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

bluey123 added 10:13 - Nov 2 People forget Sack Magilton 8th in league scoring for fun in comes Evans sacks Magilton brings in 3 managers 6 years on no improvement no decent players no direction no passion . Get out of our club Marcus Evans ITFC is just a tax dodge for you
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Simonds92 added 10:13 - Nov 2 The thing is that same unchanged team has been awful for the last 5 games. Doubt Murphy and Anderson would get in any other championship team. The latter couldn't get in a team which got relegated last season, he's basically non-existent the whole game. Everyone can see the same problems for a very long time and there have been no changes. No midfield creativity, no width, I like tunnicliffe but he doesn't have a left foot at all, Berra is not good enough to bother splitting up the chambers smith partnership and surely there is someone better than Murphy out there?! He always looks half assed and isn't a good enough player to do that. As much as I respect Mick for what he did last season, if it wasn't for a few minutes of brilliance from McGoldrick creating something out of absolutely nothing, where would we be this season? The last 3 games I've seen us play Barnsley burnley and Sheff weds, all beatable teams and we've been absolutely awful! Not to even mention the second half at Derby!

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Hockley added 10:14 - Nov 2 Flair, passion, skill all missing. No pressure on Barnsley in the second half because we didn't play the ball along the floor out of defence. We need midfielders who can fetch the ball from defenders and carry it along the ground to feed the forwards i.e. the simple stuff that we were taught in school football. Hyam, Tabb, Anderson, Taylor and Woody not good enough to make us serious contenders for a top 6 place.

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Fatcatevans added 10:58 - Nov 2 There's something drastically wrong and unjust if Wordsworth can't get into the worst ipswich midfield in living memory. As for Berra attackers will always go on his outside as he literally has no right foot. He has all week to practice but it seems beyond him. Mick has favoured him and wrongly broken up the Smith Chambers combination to accommodate him. MM really needs to be even handed in his selection,

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Juanforthemoney added 11:20 - Nov 2 Very average game . Credit Barnsley who played pretty week. We need to look at a shake up of the formation before next week. Cresswell should be fined heavily, I am all for players having passion but after the game is stupid and could impact heavily on us. Nouble, why keep him in the squad, he would struggle got make the Colchester team?!!!
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BillBlue added 11:22 - Nov 2 blueboy1981. H32 is still round and probably reading this board. He came on and voiced support for me a couple of months ago when I was being slated by the above people who are all now saying exactly what I was saying then. Ipswich-Crazy - the second part of your name is particularly apt!
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flatos97 added 11:49 - Nov 2 First half was good, probably should be 2-3 up at half time. Dreadful second half, how are we going to cope next game without Cresswell? Worst performance under MM, needs to pick up the team game and actually try to play football for 90minutes and not just 45
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cats_whiskers added 12:00 - Nov 2 Mcgoldrick never had any service at all. Hyam and Tunnicliffe were just non existent! What a dire midfield Ipswich appear to have, anything worthwhile from the back seems to come from Cresswell and he was well nullified in the 2nd half, and the team didn't come to any life until the 3 minutes of added on time. Chambers was the only one to really test their goalie who must have been the most bored player on the pitch. Woeful to experience as an Ipswich fan and really Barnsley deserved to have taken all 3 points with O'Brien showing how to actually play up front and would swap him for Nouble and Murphy any day.

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TimmyH added 12:09 - Nov 2 Sorry first half was not good! - We played ok for 10/15 minutes with largely link up play down the left with Cresswell and Tunnicliffe only for poor ball control or aimless crosses to end various stages of play, the rest of the half was average at best with Barnsley I'd say having more possession (especially first 20 mins). The second half was dreadful with no energy, no picking up loose balls in fact nothing. The 2 holding defenders Skuse and Hyam went AWOL as they passed the ball through them or made runs behind them which put pressure on our defense, absolute abject 2nd half display! Before this season started my main wish was to start off from last season by getting Stearman in as a natural right back and maybe Henderson on season loan for GK position - neither of those happened, I was glad Chopra and Martin went but to get Anderson in to replace him (*let's not forget from a poor Bristol City team) was a poor move and WAS NOT the player we needed. As we've all being saying this season not enough creativity, Mick has a lot of work to do.

