Grant Leadbitter netted two goals in four second half minutes as the Blues came from behind to draw 2-2 at Hull City. The former skipper converted a penalty and then hammered home from the edge of the box after Robbie Brady and Robert Koren had looked to have won the game for the home side.
Town manager Paul Jewell made a surprise change to his side with midfielder Lee Martin dropping out in favour of Jason Scotland with the rest of the 16 remaining the same as at Southampton in midweek.
The switch saw the Blues move to a 4-4-2 formation with Scotland joining Michael Chopra up front. Former Town loanee Liam Rosenior started for the Tigers.
On a typically scruffy KC Stadium surface, Chopra scraped the game’s first shot well wide in the second minute, then on five Jay Emmanuel-Thomas played Scotland in on goal but with the Trinidadian having strayed offside.
For Hull, Corry Evans shot straight at Alex McCarthy, then Cameron Stewart hit an effort over the bar with both sides having their moments in a bright opening spell.
Evans hit a more promising effort to McCarthy’s right from the edge of the box in the 12th minute but the on-loan Reading keeper was equal to it.
On 18, the home side went in front. Town were unable to clear properly after Robert Koren had cut the ball back across goal from the right, Cameron Stewart returning it from the left. It eventually reached Robbie Brady, who hit a shot from inside the area which deflected off Tommy Smith and past the wrong-footed McCarthy.
Town looked to get straight back on terms with Chopra seeing a shot blocked, then moments later Leadbitter went wide. Emmanuel-Thomas sent a strike over, then on 22 struck a low effort which Hull keeper Vito Mannone held on to at the second attempt down to his left.
After this short spell, Hull put the pressure on but without testing McCarthy too often. On the half hour, Delaney picked up the game’s first yellow card for pulling back Evans as the home side broke.
Brady shot wide from 25 yards on 34 with the Tigers continuing to have much the better of it. At the other end, Murphy sent a low ball across the Hull area but too far in front of Scotland and Chopra.
The home side felt they ought to have been awarded a penalty in the 36th minute when Matty Fryatt went to ground under the attention of Blues skipper Carlos Edwards with both players appearing to have a firm grip of the other’s shirt.
McCarthy saved low to his right from Koren in the final minute of normal time, then in injury time Aaron Cresswell shot over from 25 yards as Town broke.
The half-time scoreline was a fair reflection of the game. Hull had been the better side but without seriously threatening McCarthy’s too often.
It had been a flat and uninspiring 45 minutes from the Blues who had been on the back foot for much of the half. They had had some spells of possession but had given the ball away cheaply too often before getting into the danger area. The change of system didn’t appear to have been a success.
There were no changes for Town at the break but striker Aaron Mclean took over from midfielder Brady for the Tigers.
The Blues started brightly with Cresswell sending in a cross from the left which flew just beyond Chopra and Emmanuel-Thomas.
Town went closer moments later when Cresswell returned Drury’s half-cleared corner into the area and Tommy Smith won the aerial battle with keeper Mannone. The loose ball fell to Scotland, but his goal-bound shot was blocked by Andy Dawson.
The Blues went similarly near to scoring from the resultant flagkick. Again Cresswell returned the ball into the box, Delaney this time flicking on to Chopra, whose shot seemed destined to ripple the net until James Chester got in the way.
McKenna was booked for a foul on Chopra with the Blues having enjoyed a lively start to the half, certainly more so than before the break.
However, nine minutes into the new half, the home side increased their lead. After a long ball had been played forward, Koren, who scored the only goal in last season’s corresponding fixture, held off Smith and hit a low shot to McCarthy’s left and into the net.
The goal was harsh on Town given the way they had started the second period, but it was difficult to deny that Hull had been on top for the most part.
Martin made his expected entry just after the hour mark along with Lee Bowyer, Andy Drury and Daryl Murphy making way in what was a straight swap.
Chopra saw a spectacular overhead kick blocked by Chester but Town chances had been rare since Hull’s second goal.
The Blues were handed a lifeline in the 66th minute when Mclean caught Smith with an attempted overhead kick in the area, referee Roger East pointing straight to the spot. Leadbitter slammed the penalty to Mannone’s right and into the corner of the net for his second goal of the season.
Koren headed a left-wing cross to McCarthy in the 70th minute, moments before the Blues got back on terms. Martin took the ball down the left before being dispossessed, probably illegally. The ball, however, ran to Scotland, who took it inside and laid it to Leadbitter, who hammered an unstoppable shot past a static Mannone for his second goal in four minutes.
Dawson was booked for an attempted rugby tackle on a breaking Edwards, perhaps appropriately given the KC Stadium surface, before Emmanuel-Thomas lashed over with the Blues now looking the bigger threat. Hull though were having chances of their own with Delaney making an important block from Mclean in the 77th minute.
Ryan Stevenson replaced two-goal man Leadbitter for the final nine minutes, the former skipper having done much to improve his stock amongst the Town support with a determined display and particularly his second superb strike.
As the game entered its final 10 minutes Town were looking the likelier winners. An Emmanuel-Thomas break ended with a delicate pass in to Chopra but a defender’s toe intervened. Scotland screwed a shot wide, then Bowyer hit an overhead effort over after another loping Emmanuel-Thomas run but having strayed offside.
The home side started to threaten more as the match moved into injury time, Koren scraping a low shot narrowly wide of McCarthy’s right post. At the other end, Stevenson scuffed a strike further wide.
With seconds remaining before referee East’s whistle, Fryatt looked like he was in on goal inside the area but Edwards hooked the ball out of play.
A second hard-fought draw in a week for Town and their first back-to-back league draws for 82 games. On the balance of the first half, Town deserved nothing, but perhaps on balance of the game as a whole a point wasn’t an unfair reflection.
It’s fair to say the penalty changed the game with the Tigers looking likely to cruise to victory at that stage. Leadbitter’s second goal coming so soon afterwards handed the Blues the impetus and in the end they might have won it.
Manager Paul Jewell will be delighted with another away point and Town taking their run to one defeat in eight matches.
Hull City: Mannone, Rosenior, Chester, Hobbs, Dawson, McKenna, Evans, Brady (Mclean 46), Koren, Stewart (King 82, Fryatt. Unused: Gulacsi, Dudgeon, Cullen.
Ipswich: McCarthy, Cresswell, Delaney, Smith, Edwards, Leadbitter (Stevenson 82), Drury (Bowyer 61), Emmanuel-Thomas, Murphy (Martin 61), Chopra, Scotland. Unused: Lee-Barrett, Sonko. Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire). Att: 17, 625.