David McGoldrick lashed in a superb equaliser with Town’s home game against Middlesbrough standing 1-1 at the break. Albert Adomah had put the visitors in front with his first goal for his new club.
Mick McCarthy named the expected unchanged side with keeper Dean Gerken making his home debut, while centre-half Christophe Berra and midfielders Paul Anderson and Ryan Tunnicliffe made their first starts at Portman Road. Luke Chambers, at right-back, wore the captain’s armband.
Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray included ex-Town skipper Grant Leadbitter, who was to be booed by his old fans, in the centre of their midfield.
Chances were rare in a scrappy early phase with neither side gaining control. In the eighth minute Aaron Cresswell lashed a 30-yard freekick well wide.
The visitors went ahead from the game’s first significant penalty area action. David McGoldrick headed a corner from the right to the edge of the Blues area where Leadbitter sent it back in and Albert Adomah acrobatically turned it on into the net for his first Boro goal after his summer move from Bristol City.
Aside from a few corners the Blues hadn’t really threatened but as the game reached the 20-minute mark they began to get their passing going and were pushing for an equaliser.
First Cresswell’s left-wing cross was blocked just ahead of Frank Nouble, then McGoldrick played in Paul Anderson on the right of the area, Jonathan Woodgate blocking the midfielder’s strike at goal.
On 25 one-time Town target Dean Whitehead was booked for a cynical foul on McGoldrick as the Blues broke.
Town got back on terms in the 34th minute via McGoldrick’s second goal of the season, and what a strike it was. The former Forest man tricked his way past Whitehead 25 yards out before slamming a shot across keeper Jason Steele and into the net. The goal was similar to the one he scored against Leeds last month, although probably slightly bettering it.
The Blues remained on top for a spell after the goal, McGoldrick played in Nouble on the right on 38 but the linesman raised his flag for offside, moments before the Town number 10 was clattered on the edge of the box. On 41 Nouble had the ball in the net but referee James Linington adjudged that the Blues striker had committed a foul.
As the half moved into injury time Mustapha Carayol cut a cross back from the left as the visitors broke, but Tommy Smith, who scored twice in last season’s corresponding fixture, cut it out.
Just before the whistle, Anderson crossed from the right and Chambers hit a shot on the turn but too close to Steele.
The scoreline was a fair reflection of the first 45 minutes with both sides having spells on top but without overly impressing or creating too many chances.
The goals were probably better than the half deserved with McGoldrick’s strike better than his similar effort against Leeds in the last home game.
Town: Gerken, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Anderson, Skuse, Hyam, Tunnicliffe, McGoldrick, Nouble. Subs: Loach, Hewitt, Wordsworth, Edwards, Tabb, Taylor, Murphy.
Middlesbrough: Steele, Friend, Williams, Richardson, Butterfield, Leadbitter, Jutkiewicz, Whitehead, Carayol, Adomah, Woodgate. Subs: Leutwiler, Hoyte, Emnes, Halliday, Gibson, Kamara, Smallwood. Referee: James Linington (Newport IoW). Att: