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

ChrisFelix added 18:06 - Nov 2 There not much wrong with the team. Why not play with Cresswell & Hewitt as wing backs with Berra , Chambers & Smith. Drop Hyam & Anderson. Bring in Taylor to play behind Murphy & McGoldrick. Would be interested to see the stats of how often Skues & Hyam enter the opponents penalty area ( Corners & free kicks excluded ) Need to show them a few videos of Matt Holland
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Surco72 added 18:08 - Nov 2 I will keep saying it ,MM has created a very average work hard honest side and has no ability to change to any other tactic than hoof it forward to a big target man which is why Nouble has had so much game time this year . His signings are incredibly average Gerken no better than Loach ,Berra ok but no better than what we had in Chambers and Smith ,pick your best 2 and get a right back in the team . Anderson has no where near as much talent as JET and with the negative 2 holding midfielders and a left winger who is center midfielder in Tuncliffe or Tabb we are crying out for some one like Jet to create a bit of space or anything . We are so predicatble it hurts ,opposing managers realise if you put a fast wide player against Cressy our whole attacking options are also counteracted as we have nothing on the right whatsoever . We need some loans in now or the season is over ,everyone raving about MM doing a good job last year seem to forget that a massive part of that was down to DJ who Jewell got in .All other teams are getting players in we just stick with the same 11 playing badly knowing they will be selected,no competion for places

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blueboy1981 added 18:56 - Nov 2 Surco72 - ..... that pretty much sums it up extremely well - couldn't really add to that.
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blueboy1981 added 19:00 - Nov 2 TractorCam - Highly intelligent post !!!!!!!!! - think not.
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richard_4_itfc added 19:34 - Nov 2 Another opportunity for a win and 3 points wasted. After the first half though I was optimistic for a win as Town were on top of a poor Barnsley side (largely through Town's aerial power from open play and set piece crosses which Barnsley notoriously had problems with). The second half was very bad though and Barnsley were first to most loose balls and had more energy and drive and commitment than Town players, most of whom gave up playing for hoofing long aimless balls up field to players who couldn't keep the ball and hold play up or just booted it out of touch. Giving possession away so much put Town under pressure who dropped deep to defend and didn't defend but stood off the Barnsley players and were run ragged by them. Town had virtually no attacking threat from then on. It really could have been worse as Barnsley missed a couple of other good chances. Overall Tommy Smith was Town's best player with an average performance at best from the rest! It is quite easy to play when the opposition allows you to but if the opposition doesn't make it easy then of course it is harder to play and that is the time a team needs to pull together and show pride, spirit, fight and determination (and if necessary play to win 'ugly'). In all a poor team performance from Town which is very disappointing, while in contrast Barnsley showed great fight and spirit. I hope Town can learn from this quickly, as I'm sure Town players are very disappointed by this performance, and do better in the coming games this month.

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marcus9 added 20:12 - Nov 2 i have to say i never wanted mcarthy but he seemed to prove me wrong i thought he had a dour dull style but i ate humble pie as he kept us up. however since that time we have seen his true style or lack of it this is the dullest ipswich side i have watched in 25yrs .defensively good but no flair and some of his signings are v underwelming ie anderson nouble,tabb our most attacking players wordsworth,taylor,hewitt remain on the fringes and we look unlikely to sign any flair playersthe club have gone backwards since magiltonwe need to cut our lossesand bring in a manager who understands the history and style of our club mcarthy sadly is not that man i will not watch any more football under mcarthy and predict attendances will drop to 14000 before season ends marcus evans has been good for this club mcarthydid the job required and kept us upnow mr evans needs to be brave and send mm on his way with our thanks and appoint a forward thinking man. ie burley holland holloway or robinson goals win games ,raise league positions and increase attendances something long overdue MCARTHY OUT WITH THANKS

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marcus9 added 20:22 - Nov 2 TRACTORCAM to blindly support no matter how bad the performance is to facilitate its continuation hats off to you for your support but gates will slide under playing style of mcarthy better he goes with our thanks than be hounded out when we are really p....d of
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Keaneish added 23:24 - Nov 2 Bit harsh that Surco. Campbell alone did not keep us up last year. There was a ton of work to do between January and May. Can't believe the amount calling for McCarthy out. Sad day if you want instant success. A lot of people pride themselves on Ipswich being a traditional club with blah blah values and in the same breath expect instant success and glorious football. You're just not living in the real world. We'll have a decent run of it this season for sure but Friday night was an inexcusable shower of the higherst order!

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blue_moon09 added 23:35 - Nov 2 The moaning part time fans are out in force again, it must have been grim viewing from your armchairs on Friday night. You lot on here that leave stupid comments can't be proper fans your a disgrace. As for for calling for Mick to go well its pathetic it was just a bad at the office, grow up support the team and the manager, attend games and stop moaning you fickle idiots.

