Town’s home game with table-propping Burton Albion remains 0-0 after a drab first period.
Bersant Celina replaced Freddie Sears on the left of the trio behind lone striker Joe Garner in an otherwise unchanged Town side.
For Burton, former Blues loanee Stephen Bywater was in goal, while ex-Town striker Darren Bent was up front.
The visitors dominated possession in early stages played in heavy rain but in unthreatening areas and without creating a serious chance. On six on-loan West Ham midfielder Martin Samuelsen shot well wide from distance.
In the 12th minute Lloyd Dyer, who turned down a contract with Town after a successful trial two years ago, cut in from the left and hit a shot not too far over Bartosz Bialkowski’s cross bar.
On 25 Dyer was shown the game’s first yellow card for pulling back Ward as Town looked to break with the Blues still to get going.
The Brewers continued to see more of the ball as the game reached the half-hour mark with both keepers still untested. On 32 Hope Akpan shot over for the away team.
As half-time approached with Town still having made little impression, sections of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand began to make their criticisms of manager Mick McCarthy’s style of football clear.
Seconds before boos greeted the half-time whistle, a Celina cross from the left was nodded behind at the far post.
That reaction to a thoroughly dull first half came as little surprise with the Blues having failed to register a shot on or off target. On the rare occasions when Town had been in potentially dangerous positions a pass had always gone astray.
The bottom-of-the-table Brewers had seen most of the ball, albeit while looking similarly unthreatening.
Town need to be much better after the break if they are to claim a second win in succession following last week’s victory at Sunderland.
Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Carter-Vickers, Chambers (c), Skuse, Connolly, Ward, Waghorn, Celina, Garner. M Crowe, Iorfa, Webster, Hyam, Sears, Gleeson, Carayol.
Burton: Bywater, Brayford (c), Allen, McFadzean, Bent, Akins, Dyer, Naylor, Davenport, Samuelsen, Akpan. Subs: Campbell, McCrory, Sordell, Buxton, Barker, Sbarra, Boyce. Referee: David Webb (Lancashire).