Town rued missing several good chances as Hull City fought back to draw 1-1 at Portman Road. Darren Currie had put the Blues in front with a fortuitous freekick as Town enjoyed much the better of the game, but Leon Cort headed Hull back on terms with his side's only serious effort on goal.

Skipper Jim Magilton kept his place in the Town midfield which also included Ian Westlake, back after a dead leg. Alan Lee was once again the lone striker with Darren Currie starting out in the role behind the main frontman. Danny Haynes was OK after missing training with injury and illness, while Jay McEveley was withdrawn from the squad yesterday in order to play in last night's reserve win against West Ham.

Hull's Stuart Green had the first shot of the game in the second minute, but screwed his effort well wide of Shane Supple's goal.

The Blues came closer to scoring with their first chance after Hull keeper Boaz Myhill had miscleared on the edge of his area. Alan Lee took the ball on but his shot was blocked, Myhill getting back to his goal to save Matt Richards's subsequent effort.

Leon Cort headed wide, then Myhill, who was having a nightmare start to the half, dropped a low Matt Richards cross. Owen Garvan got to the loose ball first but his strike was blocked, the keeper again getting back to stop the rebound, this time from Lee.

Town were well on top and passing the ball around with great fluency. A fine move down the left ended with Scott Barron crossing low to the near post where a defender got in the way of Darren Currie's flick. Soon after, Alan Lee hit a weak shot to Myhill from the edge of the box.

The Blues went ahead in the 23rd minute after Ian Westlake had been fouled on the left by Stuart Green. Darren Currie curled the freekick into the box, the ball avoiding everyone and nestling in the corner of the net for the midfielder's fourth goal of the season. The ex-Brighton man celebrated with some sort of pointing-at-his-nose dance, presumably related to injury which saw him wearing a bandage for much of the week.

Hull immediately went looking for an equaliser, Green shooting wide after a swift break. On 25 Keith Andrews volleyed wide from a corner cleared to the 18-yard line. A minute later, Jon Parkin shot into the sidenet from a tight angle close in on the left.

Myhill saved a Lee header from a Sito cross, before Westlake played Richards in, the Town midfielder taking the ball past the keeper but too wide to have a strike himself. Lee ran onto Richards's lay-off but shot well over the bar with the goal gaping.

Ian Westlake limped off in the 39th minute, Dean McDonald taking over on the left of midfield. By now Jim Magilton had taken up the role between the striker and midfield with Currie on the right wing.

The Blues had a lucky escape in the 39th minute when Jon Parkin put the ball over the bar from point blank range when helping on a Damien Delaney header. Referee Ray Olivier was clearly disbelieving that Parkin had missed and awarded a corner. From Andy Dawson's deep ball into the box, former Town trialist Rui Marques headed back across the area and wide.

Despite the fortunate nature of the goal, the Blues deserved their lead at the break, having played much the better football with Owen Garvan, Matt Richards and Jim Magilton at the heart of everything. Garvan in particular had been on the end of a number of overzealous challenges but referee Olivier seemed reluctant to use his cards.

Dean McDonald joined Alan Lee in the attack for the second half with Darren Currie switching to the left wing. The midfielder was close to his second freekick goal of the game in the 48th minute after being fouled just outside the area to the left. Currie whipped the ball over the wall but off the top of the crossbar.

Town were passing the visitors to bits during the opening minutes of the half but weren't turning that dominance into opportunities. A quick Hull break, which led to Billy Paynter shooting feebly to Supple, served as a warning for what was to come.

Andy Dawson headed a Currie cross out of play just ahead of Lee, then, after the corner was cleared and then played wide to Magilton, Wilnis headed over from inside the six-yard box.

The Tigers got back on terms in the 56th minute from a short corner. Stuart Green sent in a cross and Leon Cort rose unchallenged to head the ball beyond Supple. On the hour, Currie curled another freekick round the wall but wide.

Dean McDonald should have put the Blues back in front in the 63rd minute from a superb cross from the right by Alan Lee. The ball reached McDonald on the edge of the six-yard box but the former Arsenal trainee hit the ball straight at Myhill when it appeared easier to score. Not long after, referee Olivier finally found his cards, cautioning Delaney for a foul on Scott Barron.

Kevin Ellison shot over from the left of the Town area, before Myhill missed a Magilton cross from the right, but Currie's ball back across the box went behind.

McDonald was close to atoning for his earlier miss in the 71st minute, diverting Currie's cross from the left off the post. Magilton's rebound was blocked on the line by Marques.

The Northern Irishman struck a 20-yarder straight at Myhill before being replaced with Danny Haynes, the youngster taking up a right midfield role.

Barron prevented Paynter from getting to a low cross from the left and went down requiring treatment for cramp. The left-back went off soon after, Chris Casement coming on at right-back for his Portman Road debut, with Sito switching to the left.

Myhill saved Lee's shot from a tight angle down at his near post, prior to Wilnis heading Currie's corner wide.

Lee spurned a chance almost as gilt-edged as McDonald's in the 85th minute, heading Currie's cross from the left wide when under little pressure six yards out.

Sito wasn't far from winning it with a swirling, curling 25-yard strike which only just went wide of Myhill's left post.

With Jason De Vos by now joining the attack as Town sought to rejoin the play-off race (results elsewhere were favourable), Myhill saved from McDonald.

In injury time, Lee had another shot blocked, then Myhill used his toe to superbly stop a goalbound Garvan shot from the 18-yard line, the Irishman collapsing to the ground in disbelief.

The Blues did more than enough to win the game and really should have put away more than just one of their shots on goal (if Currie's freekick could be described as a shot). McDonald and Lee both missed excellent chances, while the shots count read 16 on target and nine off, totals which would have taken Town three or four games to amass earlier in the season.

Again a defensive lapse from a set-piece allowed the opposition to pull a goal back, Cort's header coming at a time when the Blues were very much on top. But the tendency to overplay, and at times showboat, saw Town fail to turn their possession into goals.

Garvan was once again Town's best performer, while Currie sent in innumerable dangerous balls and Richards covered acres of ground.

Town: Supple. Sito, Barron (Casement 79), Wilnis, De Vos, Magilton (Haynes 75), Garvan, Richards, Westlake (McDonald 39), Currie, Lee. Unused: Price, Skard. Att: 23,968.

Photo: Action Images

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