Town’s home game against Middlesbrough was abandoned after 37 minutes due to a frozen pitch with the score at 0-0.
After two pitch inspections, the temperature having dropped to -13 overnight, referee Dean Whitestone had deemed the surface playable, although Boro were understood to be unhappy with the decision.
Blues boss Paul Jewell had named an unchanged side for the third game running with the bench also the same as at Coventry a week ago.
The Blues started strongly and came close to creating the first opportunity in the fourth minute when a flick from Lee Martin was just taken away from Andy Drury inside the area on the right. On eight, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas crossed from the right and Daryl Murphy headed over.
Town had another chance to go in front on the quarter-hour when Murphy nodded down to Martin, who probably should have shot first time rather than taking a touch which allowed a Middlesbrough foot to take the ball away from him. The resultant corner eventually led to Emmanuel-Thomas hitting a low shot from the edge of the box into the sidenetting.
The Blues went even closer in the 21st minute when Murphy hit the bar. A short corner between Martin and Drury was played to Cresswell, whose cross was diverted into the Irisman’s path by Ibrahima Sonko. Murphy’s 15-yard strike cannoned back to Sonko but the Town skipper was crowded out.
Boro were still to seriously threaten, aside from winning a couple of corners with keeper Jason Steele and his defence not looking overly comfortable in the conditions.
On 32 the Blues were forced into a change when Sonko came off with what appeared to be a stomach muscle injury which had required treatment a few minutes earlier. Damien Delaney took his place with Tommy Smith moving to the right and taking the armband.
In the 37th minute referee Dean Whitestone went to speak to the fourth official, Wayne Porter, who had been spoken to regularly by the Boro management while the game continued, then after several minutes’ discussion decided to abandon the game much to the annoyance of the crowd.
There had been little obvious sign that the pitch had got any worse as the game had progressed, in which case questions should be raised as to why the officials gave the go-ahead for the match to start in the first place.
As they prepared to make the long journey home, the Boro fans sang ‘we want our money back’, and in the circumstances you could see their point.
Town: Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Sonko (c) (Delaney 32), Smith, Cresswell, Drury, Hyam, Martin, Emmanuel-Thomas, Murphy, Chopra. Subs: McCarthy, Leadbitter, Bullard, Scotland.
Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Hines, Williams (c), Bennett, McMahon, Thomson, Arca, Emnes, Jutkiewicz, Main. Subs: Ripley, Ogbeche, Halliday, Williams, Smallwood. Referee Dean Whitestone (Northampton). Att: 19,735 (Boro: 730).