Blues boss Paul Jewell felt it took Grant Leadbitter’s missed penalty to get his side going after a lacklustre first half in the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.

Jewell said: “I think the first half we were very flat, we couldn’t get any momentum and it almost took the penalty miss to breathe us into life.

“Then we conceded a goal, we thought it might have been offside, I don’t know whether it was or not. Then I thought we showed good character and good resilience and it was a bit end to end in the last 15 minutes.”

The Blues boss felt the penalty was saved rather than missed: “It was a good save. I wouldn’t say it was a penalty miss, I thought it was a good save by the goalie. It was a great goal from Grant, tough technique coming across his body like that.

“He’s been terrific of late and he looks like he’s got goals in him. He’s playing well and he showed character not to pass up the opportunity of taking the shot on after missing the penalty.”

He thought the busy month was to blame for the dismal first period: “Sometimes games are like that. I think we look a little bit jaded, both sides. To play eight games in a month is a punishing schedule.

“I know this game was rearranged from the game which was called off and I know people don’t want to hear about highly-paid footballers being tired, but both teams have put a lot of effort in and I think the first half was just a flat game.

“They play a system which is difficult, they didn’t play with a centre forward in the first half. They were very fluid, had the extra man in midfield and we couldn’t get to grips with that.

“Jutkiewicz came on and they had a bit more of a focal point. I thought in general it was a flat first half but an excellent second.”

Jewell believes it was another match his team might have lost a while back: “Having found ourselves behind and missed a penalty it would have been easy to feel sorry for ourselves. I thought the crowd were terrific again, willing us on after we’d gone a goal behind and missed a penalty.”

The Blues boss was pleased with the impact his subs made: “Andy Drury was bright when he came on. We’ve given him a little bit of a rest and when he came on he passed it around. I thought Jason Scotland gave us a little bit of extra impetus.

“JET didn’t have his best night tonight but he can make things happen, so there were a lot of players who didn’t have their best game tonight, for one reason or another looked a bit flat. But we got something out the game against a team who are a good team.

“I think they’ve got the best away record in the league and they are going to be right up there come the end of the season.”

Jewell says there could be changes when Barnsley are at Portman Road on Saturday: “There will be one or two tired bodies after seven games in 26 or 27 days, a game every three and a half days type of thing and it does take its toll. We’re probably going to get some rest into the players.

“One or two of the fringe players might possibly get a go on Saturday. We’ve not got the biggest squad in the world but we’ll see how they are in the morning and on Thursday, but I’d like to freshen it up a little bit.”

Boro boss Tony Mowbray had no apologies for his side’s rather negative approach: “We came to counter-attack. Ipswich have won five on the bounce and we didn’t set up to be over-expansive.

“We’ve won a lot of football games on the road by counter-attacking and being solid and trying not to give goals away and frustrating opposing fans, as teams do at the Riverside.

“It’s not a crime to do that, the team at home is the team that has to go and try and break you down and create chances.

“I thought we restricted Ipswich tonight to very few chances and if you analyse it we probably had the best opportunities.”

He says his team felt the spotkick was harsh: “I think the players thought the penalty was ridiculously soft but it seemed to be that sort of night with the official. I don’t know the count but Ipswich seemed to have about 100 fouls and we had about two, whether that was because we were being competitive I don’t know.”

Photo: Action Images

TractorBoy666 added 23:00 - Mar 27 Good to see Leadbitter's reaction after he missed to go and score a whopper! Play-offs is out of out range now i think. Fair result tonight though. COYB!
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StowTractorBoy added 23:07 - Mar 27 PJ I like you but you are your own worst enemy playing Bowyer instead of Drury. I like Bowyer but he was jaded on Saturday so no way should have played tonight. Drurys absence certainly contributed to the very low tempo of our team in the first half and we looked a different proposition when he came on. Play offs gone now so give some of the fringe players with fresh legs a go on Saturday.

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Radlett_blue added 23:07 - Mar 27 So you haven't seen the video of Leadbitter's penalty then, PJ.
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PSGBlue added 23:07 - Mar 27 Fringe players - wonder if Carson may at last get a run out and give JET a rest. If we are to keep Leadbitter in midfield, would like to see Drury replace Bowyer against Barnsley as we need some energy in midfield. Martin may even need a rest, could see us going 4-4-2 on Sat with Scotland starting along side Chopra, I believe Scotland can still start without us having to sign him up for next season.

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Tractorboy24 added 23:13 - Mar 27 After being very pro mogga for manager, I'm really starting to go off him. The ref was poor, but he gave poor fouls both ways, and I felt overall the officials favoured boro. Plus the comments about counter attacking away from home, it's not the sort of football I'd like to see town playing.
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Garv added 23:18 - Mar 27 We were poor tonight but at the same time Boro looked a good side compared to what I'd call our half decent side. I'd credit any team to keep a clean sheet against a front line of Emnes, Jutkiewicz, and Hammill, plus a midfield of Robson and Arca, all good players, especially the big man who caused Smith and Delaney all sorts of trouble. But we dug in and for want of a better word snatched a draw from a promotion chasing team. Just seen the goal and it was even better than I thought, and I'm sure much more than the 25 yards that has been reported. Tekkers at its best. Cresswell's fault for the goal I assume as he was nowhere to be seen, but otherwise I thought he was excellent. A win on Saturday and that for me will be a pretty good 2 weeks and therefore a pretty good month, and so a bloody good 2 months as it will be exactly that since the hammers got hammered! But drop Bowyer. COYB

