Emyr Huws gave Town a 26th minute lead and Nico Yennaris equalised a minute before half-time for Brentford as the Blues and Bees drew 1-1 at Portman Road. The visitors came closest to winning it in the second half when Myles Kenlock cleared a Sergi Canos effort off the line, while Cole Skuse had the Blues’ best chance.

Top scorer Tom Lawrence returned after his two-match ban to an otherwise unchanged Town side with Freddie Sears dropping to the bench.

For Brentford, Lasse Vibe was back from injury and came into the attack for Konstantin Kerschbaumer, who was on the bench with Romaine Sawyers switching to midfield, while Canos took over from Florian Jozefzoon.

Fans were late getting into the ground after a suspected gas leak delayed the opening of the turnstiles by half and hour until 2pm, however, the match itself kicked-off on time.

The Bees started very brightly, Yennaris finding Canos with a raking pass in the opening minute but Blues skipper Luke Chambers got a cross to block.

The corner came to nothing but the visitors continued to make the early running and soon afterwards Chambers was forced to turn the ball behind as Canos sought to cut back from the byline. ""From the flag-kick Jordan Spence blocked Maxime Colin’s strike, then a subsequent Jota effort also found a Town defender in the way.

The Blues threatened for the first time in the seventh minute when Christophe Berra and Jonas Knudsen both rose high but the ball was diverted the wrong side of the post.

On 10 Lawrence was fed through on goal but Bees keeper Daniel Bentley saved and the flag had been raised in any case. Soon after, the on-loan Leicester man hit a cross-shot from the left which flew wide.

After Brentford’s early pressure Town had got more into the game and were looking the more dangerous side, although without having forced Bentley into a serious save by that stage.

In the 19th minute Lawrence cut in and hit a shot from the left which was blocked, then a defender took the loose ball away from Spence just inside the box.

But on 26 the Blues went in front and as against Norwich last week following a long spell of passing.

Eventually Huws tapped the ball wide to Lawrence on the right from where the Leicester loanee looked to cross deep into the area. However, he hit it straight at the on-loan Cardiff man, who took it down and hooked his second goal for the club past Brentford keeper Bentley, who had been caught unawares.

There was a big scare for the Blues in the 35th minute when Chambers was caught in possession on halfway by Canos and the Bees broke through Vibe. However, Berra did superbly to block the Dane’s first strike and then Sawyers’s subsequent effort from the edge of the box.

As half-time approached the visitors put the Blues under a sustained spell of pressure and in the 44th minute they levelled when Sawyers played a clever ball in behind the Town defence for Yennaris, who burst into the box and beat the advancing Bartosz Bialkowski.

The Blues had one opportunity to restore their lead in the moments before the break but Berra headed Lawrence’s freekick from the right wide.

The Bees had deserved their equaliser shortly before half-time having been in charge and probing for an opening for a number of minutes prior to Yennaris’s goal.

Having repelled the visitors’ early pressure, Town had got themselves into the game and had got on top by the time Huws got his goal, although while rarely playing particularly fluid football, before allowing Brentford to get back in charge in the spell in which they scored their goal.

The Blues created their first opportunity of the second period in the 51st minute when Lawrence and McGoldrick exchanged passes on the right before the Welshman teed up the Irish international. However, the Blues number 10’s shot was mishit and struck a defender.

Brentford went close on 54 Chambers when was caught in possession and Canos brought the ball forward down the Bees left before cutting in and hitting a shot which Berra diverted wide.

Soon after, the visitors brought on Yoann Barbet for the injured Andreas Bjelland, then Town swapped Grant Ward for Toumani Diagouraga.

Just before the hour mark Canos hit a shot from distance, which flew not too far over Bialkowski’s cross-bar.

Brentford had been comfortably the better side in the second half and in the 68th minute they were inches from going in front. Canos exchanged a one-two with Vibe and broke into the box on the left. Bialkowski took the sting out of his shot but the ball was still going to cross the line until Kenlock hooked it away ahead of Yennaris.

