Town’s relegation to the third tier for first time in 62 years was confirmed after a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City at Portman Road. The visitors took the lead in the seventh minute via Lukas Jutkiewicz before Gwion Edwards netted the equaliser a minute after the restart. The Blues had the better of a second half in which Alan Judge hit the post but were unable to find the winner which would have put off a relegation which has seemed inevitable for some months for a further week.
Boss Paul Lambert made four changes to his team with Josh Emmanuel returning for James Bree, who was among the subs, at right-back with James Collins at the centre of the defence alongside skipper Luke Chambers and Toto Nsiala among the subs.
In midfield, Flynn Downes and Trevoh Chalobah dropped to the bench with Cole Skuse back in his usual deeper role, while Gwion Edwards returned from a groin injury to take up his position on the right of the front three with Andre Dozzell returning to the central trio.
Birmingham made two changes from the team which drew 1-1 with Sheffield United in midweek with Kerim Mrabti and Jota taking over from Jacques Maghoma and Connor Mahoney.
The game couldn’t have got off to a worse start for the Blues with the visitors taking the lead in the seventh minute via the first serious attack of the game.
Maxime Colin brought the ball in from the right and cut across to Lukas Jutkiewicz, who slammed his third goal against the Blues this season into the roof of the net from a matter of feet. The former Burnley man, who scored both his side’s goals in the 2-2 draw between the teams at St Andrew’s earlier in the season, won’t score an easier goal this season.
The Midlanders threatened again three minutes later, Che Adams hitting a low shot through to Bartosz Bialkowski in the Town goal.
The visitors kept up the pressure and on 11 Adams hit a cross-shot from the right of the box which the sliding Jutkiewicz was just unable to reach.
Town had still to get going and on 15 Mrabti smashed a shot against Chambers following another dangerous Birmingham move down the right.
A minute later, the Blues struck their first shot of the afternoon, Myles Kenlock bringing the ball in from the left before hitting a right-footed shot over the bar.
But it was still mainly Birmingham and in the 22nd minute a loose ball ran to Jota on the edge of the box from where he struck a powerful shot which Bialkowski did well to save across to his right.
The visitors continued to dominate and went close again just before the half hour when Adams cut back to Jota from the left but the former Brentford man shot against Jutkiewicz. In the 31st minute Edwards was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul.
On 37 Jutkiewicz hit a freekick well into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand, which was more than making itself heard despite the lack of anything to cheer on the pitch.
A minute later, Judge forced Lee Camp into his first save of the afternoon, the veteran keeper tipping over the Blues midfielder’s freekick from 30 yards out.
Collins was cautioned for a foul on Adams on 42, then Skuse picked up Town’s third yellow card of the half for a late challenge on Adams three minutes later, Gary Gardner curling the resultant freekick high and wide.
In injury time Chambers joined Skuse in the book for a foul on Adams as he broke towards the area. The Birmingham number nine took the freekick himself and shot low through to Bialkowski.
That was the last action of a half in which the Blues never got going following the early visitors’ goal. It was certainly Town’s poorest home 45 minutes for a while.
Birmingham had been well in control through and had had more than enough opportunities to increase their lead with Town’s only efforts Kenlock’s shot over the bar and Judge’s late freekick.
The Blues will have to be very much better in the second half if their 17-year stay in the Championship isn’t to end with a whimper.
Town swapped Dozzell, who had had a quiet first period, for striker Kayden Jackson ahead of the second half, and a minute after the restart they levelled.
Following a throw on the left, sub Jackson sent over a sublime cross to the far post where Edwards evaded his dithering full-back to smash into the net.
The Blues suddenly looked a completely different team and within a minute almost went in front.
Emmanuel crossed from the right and the stretching Judge hit a volley back across Camp but off the post. Harlee Dean somehow scrambled it away from Bishop and behind before the midfielder could stab the rebound over the line.
Town kept up the pressure and Jackson wasn’t too far away with a shot which flew just past Camp’s left post.
The visitors, somewhat shell-shocked by the Blues’ second half transformation, eventually regained something of a foothold and conjured Adams a chance with a well-worked move which the striker hit straight at Bialkowski from the edge of the box.
Birmingham threatened again on 57 via Mrabti, who shot wide on the turn, with the game increasingly end to end and open. Four minutes later, Collins was replaced by Nsiala, presumably due to a knock or niggle.
Town had what looked a decent shout for a penalty in the 66th minute when Collin Quaner appeared to be haul back as he sought to get on to Edwards’s cross from the right but referee Jeremy Simpson - an official not usually shy when it comes to awarding penalties - waved away the protests.
Jutkiewicz headed over for Birmingham in the 78th minute, then two minutes later Kristian Pedersen was booked for a foul on Edwards on the right touchline. A minute later Nsiala joined him in the book for a challenge on Jutkiewicz.
As the game entered its final five minutes the Blues again began to put the visitors under pressure.
On 86 Judge again wasn’t far away from his first Town goal after Jackson had laid back Edwards’s cross from the right. However, Camp made an impressive save to his right.
"Seconds later, Kenlock cut in from the left and struck a shot which deflected wide off a Birmingham defender.
The Blues kept up the push to keep their Championship status alive for another week during injury times, Edwards hitting a powerful shot having been found in space which struck a defender.
The Sir Bobby Robson Stand was still singing loudly and defiantly as the final whistle and confirmation of the Blues’ drop into League One came, ending 17 years in the Championship.
And they continued to sing, if anything more loudly, as manager Lambert brought his players over to the penalty area to pay tribute to the club’s support after the most disappointing of seasons.
Having been poor in the first half, the Blues were much better after the break and would have deserved the three points had they been able to take a chance with Judge unlucky not to claim his first Town goal when he hit the post.
In the end the Blues had to be content with their 12th 1-1 league draw of the season, not enough to extend what was effectively a battle lost long ago into an additional week.
Town next travel to Preston on Good Friday for the first of four now-meaningless games from their perspective, ahead of their first season at third tier level since their 1956/57 Third Division South championship campaign under Sir Alf Ramsey.
Town: Bialkowski, Emmanuel, Chambers (c), Collins (Nsiala 61), Kenlock, Skuse, Dozzell (Jackson 46), Bishop, Judge, Edwards, Quaner. Unused: Gerken, Chalobah, Downes, Bree, El Mizouni.
Birmingham: Camp, Colin, Dean, Morrison, Pedersen, Jota (Mahoney 70), G Gardner, Davis, Mrabti (Maghoma 90), Adams, Jutkiewicz. Unused: Trueman, Harding, Roberts, C Gardner, Vassell Referee: Jeremy Simpson (Lancashire). Att: 17,248 (Birmingham: 1,582).