Town’s winless league run stretched to seven games as the Blues drew 0-0 at home to Cardiff City. Daryl Murphy went closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half when Bluebirds keeper David Marshall tipped his header from a Kevin Bru corner against the woodwork.

Jonny Parr replaced the injured Jonas Knudsen at left-back in an otherwise unchanged Town side, the Norwegian having taken over from the Dane early on at Nottingham Forest last week after he suffered a hamstring problem. Knudsen is expected to be fit for Tuesday’s home game against Bolton.

Manager Mick McCarthy lined his team up in a 4-3-3 formation with Murphy, Freddie Sears and David McGoldrick all up front as they were at Forest.

The Bluebirds made two changes from the team which drew 0-0 at home to Bristol City on Monday with Joe Ralls and Sammy Ameobi replacing the injured Kagisho Dikgacoi and Craig Noone, who dropped to the bench.

Suffolk-born former Blues academy schoolboy Stuart O'Keefe was also amongst the Cardiff subs.

The visitors had most of the ball in the early stages but without threatening Dean Gerken’s goal.

On nine Town claimed a perhaps ambitious penalty when Kevin Bru’s strike was blocked by Fabio after a well-worked move down the left involving the Mauritius international and Murphy amongst others. Two minutes later, Ameobi was booked for a foul on Parr.

As the game hit the 15-minute mark Murphy came within a whisker of opening his goals account for the season. Kevin Bru sent over a corner from the right and the Irishman flicked a near-post header which Marshall tipped on to the upright. The loose ball fell to Sears at a tight angle but the ex-Colchester man blazed over.

A minute later Icelandic international midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who had a trial with the Town academy as a schoolboy, struck a powerful effort from the edge of the box but Gerken did well to get down to his left to push it behind.

Cardiff continued to take the game to the Blues and on 22 Christophe Berra cut out Ralls’s low cross from the left.

Town began to take charge and in the 27th minute, shortly after Ainsley Maitland-Niles had seen a strike blocked on the edge of the box, Luke Chambers fed Sears to his right and the striker’s low cross was diverted towards his own goal by Sean Morrison, keeper Marshall doing very well to keep it out.

Fabio suffered an injury as Cardiff had sought to defend the cross and the Brazilian was replaced by Scott Malone in the 31st minute.

Three minutes later Parr’s mis-hit clearance led to Sears breaking away into the Cardiff half before he was halted by Matthew Connolly’s foul, which saw the defender join team-mate Ameobi in referee David Coote’s book. Cole Skuse laid the freekick off to McGoldrick but his shot curled wide.

McGoldrick seized on a loose Cardiff pass on 39 and sent Murphy away towards goal but last season’s 27-goal Championship top scorer took an extra touch and Morrison got across to block his shot. Maitland-Niles was first to the loose ball and sent it back over from the right and Sears eventually hit a 25-yard shot which was straight at Marshall.

Two minutes before the break Ralls had his name added to referee Coote’s book for a foul on Bru the, as the game moved into injury time, Tommy Smith joined him somewhat harshly for following in Murphy’s hooked attempt at goal as keeper Marshall claimed following the second of two Town corner.

The scoreline remained level at the break with the Blues having got on top after making a slow start.

Town had had the half’s two best chances with Murphy unfortunate not to have broken his duck for the season with his header and Morrison lucky his keeper prevented him from scoring an own goal.

Neither side made a change of personnel at the break, although with the Blues now at 4-4-2 with Maitland-Niles on the left and Sears on the right.

Chances were rare at either end in the opening minutes with both defences remaining solid. For Town, keeper Gerken claimed a couple of crosses safely, while Berra made important interceptions or blocks as Bluebirds strike pair Joe Mason and Alex Revell looked for goal.

In the 61st minute Gerken reacted superbly to save from Ameobi, getting down to his right after the on-loan Newcastle man turned Malone’s cross goalwards from six yards.

A minute later, Murphy headed on to the roof of the Cardiff net from Chambers’s right-sided cross.

Maitland-Niles turned a Murphy cross from the left over in the 72nd minute after McGoldrick had won the ball midway inside the Cardiff half. The Blues were on top but unable to create too many clear-cut chances, while the visitors were a danger on the break.

A minute later, after one of those counter-attacks had led to a corner, Gunnarsson shot well wide at the far post.

Murphy was sent away on the right of the area on 76 but a defender got across to block. Chambers subsequently sent over a cross but again it was cleared.