The Bees swapped Canos for Florian Jozefzoon, then Town withdrew Huws in favour of Kevin Bru, before the visitors switched Vibe for Justin Shaibu.

On 73 Lawrence fed McGoldrick inside the area on the right but John Egan blocked his shot from a tight angle. Four minutes later, Jota played in Jozefzoon but Chambers stuck in a foot to send the ball into Bialkowski’s arms off the Brentford sub.

With nine minutes remaining Kieffer Moore replaced an increasingly Lawrence, who never looked like hitting the heights of his performances prior to his enforced two-match break.

Town came close to winning it in the 87th minute when Skuse, Bru and sub Moore exchanged passes on the edge of the area and the Bristolian, who had been Town’s best player on the day, found himself in unfamiliar territory, in on goal inside the box. However, Bentley was able to claim his low effort at goal as he stretched.

Neither side threatened in four minutes of injury time and Town’s fourth match in succession ended 1-1. The Blues last drew four games in a row during a run which eventually reached five early in the 1992/93 season.

On the balance on the second half, which the Bees dominated, Town will have been happier a not overly exciting game ended level.

The Blues, who surrendered a lead for the fifth time in the last six games, never hit the heights of the performances against Reading and Leeds.

Town are now without a defeat in their last six games but have won only once in their last 10 in all competitions.

There were few chances at either end with both sides really having one serious chance in the second half, the Canos opportunity cleared off the line by Kenlock for the Bees and the Skuse's for Town.

The result sees Town climb one place to 15th, still nine points from the relegation zone, ahead of Tuesday’s home game against Wolves.

Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Chambers (c), Berra, Knudsen, Kenlock, Skuse, Ward (Diagouraga 57), Huws (Bru 71), Lawrence (Moore 81), McGoldrick. Unused: Gerken, T Smith, Pitman, Sears.

Brentford: Bentley, Colin, Bjelland (c) (Barbet 56), Yennaris, Egan, Woods, Sawyers, Vibe (Shaibu 72), Henry, Jota, Canos (Jozefzoon 69). Unused: Bonham, Kerschbaumer, Clarke, Cole. Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland). Att: 15,863.

Photo: TWTD

camblue added 08:40 - Mar 5 I long for the day when playing at home, we actually look like the home team.
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warktheline added 08:54 - Mar 5 @geddis78, I've said many times before I couldn't give a stuff if 'your main man' walked away with his pot of fools gold! What will be will be! In regards to playing surface, yes McCarthy has suddenly opted to 'give playing football ago' but its alien to his ideologies. Thus his training methods won't compare to someone who has a natural positive football philosophy. Therefore a slow playing surface would only aid our manager's shortcomings.Playing for draws at home isn't the way forward, please debate! We're on the way to nowhere under Evans and McCarthy, I guess there's always a positive, at least free bees and loanies will always find a home at Portman Rd!!!!

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cat added 09:12 - Mar 5 Walktheline - Im getting where your coming from, although, we will have to agree to disagree on this one!. As stated many times my issues are firmly with MM and what happens on the pitch. Yesterday performance typifys what we are going to get with him, and this is where my focus will lie.
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hogster1970 added 09:16 - Mar 5 well that was one hell of a boring game, it was a mirror image of the scum match for our performance in my book except we didnt have the derby anticipation to go with it, and as like l;ast week a good set of passing for the build up and then a goal and then nothing for the rest of the game. like others have said big dave along with ward and huw was our best center 3 in recent weeks but now scuse is back fit he wont be dropped, and when you look at the bench you couldnt remove either ward or huw and replace them for a like for like attacking player so only got worse, if dozzel had been on atleast they may have been some attacking intent there. the problem is we have 6 defenders when you include scuse as a holding midfileder so when dave come on that then made 7 which only leaves 3 players at the time to try and create a chance, well that is were we was during the game going backwards. thats my problem with dino, its not the fact when we are short of quality players we make do and mend as thats the same any were, its when he has options before a match and during and his choices are so negative, which inturns gives us a lack luster display. scuse proberly was our best midfielder to be fair yesturday but even then it was only a 6 out of 10 perfrormance from him its just the rest was so poor. we need a big shake up for wolves i feel, defo dave for scuse, and josh for jordan, as i feel these 2 are simalr in ability so why not rotate them to keep them both happy and match fit, as i feel josh has done nothing wrong at all. chambo performance for me has been his worse since going back into his favoured role,