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ChestnutSe added 01:25 - Nov 3 Spot on Blue Moon
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stevelincsexile added 08:15 - Nov 3 Blue_moon09 and ChestnutSe and regularly make the 300 mile round trip to watch the town in fact on Friday we even stayed overnight so I feel I have the right to criticise or voice my opinion. As yet I am not saying MM out but I am saying if he does not make changes I will be. Firstly he must stop playing his favourites that are not doing the business. Secondly he must stop putting square pegs in round holes. Thirdly he must do away with the must not lose at all costs and go for the win, 6 draws is 6 points but if we win 3 and lose 3 that's 9 points. And finally get the creative players in Hewitt, Wordsworth, Taylor.

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Surco72 added 08:18 - Nov 3 Bluemoon that is the most ridiculous argument ever ,just because fans don't go to games they didn't have as good a view as you on TV ? I for one did go and my normal 4 hour journey took more than 7 hours due to the m25 and the only difference from watching it on tv is that it cost me over £100 to watch that boring negative crap so don't talk to me about armchair fans . Try answering some of the moaning fans points like we play 2 holding midfielders at home to bottom of the table ? Our playmaker seems to be our left back ? Our plan A is to punt the ball long to Murphy hoping he will win some headers ? We couldn't win our throw ins as they were 50/50 to Murphy hoping for a flick on ? We play a good centre back at right back out of position ? Our squad is filled with work hard centre midfielders with no flair ? Anderson is out of his league and offers far less than Edwards or JET could ? We have no left sided midfielder player ? We have no wins away ?Played 4 of bottom 6 sides recently and failed to get a win ? No completion for places as same starting line up over and over again whatever the result or opposition ? Cannot change tactics when opposition managers change theirs ? I don't want MM sacked as will set us back again but at the same time will not just accept the very negative football being served up or think that this is a good squad that can challenge for the playoffs just because MM did well last year , when none of our team would get into the top sides

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Jimmy86 added 09:16 - Nov 3 Ahhh the now standard response from blue moon, change the record mate its boring. Just turns out the game on fri was shown live on sky, first time this season and watching that game its no wonder why!!! We were lucky to go in 1 - 0 up but it was a good header from murphy and in the second half we never came out of the changing room. I went to the game as i do all the others as im a SEASON TICKET holder so just shut up with the same patronising crap that comes out of your mouth if someone posts an opinion!!!!

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bayblue added 09:36 - Nov 3 Lack of quality throughout. Cresswell's long ball punts to the forward line would have done his chances of moving to the Premier League serious harm. I thought Barnsley's McCourt looked like a midfield general of some developing quality - worth a punt even though he was taken off? We shouldn't be playing Skuse and Hyam in the same team - no creativity.
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blueboy1981 added 14:10 - Nov 3 Surco72 - I think it's time Bluemoon and the likes of were suitably ignored - no point in trying to put the point across to some people - for obvious reasons. Like I have said many times - some will never understand the game well enough to accept anything other than what suits them. They will just go on blindly watching and accepting anything - in their own little world.

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TractorCam added 14:48 - Nov 3 Ok fine, let's sack Mick, despite us only being 6 points off the play-offs and not in a relegation battle for a change, just because we've had a shaky last few games. To appoint a new manager. Wouldn't surprise me if all of you mick outs wanted Di Matteo, we all would, he wouldn't come here. Think about our track record, Paul Jewell and Roy Keane. How do you know Marcus wouldn't appoint someone like Dean Saunders? Is that what you would want?

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Pilgrimblue added 17:50 - Nov 3 Boring Boring Boring Same side so no surprise that we got another disappointing performance Same defensive attitude with very little attacking intent from the midfielders Same boring tactics from MM. He seems happy to play safe week in week out and just hope to scrape a win. Why play the same team when results aren't satisfactory? Why does he play such a defensive midfiled that won;t score more than ten goals between in a season. Why hasn't Marriott been given a chance of 10 to 20 minutes instead of that useless Nouble? Sadly MM hasn't been offered the NI job or maybe Palace will come to our rescue!

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thebeat added 10:45 - Nov 4 Just because people moan doesnt mean they want instant success. Scrapping for points and hoofing it to the big man upfront was what we needed last season because we were in the brown stuff when Mick took over. The summer should have been used to bring in more attacking players to try and push on, instead we signed another right back that Mick doesnt trust,a centre half thats being played out of favouritism which has upset the back fours balance,another average goalkeeper, a better version of Hyam, another central midfielder that we are playing on the wing and we swapped JET for the invisible man. If anything we are more negative than last season with no plan b for 2nd halves once the opposition manager works us out and stops Cresswell. So there it is my reasons for moaning and yes i do have a season ticket so im not part time just fed up of the simple things not being done like a right back at right back or a central midfielder that gets out of his own half possibly getting a game.

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