Disappointing Town drew their third league game in a row as Crystal Palace left Portman Road with a 1-1 draw. The Blues took the lead through Jon Stead in the first half, but a Richard Wright error handed Victor Moses an equaliser soon afterwards.

Town made three changes from the side which faced Sheffield Wednesday a week ago, after naming a much-changed line-up against Wigan in the Carling Cup in midweek. Back into the ‘Championship team' came Alex Bruce for the injured Moritz Volz, Tommy Miller for Owen Garvan and Kevin Lisbie for Alan Quinn, as Jon Walters started on the left of midfield.

The Eagles were without the injured Alan Lee and James Scowcroft, although Shefki Kuqi was a surprise inclusion on the bench.

The game started scrappily with a minor goalmouth scramble in the Palace penalty area. Notoriously card-happy referee Darren Deadman predictably got his book out early on, cautioning Alex Bruce for a foul when he looked to have won the ball, then adding Ben Watson to his list for a late challenge on Veliche Shumulikoski within the first eight minutes.

Tommy Miller hit the game's first serious shot after Kevin Lisbie had teed him up on the edge of the area, Palace keeper Julian Speroni doing well to get across to his left to push the ball around the post. From the corner, Gareth McAuley headed across the face of goal and wide.

For Palace, Nick Carle struck a weak shot across Richard Wright in the 20th minute which the Blues keeper saved. Soon after, a Shumulikoski tackle inadvertently saw the ball into the path of Craig Beattie, but Wright was out quickly to smother the on-loan West Brom man's shot.

On 22 the Blues went in front. Lisbie took the ball down the left, found Walters to his right, the midfielder held off a defender and sent in a low ball, which Norris dummied, towards an unmarked Stead, who scored his second goal in his second Town home game.

Richard Wright was in action again in the 24th minute when Victor Moses beat Alex Bruce to a cross to the far post, the Town keeper pulling off a fine save to push the young winger's header over the bar. But from the corner Wright failed to hold on to the ball and Moses was gifted the chance to head into the net, an opportunity he gleefully took.

Richard Naylor almost got Town back in front but Speroni pulled off a good save from his header, prior to Tommy Miller picking up a very harsh yellow card for a tackle on Moses where he had clearly won the ball several seconds before making contact with the Palace player.

Town, who had rarely looked fluent against a Palace side closing them down quickly and defending deeply, had started to look nervous after conceding the goal and on the half hour a mix-up between Naylor and Richard Wright saw the ball fall loose to Craig Beattie, who somewhat luckily blazed wildly over the bar.

Carle shot wide having won possession when Shumulikoski sold Miller short with a pass close the edge of his own area, the Blues by now having switched to 4-5-1 with Walters moving to the right and Stead to left midfield.

Paul Ifill shot over after a corner was cleared, then as the half came to a close Moses struck an effort wide from 25 yards.

There were a smattering of boos as the players went off with the Blues having again put in a below par performance at home and having once again surrendered a lead.

Town started the second half brightly and in the opening minute Walters sent in a cross from the left which caused problems inside the Palace area but Shumulikoski, Miller and Lisbie all found it impossible to get a clean strike at goal.

Carle shot wide for Palace from the left on 50, then three minutes later Richard Wright punched out a corner and Ifill shot well over from 25 yards.

On 54 Lisbie turned Miller's corner from the right on to the roof of the net, Alex Bruce having won the set piece with a strong run down the flank, a rare sign of attacking intent from Town's full-backs.

Craig Beattie was yellow-carded in the 56th minute after flinging himself to the ground inside the area under very little attention from Richard Naylor. While referee Deadman was taking his name, Owen Garvan replaced David Norris.

Just before the hour, Miller sent in a corner from the left which flicked off Garvan, then hit McAuley in the face before flying wide.

In the 61st minute Jim Magilton controversially replaced Jon Stead with Pablo Couñago. While the crowd were happy with the introduction of the Spaniard, they made it clear that they would have preferred that the former Sheffield United striker had stayed on rather than Kevin Lisbie. Chants of ‘You don't know what you're doing' rang around the North Stand.

Ben Watson, a rumoured Town target in the summer, shot wide on 64, then Shumulikoski struck a powerful 30-yard effort just wide from a cleared corner.

Former Blue Shefki Kuqi replaced Paul Ifill in the 67th minute, the Finnish international, applauded by his old supporters, making his first Palace appearance since being frozen out having made a gesture to Eagles fans after been subbed in a game last season.

Iván Campo took over from Shumulikoski on 70, prior to Jon Walters hitting a 25-yard shot which failed to seriously test Speroni.

The Palace keeper pushed Bruce's cross wide three minutes later and the Blues ought to have scored from the resultant corner. Gareth McAuley was presented with a free header at the near post but seemed to get too good a contact and the ball looped well over the bar.

Danny Butterfield just got in ahead of Couñago as the ball fell for the striker in the area, then Campo shot over after the subsequent corner was cleared to him on the edge of the box. At the other end, Kuqi hit a weak effort to Wright.

Town started to look brighter in the closing stages and Lisbie headed over after McAuley had headed the ball back across goal after a corner.

In injury time, Lisbie was presented with a chance to win the game. Garvan slipped the ball across the six-yard box but the former Colchester man failed to get a touch. A gambled dive towards the far post may well have seen him get the vital connection.

The Irish midfielder sent another ball across the area moments later but well in front of Couñago.

At the whistle there were more boos after a poor game in which Town had looked disjointed and lacking confidence and belief. The goal was one of a few examples of decent passages of play, but overall there was little quality in midfield, nothing out wide and all too often the backline were left with little option but to hit the ball long.

Richard Wright was undoubtedly at fault on the goal, but also made a number of excellent saves. However, too many of his performances this season have now fallen into the ‘made excellent saves, but one crucial error' category.

It was notable that Town again conceded from a set piece and looked vulnerable at corners all afternoon, while Gareth McAuley will feel he should have taken his chance in the second half. Kevin Lisbie will similarly be feeling he ought to have got something on Garvan's late cross.

The Blues continue to look a poor side at home when facing opposition who, unlike Reading a fortnight ago, don't come to try to play football but largely sit back and defend, something which started to be the case as last season wore on.

Poor performances at home and in front of the TV cameras inevitably put greater pressure on the manager and a victory over Barnsley on Tuesday now looks even more important if Jim Magilton is to continue to be the man in charge of the Blues in the weeks and months to come.

Town: R Wright, Bruce, D Wright, Naylor, McAuley, Shumulikoski (Campo 70), Miller, Norris (Garvan 56), Walters, Lisbie, Stead (Couñago 61). Unused: Supple, Balkestein. Att: 19,032.

Photo: Action Images

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