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warktheline added 09:36 - Mar 5 @cat, Evans hired McCarthy to get us out of the mire, thus followed 2 years of relative progression. Let me ask you this: WHY didn't Evans financially back his man after play off defeat? WHY has Evans since allowed the club to steadily fall into decline? WHY hasn't Evans identified McCarthy's shortcomings in regards to playing entertaining football, thus low attendance for home games? WHY hasn't Evans realised McCarthy thought process has long since sold its sell by date? As a football club, in relation to selling itself in the public domain we are shockingly dire!

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northblue added 09:36 - Mar 5 Worst person on pitch ref. Huwes fowled just before Brentford goal. Goal kick no corner!!!! They. Push no fowl we push fowl. They have not scraped bottom of barrel they have gone under it to get ref
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cat added 10:12 - Mar 5 Walktheline - There are a few negatives associated with ME, I'm not saying otherwise, and I get that, probably the biggest one from my point of view being the appointment of our last 3 managers. In reference to your points, my answers would be based on my opinions, not the facts and it would probably be a better discussion at an AGM!. There are 2 separate issues on here, ME & MM and like I stated, I am only really interested in the latter for reasons mentioned previously. It's clearly not working though, but if we were to start playing some entertaining football, this will bring back the crowds, which in turn will increase the revenue and would hopefully make more funds available. With MM is charge this is not going to happen, ME ain't no mug and you can't achieve what he has if you were!, so hopefully he will act on this sooner rather than later, after all it's his money.

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warktheline added 10:24 - Mar 5 @cat, don't hold your breath pal! The last two years have been dire, and still we wait! Evans of course isn't a mug in business circles, but this is football, something he is undoubtedly clueless about!
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portmanteau added 10:28 - Mar 5 So there I am watching the League show followed by MOTD with my wife and she is totally bemused by my constant referral to the ex-Ipswich players on show and doing nicely thanks. Murphy Cresswell Rhodes McCauley Walters Mings Delaney et al. "ITFC; Providers of High Class Players to the Premier League"
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Westy added 11:33 - Mar 5 We settled for a draw with twenty minutes left. No ambition to win the game after that.
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dirtydingusmagee added 11:45 - Mar 5 sorry cat, not having a pop at you or your beliefs ,but I personally don't think M E will invest any significant amount on players at the end of this wasted season.He clearly has no idea about running a football club, and is unable or unwilling to back this or any other manager with funds. The Club is a sideline to him and as long as it hangs in to the Championship he will be happy.The fans have a right to expect a degree of success and entertaining football,and its a long time since we have had either. I will put my neck on the line now and say this coming summer will come and go and standard of transfer deals will be disappointing as usual.

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cat added 12:24 - Mar 5 dirtydingusmagee, no problem with your views at all fella and I welcome different opinions. My main priority for the summer is getting rid of MM. ME has now had 2 seasons to balance the books to some degree, specially with players sold at profits, so based on this I expect a decent amount of funding to be made available in the summer to whoever. If however you are right, and I sincerely hope for all our sakes your are, (respect to you for sticking your head above the parapet) then my attentions will obviously turn on ME.