The Cardiff backline dealt with another cross from the right, this time from Sears, before Bluebirds sub Craig Noone stooped to head wide beyond the far post from a cross from the left.

On 79 Bru was booked after referee Coote adjudged that he had dived when he went to ground as he skipped past Morrison in the area, much to the anger of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

Two minutes later Murphy and Maitland-Niles were replaced by Brett Pitman and Tommy Oar. Soon after, Revell was booked for a wild lunge on Smith which hurt the Cardiff man more than the Blues defender.

With just over five minutes of scheduled time remaining, Peter Whittingham was booked for a cynical foul on Pitman as the Blues sub broke away from him. Bru’s freekick was headed clear and as Cardiff went on the counter-attack Skuse was cautioned for a foul.

In the 88th minute Noone volleyed well over when unmarked from Whittingham’s freekick on the left, something of a let-off for the Blues.

In injury time Revell’s looping header was no problem for Gerken and neither side went closer than that to breaking the stalemate, Town’s second 0-0 at home in succession, something they last managed in December 2009.

Having come close twice in the first half, albeit once via Cardiff defender Morrison, the Blues never seriously tested Bluebirds keeper Marshall in the second half, while Gerken - Town’s man of the match - made a number of important saves, the best the stop from Ameobi, who really should have taken the opportunity.

The Blues have now won just one of their last 10 in the league and have drawn their last four matches at Portman Road, where they haven't won in five. They have also scored one goal in five matches.

Cardiff have kept four clean sheets in four successive games and have lost just four of their last 24 league matches.

Town, who are now down to 14th following today’s results, have another chance to get back to winning ways when second-bottom Bolton visit Portman Road on Tuesday.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Parr, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bru, Maitland-Niles (Oar 81), Sears, McGoldrick, Murphy (Pitman 81). Unused: Bialkowski, Malarczyk, Emmanuel, Douglas, Coke.

Cardiff: Marshall (c), Peltier, Morrison, Connolly, Fabio (Malone 31), Ralls, Gunnarsson, Whittingham (Pilkington 88), Ameobi (Noone 75), Revell, Mason. Unused: Moore, Tamas, O’Keefe, Kennedy. Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire). Att: 17,169 (Cardiff: 222).

Photo: Action Images

Blue_Again added 17:04 - Oct 31 Poopy
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HALLSJ added 17:07 - Oct 31 Lost me £64 only one to let me down from 5, cheers boys
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gazmangaz added 17:07 - Oct 31 Same old same old, just nowhere near good enough !!!
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CustardCream added 17:08 - Oct 31 Being a Town fan at the moment is awful, we have no creativity and no goal threat because of our medieval tactics and stubborn manager, we miss Fraser badly, only plus side today was the clean sheet and a very good performance from Gerken!! Need to win the next game now or we will be in for another lower midtable season that's over by February
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battyblue added 17:09 - Oct 31 Cardiff are a great side they have some different class players it was a good point and tabby was different class....o hang on Cambo
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BoredWithThisNow added 17:10 - Oct 31 I'm trying to remember the last time it was joyful being a Town fan.
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MonterreyBlue added 17:12 - Oct 31 @harryfrombath i owe you a few beers mate, was going to make the trip from Mexico for the game but saw your report and decided it had 0-0 written all over it, so stayed at home (£1,500 saving) and put £10 on 0-0.... Ipswich, i love you more than the world but these are testing times lol. COYBs
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Notts_tractor added 17:15 - Oct 31 @Boredwith this now - Anderson's goal v Nodge. All downhill since. Like the crowds. 15k v Bolton if lucky
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Toronto_Tractor added 17:20 - Oct 31 The October curse continues......
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TimmyH added 17:28 - Oct 31 Yawn! - only 2 goals in 5 games...and we thought we were going to be a goal machine this season. Feels like Mick is slowly making the transition back to what he knows best and that is dull football and clean sheets. If we can't beat a poor team like Bolton then I'm afraid it's more about looking over our shoulders rather than aiming for the play-offs!
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runaround added 17:35 - Oct 31 A goalless draw against the nil nil kings of Cardiff is no surprise. The fans did their bit as the atmosphere was good, players gave their all with Chambers, Gerken & Bru doing well, BUT it's still not working. Not really sure why it's not working but surely Mick needs to change tactics/players a bit? Berra, Murphy, Sears & McGoldrick are all off form now. Sears has to play upfront not wide, Pitman needs to be given a chance alongside him. We have no real width so play 442 with AMN & Oar given a go. One win will make a lot of difference but Mick needs to be proactive and try something else. Keeping it as it is & hoping hasn't worked for 2 months. Cmon Mick try something different

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hancockingoal added 17:39 - Oct 31 Sorry all you Gerkin detractors, he was M O M, followd by the crowd who were very supporting! Berra and Smith also put in a shift. Actually I cannot fault the commitment from any of them but unfortunately we are suffering from players out of form and playing out of position. I really hope I am wrong and that Mick will turn it around, but I fear we are now stale and that a change of management might be necessary?

