David McGoldrick came close to opening the scoring early on but keeper Scott Loach has made a couple of important saves with Town’s home game with Blackpool goalless at half-time.
Loach came in for his first league start since August with first-choice keeper Dean Gerken missing out having woken up with a stiff neck.
Midfielder Paul Green was handed his full debut and his first appearance for Town at Portman Road, while Luke Hyam returned to the starting line-up after his gashed leg.
Frank Nouble and Jay Tabb dropped to the bench, alongside Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, back from his hamstring injury, and academy keeper Michael Crowe.
Former Town striker Michael Chopra was on the bench for Blackpool, alongside ex-Blues loanee Ricardo Fuller.
Following a minute’s applause in tribute to Sir Tom Finney, Town top scorer David McGoldrick went close in the third minute. First he just failed to get a touch on Chambers’s cross from the right, before David Perkins blocked his shot after Stephen Hunt had cut it back from the left.
Daryl Murphy went close in the sixth minute, breaking into the area on the right and hitting a low shot which Seasiders’ keeper Matt Gilks could only palm away, fortunately for the visitors just beyond Green.
Town had started well and in the ninth minute again went close, Luke Chambers crossing from the right and McGoldrick heading just wide at the near post. The Blues number 10 will feel he should have been celebrating his 17th goal of the season.
Both sides were forced into substitutions after only 12 minutes. Hyam, who had been out with a gashed leg, was replaced by Tabb, while Andrew Halliday took over from Jack Robinson at left-back for the Tangerines.
Blackpool’s first chance fell to Kirk Broadfoot, the Scot turning a 16th minute freekick from deep into the side-netting.
Town had been unable to make their early dominance count and in the 29th minute the visitors weren’t far from going in front when Stephen Dobbie played in Faris Haroun and the Belgian midfielder forced Loach to save well down to his left. The ball ran loose but Chambers did well to get to it and stab it away ahead of Perkins.
Haroun picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Tabb soon after, then Steven Davies lashed well over from distance.
The Seasiders were by now on top with the Blues making little headway in the Blackpool half and giving the ball away too easily in their own territory.
On 40 Loach again had to save down to his left from Haroun after Smith had given the ball away on the Town left.
After a bright start in which they should have gone in front, McGoldrick’s chance having been the best opportunity, the Town performance drifted and only a couple of sharp Loach saves had prevented the visitors from being ahead after a not overly enthralling half.
Town: Loach, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Green, Hyam (Tabb 12), Skuse, Hunt, McGoldrick, Murphy. Unused: Crowe, Mings, Richardson, Anderson, Nouble, Ebanks-Blake.
Blackpool: Gilks, McMahon, Broadfoot, MacKenzie, Robinson (Halliday 12), Angel, Perkins, Haroun, Dobbie, Keogh, Davies. Unused: Cathcart, Basham, Grandin, Chopra, Goodwillie, Fuller. Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire).