerken, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Cresswell, Anderson (Tabb 69), Hyam, Skuse, Tunnicliffe (Taylor 82), Murphy, McGoldrick (Nouble 82). Unused: Loach, Hewitt, Mings, Edwards.

Barnsley: Butland, Kennedy, Cranie, O'Grady, Perkins, Wiseman, Pedersen (Scotland 74), Mellis (O'Brien 43), M'voto, Fox, McCourt (Etuhu 81). Unused: Hassell, Dibble, Cywka, Jennings. Referee: Andy D’Urso (Billericay). Att: 18,361 (Barnsley: 175).

Photo: Action Images

runningout added 23:14 - Nov 1 Taylor given 8 minutes was head scratching...
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Notts_tractor added 23:15 - Nov 1 It's at times like this that you have to recognise how good George Burley was as a second tier football manager. Every season his team was challenging for promotion. Was the division easier then? Perhaps, but this was a man who had the footballing traditions of the club running through his veins and managed with no money to get fairly average players combining as an effective unit and at times playing great football. We haven't seen anything as good since. The club has lost its soul since Evans took over, with all of the philosophy about how the game should be played sacrificed to a wholly different model with corporate interests to the fore.

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TR11BLU added 23:17 - Nov 1 Utter rubbish and to think I sat in traffic 3 1/2 hours to watch that sh!te. Here's the ferry cost Mick, go now. No ambition, adventure or desire to entertain. Thanks for keeping us up, now move on. If things don't change I will not be renewing next season. My twelve year affiliation will revert to radio I'm afraid.
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Cakeman added 23:20 - Nov 1 Sadly a very predictable ending to a non entertaining match. 1-0 up and no idea of what to do next and not for the first time this season we drift along and let the opposition back in. Mick's teams are hard to beat true but have no ambition to be positive. I believe this is often the case when you have a manager who has been a defender in his playing days. I cannot see anything changing for the rest of the season because we are playing with nine defenders and two strikers starved of service. This evening I could not believe how deep McGoldrick had to come back to try and get a sniff of the ball. We made Barnsley look good. Please Mr Manager let Wordsworth and Taylor have 90 minutes, oh and can you please put Hyam's name and number on the front of his shirt to make him look as though he is going forward!

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billlm added 23:22 - Nov 1 evans go to
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RetroBlue added 23:22 - Nov 1 This is the problem Mick ! ..................................GK............................ Defender..............Defender.....Defender......Defender Defensive RM...Defensive CM....Defensive CM.....Defensive LM ..............................McGoldrick...& the ineffective Murphy
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tractorboy007 added 23:22 - Nov 1 No wonder Sky Sports only show town games once a season. There was me sitting down excited about watching my team play on the box the only time this year and what a let down in the second half. I remember now why I gave up my season ticket a few years back! Not only is it a fortune but is that really worth the money? I'm not sure. I don't think we've had entertainment at Portman Road since Joe Royle. What a shame tonight was!

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blueboy1981 added 23:24 - Nov 1 TOTALLY INEPT PERFORMANCE - forget the was it / wasn't it penalty issue. We didn't deserve the point - shameful home performance. Never looked like creating anything until Taylor came on - beginning to worry about how MM actually sees this game.
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thebeat added 23:26 - Nov 1 Very grateful to Mick for what he did last year but why can he not see what everybody in the ground can? 1: Chambers is not a right back, get him back alongside Tommy, best cb partnership in the league. 2: Anderson is as useful as a chocolate firegaurd, get Edwards back in. 3: 2 defensive midfielders is negative and just invites the opposition on to us, drop Hyam and give Tunners or Wordsworth a run in there. 4: Murphy is the wrong partner for McGoldrick, he needs a quick mobile striker to feed off his great link up play.Give Taylor a run up there. 5: Frank Nouble is not, never has been and never will be a professional footballer. Sick and tired of watching negative sterile hoof ball because we are too frightened to express ourselves. FFS we were playing Barnsley at home and we were frightened to death of them!

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StochesStotasBlewe added 23:27 - Nov 1 Notts tractor. The club has indeed lost its soul. Corporate faceless bullsh#t, a club in demise going absolutely nowhere, It,s not going to get better!!!!
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billlm added 23:31 - Nov 1 the beat agree with all apart from edwards
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SheffieldBlue1 added 23:33 - Nov 1 All you lot saying Mick should go are absolutely deranged. What are the alternatives? Mowbray? Warnock? At a stretch Holloway? Get a grip.
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Ipswich_Crazy added 23:36 - Nov 1 SheffieldBlue1 you the only comment apart from mine that has any sense. These idiots are morons and only like moaning. Half of these moaners dont even go to the games i bet! We got a bloody point didnt we!?! way these lot are going on we lost 6-0. GET A GRIP!
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smithy91 added 23:37 - Nov 1 Well that was dissappointing! A mate of mine said Barnsley would come out second half guns blazing and they did indeed, but what suprised me more was our performance! Half time we seemed to lose the motivation and energy to win the game....Best player probably was Smith tonight, and Skuse had an okay game. But forward play was pretty dire at times, although people are getting on at Murphy when he didnt do too badly- hes a target man centre forward, not a playmaker type striker. Need changes in midfield now imo- Shift to 4231 if Mick wants to persist with 2 cdms, with Taylor, Wordy, and Tabb in front of them.