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tractorfact added 12:39 - Nov 2 im prob just repeating whats been said i watched this crap on sky and im glad I did, no wonder the stadium is half empty Barnsley should have won to be fair Why does he insist on playing Hyam ?? what does he actually do ?? The lack of creative minded players is there for all to see Henderson works all day but again offers nothing like hyam I actually think the back line is ok, weve had better keepers but its whats in front of that 4 is the problem The team look jaded with no other tactic than to hoof it fwd to nobody MIcks gonna have to change it now surley it looks so stale He didnt seem that bothered to me at the end of the game or is that just me ?? Poor sods who went to this crap my heart goes out to em

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peteswindon added 13:01 - Nov 2 Simply just not good enough :-(
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purplealien added 13:03 - Nov 2 I thought we looked decent going forward when we had possession. Good movement and plenty of supporting players from midfield. I don't think we lost this game because of a lack of a creative midfielder. We lost because Barnsley wanted it far more than we did. They gave it a real go in the second half. We on the other came out after half time like it was an exhibition match. No fight (with a few exceptions), second to every ball, and failed to adjust to Barnsley's change of formation. Very disappointing.

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blueherts added 14:09 - Nov 2 Hmm I would like to see Hewitt on the RM and Creswell LM Mings at LB As far as the middle Tunny is best footballer at the club in CM with Skuse Taylor and McG up front Leave Nouble in the car park
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BrookzieITFC added 14:11 - Nov 2 Positives: looked good first half for most of it, looked dangerous from corners, defended well second half (apart from goal) when we could have lost by 2-3, Paul Taylor looked fit and ready and should fit in to the XI if his work ethic matches his flair. Negatives: Not beating a team who have not got a point all season away, looked overrun in midfield second half and did not get stuck in enough or impose the way we did in the first. For all the great corners we had, we could/should have scored a few more, Aaron Cresswell getting sent off AFTER the game is just ridiculous, but at least we can now see what Tyrone Mings is made of. I still think MM is man for the job and performances should pick up now he looks like he is staying.

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blueherts added 14:15 - Nov 2 Oh and Berra is not the balance for Smith - two left footers ??? Get Chambers back there I like Hewitt as a player and if he goes to RB and not RM put Taylor at RM or even Tunny To be honest I think we have some decent players but just not playing them or playing them out of position ( or in the wrong divion!) EG CHAMBERS at RB and NOUBLE and Anderson who should be in Div One

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blueboy1981 added 15:05 - Nov 2 ....... the only people who will continue to watch this kind of rubbish are those with nothing better to do - or those who know no better than to carry on whatever (and we have some ). Going nowhere ....... fast.
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blueboy1981 added 15:16 - Nov 2 ,,,,, but - like it or lump it - welcome to the world of Mick McCarthy - what we are seeing is what we can expect. Unless he surprises us all - and that WILL be a surprise !!
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sereneblue added 15:41 - Nov 2 Ipswich crazy2011 From your comments it appears to me your one of life's plodders . Never taking chances in you life to improve yourself. A high percentage of supporters on here are willing to vent there anger because they want to see their team do well and not stay a mediocre team. If you read my first post you would have noticed I don't have a season ticket any more ,the first time for 40 years, so I don't go to many games. I will always support and follow my team and vent my disappointment when I see my team play the football which they are playing at the moment.

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RegencyBlue added 15:58 - Nov 2 I'm not sure where this idea that we were OK in the first half comes from. In a generally poor match I thought the first half was pretty even and overall Barnsley can consider themselves very unlucky not to have taken all three points. I'm all for playing a settled side when its working but we have looked poor for a while now and MM's refusal to consider changing things, particularly Hyam and Skuse in midfield, is worrying.

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blueboy1981 added 16:02 - Nov 2 RegencyBlue - ........ some even said we had 'a good first half' !!!!! - just shows how low some expectations are, or they were at a different game to me.
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TractorCam added 17:14 - Nov 2 You lot call yourselves fans? Take a long hard look at yourselves, in fact any of you wanting Mick out f*ck off and don't attend ITFC games anymore, you're a disgrace to this club
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Elizabeth added 17:17 - Nov 2 Not good enough .. Whatever has happened here that we lose at home to Barnsley .. Clueless !!
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TractorCam added 17:18 - Nov 2 We didn't lose Elizabeth....
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Elizabeth added 17:21 - Nov 2 Oh sorry felt like a loss .. Still not good enough!
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NoelTheDub added 17:48 - Nov 2 No plan b.No balance. No creativity.No doubt mick has steadied the ship but its time to start pushing on.Just as well most teams are as flat as us, a poor barnsley team were unlucky to be 1 down and played us off the park in the 2nd half and the boss is happy not to lose.We should be ripping into those teams at home and the taylors and tabbs should be starting.Its micks plan to bypass the midfield with a hoof up to murf and hope it falls to someone plus our two mids are up at the halfway line.This might keep us in this crazy league but be brave at home at least MM

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