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Keaneish added 23:20 - Mar 27 Agree PSGBlue - time to bring in Carson for sure. There's also Stevenson, Bullard, Hyam and the forgotten man Peters who should be chomping at the bit for starts so after some lethargic first or second half displays recently i'd like to see us change it up a bit against a side there's no question we should be Saturday...
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northstand78 added 23:25 - Mar 27 Why Bowyer instead of Drury ?...Murphy looked jaded tonight, Fair play to the Boro fans, the 500 that came down sang their hearts out and were good humoured, they must have thought they'd walked into a library... very embarrasing
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lscooper23 added 23:35 - Mar 27 Drury should have been in instead of Bowyer! Hope to see Carson come in as one of the changes for Saturday! Maybe give Stevenson a start also to show us what he can do!
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Garv added 23:51 - Mar 27 Boro fans were top class.
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MickMillsTash added 23:57 - Mar 27 Cannot see how he can change it too much Drury for Bowyer I think is a given Carson for Jet, Martin or Murphy maybe I guess, but Carson has not played all year so might be better used as a sub initially. Scotland is unlikely to start even though I think Chopra could do with a rest. Smith and Delaney look oK so can't see Sonko coming in Hopefully we can get 2 up early on and Carson and Stevenson can get 30 minutes to show what they can do.

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marshallmania added 00:45 - Mar 28 Fair result, penalty scored would've given different outcome i'm sure but well played to the lads. Play offs not on now but next season should carry high hopes. We will fear nobody and am sure we'll get a top ten finish this season which is pretty good considering...
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bluelady added 07:04 - Mar 28 A few months ago we would have all taken a draw against a top six side, great to see how expectations have risen. a decent point, they didn't come to play decent football simply to cancel our attack out which is disappointing, thought more of TM really, can see why they are drawing so many. let's hope we retain the belief next season, player and fan.... start with 12 results like we have had in this run and we will be right up there! Jas especially for you..... we need a GK, 2 cb and a rb!

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StochesStotasBlewe added 07:24 - Mar 28 Bluelady. Well said, bit about Jas made me chuckle.
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itfc1981 added 07:26 - Mar 28 Who wants to defend Bowyer's selection now for the third game running he has been overwhelmed in midfield! Jewell after all the verbals you go back to the Old Guard alla Bradford and Wigan.
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DiamondGezzer added 08:06 - Mar 28 Pinewood :- I smiled as well. After a drab first half, am more than pleased with the draw, it could have ended a lot worse. What a cracker of a goal, sadly for us it is allerting every club in the country to Leadbetter's abilities. Had he have been playing like this earlier, when he was offered a new deal, then I'm sure a proper deal would have been sorted out, as it is, we now have the waiting game.

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Gazelle added 08:10 - Mar 28 Trouble is Leadbitter always hits his penalties in the same place and their keeper had done his homework. Need to vary it a bit Grant.
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bluelady added 08:29 - Mar 28 Gazelle exactly what we said, not a bad penalty just predictable.
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brittaniaman added 08:41 - Mar 28 I hear you Gazelle !!!! I said to my friend if he does not hit the penalty down the middle he will fluff it !! ( Sorry to be right ???) Jewellio the midfield of Leadbitter and Bowyer does not work it is far to slow and predictable ??? One must admit when Drury came on it did speed up
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roytheboy added 09:05 - Mar 28 Personally I was frustrated by all the high balls being headed around for much of the match, they can fall to anyone and it is difficult to achieve much accuracy by playing that way, it seemed like it took the missed penalty to remind us that football is best played with feet on the grass, the last 15 minutes or so we did just that and started to look like we might win the game, it also made a big difference having Scotland on for that period, JET is a very skilful player but I don't care much for his apparent lazy approach, I do like him generally speaking, he can be a very exciting player, I acknowledge Bowyer's proven skills and qualities but I prefer to see the efforts made by Drury instead.

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Drew added 09:27 - Mar 28 We were playing decent stuff with Drury and Hyam in the centre of midfield, why would he change that? Bowyer? No thanks, and what about Carson, someone who can change games yet doesn't get a look in.
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NoCrap added 09:33 - Mar 28 Totally agree with the above two comments and the points about the referee - town where very lucky on a couple of occasions especially chops who clattered one of the other players late and two footed... somehow the ref said to play on! I was getting really frustrated by the constant cross field and long ball passes and especially the final ball into the boro area. Communication also seems to be seriously lacking. every time we went forward we looked very strong and the likely team to score but often seemed to be too slow in the pass and move game. Emnes seemed to a force when going against our defence but luckily seemed to be off the bubble when in the town area. Personally i didn't think the game was too shabby and i said on sunday that after the two teams results on the saturday the game had draw written all over it.

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Kesgraveblue57 added 09:39 - Mar 28 To many Town players again last not putting in the effort and sorry Jewell is not the right man to take this club forward.
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nitroblue1970 added 09:53 - Mar 28 I have to say I'm never too confident when Town (rarely) get a penalty. Why can Leadboots score from 20 odd yards but not from 12? Middlesborough were set up to disrupt us, they did that but they do that a lot don't they? So in my opinion Mogga outfoxed Jewell on this occasion, we looked a bit flat footed and lacking ideas around their box. JET seemed hesitant to run with the ball,(penalty aside) particularly in the second half but that may be because Boro doubled up on him at times........so that,s the play off dream shattered for this season then.....DAMN!

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itfc1981 added 09:58 - Mar 28 Hyam should be a fixture either with Leadbitter or Dury, clearly Leadbitter on present form.
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