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therein61 added 17:51 - Oct 31 Thanks Mick for all you have done since you took over and pointed us in the right direction, that said I think you have taken us as far as you can and seem devoid of sensible team selection while selecting your favourite players at other clubs has given you success and promotion, this is clearly not working at Portman Road, and for myself personally(after yet another 2 points lost at home although you will be happy with a point as we know Cardiff are world beaters as are the other sides we should be putting away that you "big up" before every game) after another 400+ mile return trip to witness what I have seen is not good enough, time for a serious look in the mirror big man and sort it or kindly with thanks go!!!!!!!!

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Bluetone added 17:53 - Oct 31 Supporting ITFC was easy and a delight. Supporting ITHC well that's a tough ask. McCarthy learned his trade under the wing of Jackie Charlton. The Irish defence whose job was to see how fast their opposing forward could limp. An attacker(s) with strong neck muscles who could run quickly enough to get under a football descending from a great height; no midfield as such just a "defence auxiliary" whose job was to fill any gaps at the back.. These were the Jackie Charlton's tactics as Ireland manager when McCarthy was one of their defence. It obviously made a lasting impression as he is still trying to recreate those same tactics today.

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Steelmonkey added 18:05 - Oct 31 Absolute s$Â¥^e, no dynamics in the side, they could have played till next Saturday and not scored. Sort it out McCarthy.
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Jimmy86 added 18:05 - Oct 31 There were few positives to gain from that today. There were half decent passages of play, but we still play far too much long ball, in the hope something comes off. We are not picking up the 2nd ball like we did last season from these knock downs. When we do have the ball on the floor there is such a lack of movement, which then leaves the only option of a hopeful punt and rely on a flick on. Murphy badly needs a goal, he would have buried both those chances last season. Bru added a bit of class, but for me Didz was poor and didn't offer much today, when things don't go well for him his body language is poor. At the end when he tried for that penalty, that was pure desperation and sadly we weren't good enough again.

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neillrumsey added 18:10 - Oct 31 We did play some football today when McG Bru and AMN kept the ball on the deck but why is MM persisting with this formation. We need to change both full backs as Parr confirmed to me today that he isn't good enough and neither is Knudsen. Chambers we know is not a full back but to his credit got into some good forward positions today. Gerken who I feel is the main issue at the back in so much as the defence have no confidence in him. Today he had a decent game and made three good saves. Berra still off the boil and hoofing into the stands unnecessarily . Bru AMN both decent albeit Niles had yo stay deep to help Parr on too many occasions. Sears number 1 striker totally wasted on the flank and Murph who tries hard has no confidence and must be dropped having wasted two good opportunities. McG also quiet today by Pitman caused problems when he came on. Yes it's a point but for me Cardiff are average. Formation and tactics must change.

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EssexTractor added 18:15 - Oct 31 Driving home tonight the usual suspects on Radio Suffolk, you will know their names, presumably they have Suffolk on speed dialling to get through..Eg Frank from Holland wondering if Daryl Murphy had had a row with his wife or in financial troubles..for being maybe not up to the part! Well Frank the one thing you are right about is that neither of our DM front men were " up to the part" ...for reasons we just may never know. Maybe it's just as simple as this..the management and this set of players hit their highs last year. It happens , it always will..even the Jose/ Chelsea may signify that. There is a lack of inspiration , it's become a tepid affair. To be fair the much criticised Gerken did his job, he stopped the opposition, a couple of times with good saves. Chambers proceeded forward with a few bursts of determination but when once in lots of right side space he blazed the ball high into North Stand we knew such journies were unlikely to produce that memorable moment. Parr much demanded by some was just about ok, but did find aiming the ball for the stars as successful as passing to a blue shirt. Smith and Berra are Smith and Berra, defend as best they can but as distributors are sadly deficient. Bru looked good in little spells but as with Skuse , played no defence splitting passes...where is the man who can do that? Again to be fair the lightweight Maitland- Niles showed a good heart,tackling back , showing neat but not overly dangerous touches, but you want him to do well because he is young and learning. And Freddie how extraordinary when he is being squeezed by management out to the wings when at this time he is superior to either DM in the middle of the attack. So back to Radio Suffolk and "how far off the top two , how far off the play offs"... We want to win, We want to be entertained but how can anyone really at this moment even contemplate rising to the Premiership...I have no real grief with any players, they play to their ability, but that is simply not good enough under this regime.. If we want to be a mid table Championship team forever we are making good strides.

