Jon Macken scored his first Town goal from open play and Gary Roberts a penalty as Town drew 2-2 at Cardiff. The Bluebirds went ahead through Darren Purse in the third minute and, after Macken's equaliser, the Welsh side's skipper converted a dubious spotkick, before Roberts completed the scoring.
Macken and Danny Haynes formed the Town strike force with former Bluebird Alan Lee suspended having reached five bookings, while Billy Clarke dropped to the bench. Dan Harding returned at left-back with Gary Roberts and Gavin Williams joining Sylvain Legwinski and Owen Garvan in midfield. Alex Bruce continued at right-back with Richard Naylor at centre-half.
Harding received lengthy treatment on the touchline within the first 10 seconds after tackling Purse.
The first attack of the game resulted in the first goal when Town were caught cold by a short corner on the left. The ball was whipped in to Purse, who flicked the ball in at the near post unchallenged. Another away game, another goal conceded from a set-piece, although for once it had come well before the final moments.
Town's first sight of goal didn't come until the 16th minute but the long ball forward wouldn't come down for Haynes and keeper Neil Alexander claimed.
But the Blues, giving their white away kit a rare outing, were starting to impose their passing on the game. On 18 Macken's shot from Roberts's cross was blocked and Legwinski's follow-up through a crowd of players failed to test Alexander.
Haynes sent a header just wide from a Roberts freekick on the right, then the derby hero turned provider. crossing from the right but Macken and Williams getting in one another's way and wasting a good chance. Macken eventually managed a strike but his effort was deflected wide, although referee Andy Hall awarded a goalkick.
Town continued to dominate possession and Harding forced Alexander into a save with a cross-shot just after the half hour mark. At the other end, Michael Chopra looped a loose ball over the bar.
Macken shot wide from the edge of the box, before a sharp break sawLegwinski feed Roberts but a defender came across to dispossess the loanee before he could get in his shot. From the resultant corner Jason De Vos headed wide. In injury time Owen Garvan went only just wide from 25 yards.
Despite being behind at the break, the Blues had been the better side and had created one or two decent chances, particularly towards the end of the half.
Town finally got the goal their possession deserved three minutes into the second half. A corner was headed off the line, the ball falling to Garvan, whose shot was blocked but only as far as Macken, who scored the second goal of his loan spell and his first in open play.
The goal seemed to give Macken a huge boost and the Palace frontman was central to Town's push for a second goal. Roberts forced Purse to head out for a corner from under his crossbar, then Harding's 25 yarder was stopped by Alexander.
Jason De Vos wasted what looked to be a good chance when he headed well wide when unmarked from a Roberts corner.
The Blues looked by far the mostly likely side to score until referee Hall awarded a bizarre penalty. De Vos appeared to inadvertently catch Steven Thompson with
A hand as the pair challenged for a bouncing ball, Mr Hall initially awarding a freekick. It had looked an innocuous clash and a harsh freekick, but things got worse for Town when the linesman signalled the incident had taken place in the penalty area and the referee gave a one of the softest penalties you're ever likely to see.
Town were lucky not to add to their yellow cards total as players surrounded first the referee and then the linesman, sub Simon Walton acting as peacemaker on the touchline. Eventually, around three minutes after the offence had taken place, Purse stepped up to net his second goal of the game.
Given the controversial nature of the Cardiff spotkick, a similar award at the other end seemed almost inevitable. It duly came after a lengthy scramble in the Bluebirds' penalty area from a corner. The ball eventually fell to Roberts on the right of the area where he was sent to ground as he took the ball past Gary Gunter. It certainly looked more of a penalty than the incident at the other end, despite Cardiff protests.
Roberts himself took the responsibility from the spot and sent Alexander the wrong way as he hit a low kick to the keeper's left.
Garvan tried to wend his way through the home defence but was eventually stopped in his tracks, before Billy Clarke replaced Danny Haynes. On 83 Gavin Williams picked up the game's first yellow card for a foul.
Neither side had created much more in the way of chances as the game moved into injury time, always a nervous period for Town supporters. Hearts were in mouths as Bruce blocked from Chris Gunter inside the area.
Matt Richards replaced Gary Roberts in injury time, prior to Billy Clarke shooting over from a tight angle on the left. Price saved from Luigi Glombard, before Macken almost created a chance for Richards but the ball ran away from the midfielder, the final whistle going only moments later.
A much better away performance from the Blues who probably should have claimed all three points. The extremely harsh penalty came very much against the run of play with Town looking the only side in it at that stage.
Jon Macken put in his best performance in a Town shirt and looked to grow in confidence after his goal. In midfield, Owen Garvan looks more his old self with every game, while Gavin Williams will also have benefited from getting 90 minutes more under his belt.
Town: Price, Bruce, Harding, Naylor, De Vos, Legwinski, Garvan, Roberts (Richards 90), Williams, Macken, Haynes (Clarke 7). Unused: Supple, Peters, Walton. Att: 16,015.