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Swn98 added 12:34 - Mar 5 Cat it all depends if ME gives Mickma some money I expect he will stay if not he will be off I'm sure there's many a club and fans would be more appreciative of him than some at ITFC. If a new manager comes and gets substantial funds it would be a travesty of justice as MICKMA has taken all the crap and done a good job under the circumstances.
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cat added 12:50 - Mar 5 Swn98 I would rather ME kept his money than give it to that bungling buffoon. It suits MM not to spend any money as that's his get out of jail card. Even with money he would continue with his extremely outdated brand of one dimensional hoofball.
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heathen66 added 12:54 - Mar 5 The game probably summed up Micks reign Continued to play the same way despite it obviously not working. We have 5 defenders a GK and 2 holding midfielders but still cannot defend. I do not believe we can play 5 at the back without Taylors organisation. Why play the influential Huws in a holding where he was ineffective and then bring on Diagouraga as well. Move Huws forward where he is effective and then sub him. Whilst Skuse had a better game was at fault for their goal (ball watching as well as Berra) and then passed back to their keeper when through 1 on 1 with our best chance. At times we played with no oneup front (Didz was seen at LB in the second half. First half there were also times when we also had no one in the box to score Made 3 subs but changed nothing.

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warktheline added 17:02 - Mar 5 @heathen66, we all know McCarthy loves playing 2 holding midfield players. As I've said before, it wouldn't be long before he reverted back to type! Even with a back 5! He plays not to lose, that my friend, will never change.
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blueboy1981 added 17:12 - Mar 5 ....... Huws ineffective yesterday - why ? ..... because the so called maestro (alias Dino) has already tried to change his game, and nullify his natural flair. Haven't we seen it all before...... ?? - yes, time and time again - and far, far to often.
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blueboy1981 added 17:20 - Mar 5 ....... it's getting to the point where calling him a Dinosaur is possible far to 'modern' to fit the bill.
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Swn98 added 17:24 - Mar 5 Only time will tell Cat.
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blueboy1981 added 17:31 - Mar 5 ...... same old from Swn98 - McCarthy clone or what ....... ???
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Seasider added 17:40 - Mar 5 This display wont sell many season tickets or encourage those that have recently opted not to renew,to return.The last month may have stopped some more giving up like my mate Bob;hope so as that would be just me,when there were four of us a year ago. Its only one win in ten games now,and three defeats with the rest draws.People can say what they like;but stats don't lie.McCarthy has not had one big win in nearly four and a half years;although TC has in the only game Mick has missed through illness (4-0).The number of comfortable wins can be counted on one hand,a similar number to thrashings. With a record like this it is there for not unexpected to be mid table,although lower half! Yesterdays game showed that Murphy,who scored again yesterday, has still not been replaced.McGoldrick,I don't feel is an out and out striker,and although playing well,hasn't scored this year. Chambers had his worst game since moving back in the middle,perhaps because of the cracked ribs.In which case should he have played when Mick has a squad of two dozen at his disposal?Similarly Lawrence,and now Huws are not fit. What exasperates me is the number of times we take the lead,and never build on it.Rarely in this current Managers reign have we gone at teams enough to make them worry,instead of trying to negate their attacks as happened again yesterday. Skues had one of his best games for some time;but his lack of pace meant he couldn't quite reach the ball to score his 2nd goal in an Ipswich shirt.Spence also played well;but overall thought we were a bit lucky to even get a draw,thanks to Kenlocks goal line clearance.

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blueboy1981 added 17:41 - Mar 5 The McCarthy Clones - Swn98, Elto, Gcon, etc; you know who you are - should introduce yourselves to Michael - with any luck he may take you all on as part of his back room staff. Anywhere other than at PORTMAN ROAD - please.
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Gcon added 18:01 - Mar 5 Grow up, Blueboy. For somebody who relentlessly claims to have witnessed the good times back in the old days you behave like a little, bitter, miserable brat as soon as people don't agree with you.
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blueboy1981 added 18:10 - Mar 5 Gcon ...... you're laughable - maybe your post would be best suited to yourself ? - just a thought .. !! And yes, I have witnessed the 'good times' you mention - have you ? ..... if so, I'm extremely surprised that you are so easily satisfied, as you so obviously are. And I haven't even called you a name - I leave that to you and the likes - so grow up, and have some respect.

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Swn98 added 18:33 - Mar 5 You earn respect blueboy of start working.
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