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smellmycheese added 18:18 - Oct 31 Mick stinks the place out with horse sh.t hoofball. What a shocker!
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dirtydingusmagee added 18:21 - Oct 31 TILT.! .....WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON.There will undoubtedly be some will say we are only 6 points off playoffs, but ffs,Form shows we are 19th .Nothing inspiring today at all,I honestly thought [as anyone would] that with Murphy,McGoldrick,Sears,and Pitman,goals would not be a problem this season,just needed to make sure defence was sound ,We have not got one front man in form !The last few weeks and results have been painful and embarrassing .I dont think the club would get rid of MM, im not saying they should [yet] but it would not surprise me if this run continues he throws in the towel ,Another few seasons of building then follows i despair .

1

tractorgrl added 18:26 - Oct 31 What was that? Seriously, i pay to watch an entertaining game of football, that was not anywhere near entertaining from either side. Town's get up and go has got up and gone. :/
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carsey added 18:29 - Oct 31 EssexTractor you have summed it up for me A drab clueless match with the players doing their best which in truth is not very good and certainly not pretty to watch. Not looking forward to Tuesday night and another poor display. If we can't beat bottom side Bolton by a comfortable margin that will show us for what we really are. Sad times indeed to be a town supporter.
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MicksZzzTactics added 18:31 - Oct 31 Yet another outright deplorable and anything-but-pretty game of football by a Dinosaur Mick's ITFC team. Yawn Yawn.... watching paint dry practically offers much more excitement and entertainment!!! :-) Being In no way unthankful about what MM undebatably has (as in past tense!) 'accomplished' here, but nevertheless him and his sidekick are simply 'done' here and urgently needs to move on!, and I'm very happy of never ever being a Zzzilly member of the die-hard, rosytinted and tunnel visioned "In Mick We Trust" Brigade, even when The End justified The Means in year 1 or when the results suddenly went much more our way like last season... cause the ONLY 2 things I "trust" about MM+TC led teams these days are: 1) The football played, presumably pretty much regardless of player material (due to Dinosaur Mick's unwavering preferences of defensive-capable hard-working but UNcreative and/or UNskillful darlings!), will predominantly and thus very often simply wind up being an from-the-sidelines especially by TC encouraged BEYOND DIRE version of "Hoofball" ... or if that should fail :-) ... then highly likely just some other form of unequivocal 'Negative Football'! 2) Ultra stubborn and visibly tactical inept Dinosaur Mick will EAGERLY continue to Do The Same Things Over and Over Again... Expecting Different Results!!! lol

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Wonky added 18:33 - Oct 31 Boring atm. Neither the grafters of last season or the footballers we'd like to see.
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Cloddyseedbed added 18:38 - Oct 31 Defence kept a clean sheet so they did their job of defending, but! There is more to defending than just stopping the opposition. You have to pass the ball out of defence to start to create something, hopefully through midfield. Every time it was hoofed long we lost possession. When we did try to play the passing game we soon ran out of idea's and lost possession too. It's certainly not helping having no width either. Why sign wingers and tell them to push inside? Both Niles and Oar when he came on had to play in the middle. Put them out wide, get the ball to them, let them attack on the outside and whip crosses in, which they are supposed to be good at, that's why we signed them. That even might put a smile on Murphy's face as he is low on confidence and a shadow of the player he was last year. Is he worth a place in the starting line up? We can't keep putting players in the side that aren't just doing it, but there are loads of them now if we're being truthful. McCarthy is just not helping the cause though as selecting players out of position is killing them!! Sears is also getting messed up by playing out wide. He's our best goalscorer through the middle. None of the teams we are playing now are world beaters but they get bigged up and I really can't see where our next 3 points is coming from as players and management look shot. McCarthy is starting to look and talk like poor old Paul Jewell did towards the end of his time at Ipswich. Workmanlike players will only get you so far. The long ball game of football belongs in the ages, football has moved on, unfortunately ITFC have not. Crowds are going down, we don't like watching football played that way, please listen to us.

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