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StochesStotasBlewe added 23:38 - Nov 1 Ipswich crazy 2011. Fans like you will always be prepared to put up with the sh~t on offer. Some of us want better for our once proud & great club. I,m with serene blue.
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jas0999 added 23:39 - Nov 1 Unacceptable. Frankly lucky to get away with a point. Can't understand he second half tactics, although first half not great either. Same comments as before. We need a complete overhaul of the midfield. Skuse is decent, but we shouldn't be playing Hyam along side him, especially at home. Chambers is not a right back, whilst despite his goal, Murphy continues to offer little. Cresswell was silly at the end. Can't fault the referee for sending him off. Deserved. Mick has been excellent over the past year, but we need to press on. Personally I remain disappointed that he wasn't supported in the summer. He signed the best players he could with no money. Now we can see we have a very average set of players. What do people expect. ME backed the wrong managers unfortunately.

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Ipswich_Crazy added 23:45 - Nov 1 pinewoodblueboy then your a idiot! Support the blooody club or go and support someone else! I have never seen so many morons! Im a real fan not a glory hunter fan like some of your lot on here that sit in front of there computers typing out comments/threads just to moan! I remember a time even when we were on a bad ran when the our fans used to get behind the team no matter what, now its win or be moaned at. GET A GRIP!

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blueboy1981 added 23:49 - Nov 1 pinewoodblueboy - agree with you both - not sure if h32 follows the Club anymore, but he was so right, and most of what he predicted and said has proved correct. This is negative dross of the highest order - and I cannot see it improving. The longer this goes on the less I am sure MM will be in demand by FAI or anyone else for that matter.
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blueboy1981 added 23:52 - Nov 1 Ipswich crazy2011 - ....... maybe it's time to look in the mirror - and repeat - GET A GRIP .... !!
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al1010 added 23:55 - Nov 1 Not commenting on the game .can anybody answer this question I have ... Whilst watching the match on tv, and when Ipswich scored do we not celebrate a goal with a celebration song any more??? If so what is the tune .. and if we don't we should do , lift our spirits up a bit .cheers all
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StowTractorBoy added 23:59 - Nov 1 I think fans on here need to get things into perspective and remember where we were this time last season. Knocking the Manager is just crazy - we did not lose tonight for goodness sake and you give big disrespect to Barnsley because they were excellent. They have pace all over the park which we do not have and they deserved to win the game so for me its a point gained. Now for the negatives as Tunnicliffe and Hyam have now had their time in my opinion. For those knocking Anderson do you actually see how much work the bloke puts in. Had he been on the pitch Barnsley would not have equalised as he supported Chambers all evening but Chambo was totally exposed for the cross that led to the goal. Don't quite know why Mick made that change. I don't always agree with Mick Mills but as he said to put Taylor on without McGoldrick on the park with him was also a strange decision. Cresswell obviously let his frustration get the better of him presumably after the penalty calls and for the poor match he had. Love Chambo but sadly he is not a right back and in my opinion is not better than Berra in the middle. Again my opinion, but unless he has improved in the time he has been out Hewitt is not that man either. Hopefully this Ireland saga will finally end and Mick can concentrate on getting our team up the league with some decent football. Off to Blackpool next and at the moment feel pessimistic but in football you never know. In conclusion be grateful we are in this Division as without MM we would most certainly be in Div 1 now.

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StochesStotasBlewe added 00:00 - Nov 2 Ipswich crazy 2011. pillock {I,m being polite}, I,ve supported my club home & away for the best part of 45 years, I therefore am entitled to a opinion without some jumped up little twerp {look it up} calling me an idiot. If you are prepared to put up with that overpriced crap every week without ever questioning it, then bigger fool you. This once great club will always accept mediocrity with "fans" like you.

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TractorBoy666 added 00:03 - Nov 2 Not surprised one bit that there's over 70 comments already. I almost fell asleep tonight, it was that bad. No creativity whatsoever and if Mick doesn't change the side next game, I'll be left staggered. What a poor show, and to think people watched this live on sky sports too. My friend said afterwards that it was the poorest he's seen on tele, and it probably was!! Anderson brings nothing to the team, he's more of a defending winger. Worst I've seen at home this season, things must change quick if we have ambitions of finishing high in the league which is looking very slim indeed, yet again.

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beerhelps added 00:14 - Nov 2 ...and on a brighter note, I had by far the best pint (Ghostship) that I've ever had in the ground at half time, didn't realise that we had a cask ale bar under tucked away under the west stand! Unfortunately that was - I think we can all agree- the only highlight. I can take 1-1 at home against a struggling side if we try and play some football, but if the powers-that-be dictate that this is only a 'results industry' rather than entertainment and we continue to perform like that........ rant over, nothing to see here.....

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budgieplucker added 00:26 - Nov 2 McGoldrick & Cresswell have been two of our best performers this season and can be excused an off night on performance alone but Cresswall cannot be excused the very unprofessional outburst and red card. That leaves us with even less of a supply of balls into the box for the next three matches. I had an extremely good view of the penalty shout and like one of my fellow posters above I have NO time for Durso - it wasn't a penalty and would have been an injustice to Barnsley. I actually think Christophe Berra has been our most consistent performer since his first match - no nonsense very Allan Hunter-esque, Tommy Smith not far behind. but you can;t say Luke Chambers hasn't played well either despite looking a little uncomfortable at times out of position. Half tempted to put a bet on Frank Nouble NOT scoring a goal all season for the first team. I would rather see Hewitt given a run at right mid than Anderson.

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