There was more frustration for Town fans against Everton at Portman Road as the Blues dropped two more home points. In truth it could have been even worse with Kevin Campbell missing a number of chances and despite the usual large amounts of possession Town failed to create too much clearcut themselves.

Town left out Finidi George with Jermaine Wright preferred at right midfield. Martijn Reuser returned on the left. Elsewhere is was the side which lost 2-1 to Leeds two weeks ago.

The game started slowly with neither side having too many opportunities. In the seventh minute Alun Armstrong almost got on the end of a volleyed Martijn Reuser cross. Three minutes later a Jermaine Wright cross nearly found Stewart and Holland as they ran in.

For Everton Steve Watson headed their first chance wide of the post in the 17th minute when he was left unmarked in the box.

A minute later Matt Holland headed the ball down from a Reuser cross. Crosses were going in but all too often they were cut out at the front post or by Abel Xavier who gave the Town strikers a difficult time.

Matteo Sereni was voted player of the month for September by TWTD readers and again he was on top form. In the 19th minute Town were caught in exactly the same way as they were twice against Leeds. Through ran Kevin Campbell with only Sereni to beat, but the keeper was equal to him and saved.

Everton's keeper Gerrard was out of his goal shortly afterwards to clear the ball as Martijn Reuser ran in on him. A Marcus Stewart ball had played the Dutchman in and Gerrard, who was good all afternoon, did well to get off his line so quickly.

Sereni showed his class again when he tipped a deflected shot around his right post from Alexandersson.

More crosses came in from Town but again not of sufficient quality. Virtually all corners were snaffled up by Gerrard.

On 31 Venus dispossessed Campbell inside the area but Everton still got a shot in as the ball wasn't cleared. Again Sereni saved the Blues, as he did so often on another shaky afternoon for the defence.

Jim Magilton looked to have broken through on 32 when he exchanged passes with Marcus Stewart. Referee Clive Wilkes, however had spotted a foul and gave Everton a freekick.

Alun Armstrong was fouled badly and late by Abel Xavier on 36 but referee Wilkes, by now frustrating the home fans as much as their team, failed to show a yellow card.

With four minutes of the half left Stewart had a shot saved by Gerrard and the ball ran out to the right. Armstrong tried to find the net with the follow-up but sent the ball across the face of goal with no-one there to poke it in.

Reuser his a shot from 25-yards which was deflected wide before Holland was kicked in the head by Xavier as the Everton defender cleared a corner. The Town skipper, attempting to start another long run in the side, was OK after attention.

The last chance of the half fell to Everton as the ball went flying across the six-yard box with Campbell and Ferguson flailing at it.

The whistle was greeted by boos in some quarters while Marcus Stewart implored the crowd to get more behind the side.

Half-time saw Fabian Wilnis replace Chris Makin. The idea presumably being to use the Dutchman's greater attacking ability. He was to be one of Town's better players in another frustrating half.

The second minute of the half saw Jermaine Wright cross into the hands of Gerrard before Jim Magilton hit a powerful shot just wide.

Abel Xavier finally found his way into referee Wilkes' book after one foul on Armstrong too many.

Holland hit a shot from close-in but Gerrard saved. Reuser had carefully played the ball into him from inside the penalty area on the left.

Wilnis hit a good cross in the 53rd minute which was almost met by Stewart. Xavier was living dangerously and fouled Stewart in the centre circle.

Hermann Hreidarsson made a good run down the left on 54 but as so often the cross at the end of it was poor. Hreidarsson has yet to match the form of last season and might benefit from a run at centre-half as might the team. Once again the centre of defence looked less than solid.

Reuser fell in the box on soon after and there was a penalty appeal but it was nothing according to the referee. On 55 Reuser headed a deflected Wilnis cross on to the top of the net.

Armstrong came as close to scoring as Town did all afternoon when he was played in over the top. He failed to take the ball down and it was won by Xavier. Armstrong won it back and shot immediately, but pulled the ball just wide of the post. The ex-Boro man had a header on goal which made Gerrard stretch a minute or so later.

On 61 Campbell again got beyond the Town defence but once more Sereni was equal to him. McGreal had tried to shield the ball back to his keeper but had allowed Campbell to get in front of him. Sereni rushed out bravely and was injured in forcing Campbell to put the ball the wrong side of the post. He was OK to carry on after treatment. McGreal had another tricky game as he did on Tuesday at Crewe. As Hulse did on Tuesday, Campbell gave him a difficult afternoon.

Two minutes later and Campbell got another go at a one-on-one with Sereni and again the keeper was the winner. Sereni continues to be Town's star of the season so far. Another save, this time with his feet, from Tomasz Radzinski followed.

Wilnis put in another cross which Stewart almost got to on 68 while David Unsworth hit a freekick well over and wide at the other end.

Pistone was booked for a foul on Reuser on 71 but the freekick from the Dutchman went wide.

Jermaine Wright should have done better on 74 when the ball fell to him in the box. His shot was weak and straight at Gerrard after Armstrong had forced an error from a defender. A minute later Finidi George joined the fray in place of Wright.

On 77 Armstrong had a shot put wide for a corner by Gerrard. Finidi had made a good run before finding Stewart who flicked the ball to Armstrong.

Reuser had a shot from close-in defelcted wide on 78 and two minutes later a Finidi header hit a defender and there were Town appeals for a penalty.

Town were getting increasingly desperate and Reuser went close with a shot from 30 yards. Campbell continued his afernoon of misses when he diverted a cross from the left just wide of the post from about one-yard out. Again the Town defence were looking for excuses as another opportunity was handed to the away side.

Finidi George almost got in on goal on 85 but a defender's foot just got there to play the ball out for a corner.

On 89 Armstrong hit a shot into Gerrard's arms, but the keeper took the ball out for a corner which once more came to nothing.

Four minutes of injury time were awarded, mainly for Sereni's injury, but Town couldn't find a way through. By the end Everton were defending in depth and despite another penalty appeal from Reuser and a Holland header they gained a well-won point.

More home points lost then and again a below par performance. Town seemed to start well in both halves, but increasing desperation and frustration saw too many long punts and once more many passes going astray.

At the back there are still severe worries despite the first cleansheet of the season. Up to sixteenth but the worries over a possible hard season and a relegation battle are growing.

Sereni, Makin (Wilnis 46), Hreidarsson, McGreal, Venus, Holland, Magilton, Wright (George 76), Reuser, Stewart, Armstrong.

Att 22,820.

Photo: Action Images

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