Daryl Murphy headed home his 11th goal of the season 12 minutes from time to see the Blues to a 1-1 home draw with Nottingham Forest. Town fought back in the second half after a disappointing display before the break had seen them trailing to former loanee Danny Collins’s fourth minute goal at half-time.

Cole Skuse returned to central midfield in place of Anthony Wordsworth after a two-game absence with the former Colchester man dropping out of the 18.

Forest handed a surprise debut to 19-year-old England U19 international midfielder Ben Osborn from the start.

As against Derby on Tuesday, Town went behind early on. Daniel Fox sent over a fourth minute corner from the left and ex-Blues loan defender Collins rose highest to nod home his first goal for Forest.

The goal had come against the early run of play with the Blues having had most of the ball. After going behind, Town went looking for an equaliser, keeper Karl Darlow claiming Stephen Hunt’s cross from the left, then Paul Anderson hitting a shot across the face of goal from the other flank.

On 12 Darlow failed to reach a Hunt corner from the left, the ball falling loose to Luke Chambers, but the Blues skipper’s strike was blocked.

Town continued to have most of the ball, Jonny Williams nodding Skuse’s drifting cross in from the left over. At the other end, Collins turned a freekick to Town keeper Dean Gerken from the edge of the box.

Forest should have been two in front in the 18th minute when Jamie Paterson broke into the Town half following a Blues freekick with only Chambers to beat. The Blues captain did superbly to hold him up while he waited for Cresswell and the rest of his team-mates to get back, before stabbing the ball away from the former Walsall man.

Despite Town having a lot of the ball, the visitors were looking by far the more threatening team on the break with Paterson coming close to adding a second in the 24th minute when he cut in and hit a goal-bound shot which deflected wide. Three minutes later, former Colchester man Greg Halford was booked for a body check on Anderson.

Town almost gifted Forest a second in the 32nd minute when Cresswell’s clearance from the left hit Mackie and fell to Paterson inside the area. He laid it back to Radoslaw Majewski but his shot was blocked and Anderson eventually put the ball behind.

Anderson, who had looked uncomfortable since Halford’s earlier challenge, was switched for Sylvan Ebanks-Blake in the 35th minute.

The visitors had another good chance a minute later when Jamie Mackie was sent through on the right of the area by Paterson but Gerken came off his line quickly to save with his foot.

For the Blues, Murphy crossed from the right but just in front of Ebanks-Blake, then Hunt shot over from distance. Soon after Williams crossed on to the roof of the net.

Town were continuing to have a lot of the ball but without creating any serious chances, while Forest were presenting a much greater threat on the break.

And that was how things continued until the whistle. Having conceded the early set-piece goal the Blues huffed and puffed but rarely looked like getting back on terms and were fortunate not to find themselves further behind with Forest always a danger on the counter-attack.

Boss McCarthy switched Hunt for Frank Nouble ahead of the restart as the Blues moved to a very attacking looking 4-3-3 with Williams between the strikers and Luke Hyam and Skuse. Gonzalo Jara picked up the second half’s first yellow card for a foul on Murphy.

Only a superb Darlow save prevented the Blues from getting back on terms in the 48th minute. Cresswell whipped in a freekick from the left and Ebanks-Blake headed powerfully goalwards but the Forest keeper got down to block superbly. Moments later, Collins got in ahead of Tommy Smith from a Town corner on the right.

The Blues continued to look dangerous in the early stages of the half, the increasingly-involved Cresswell twice seeing shots blocked. Forest created little until the 59th minute when Paterson scuffed a low effort through to Gerken.

Smith headed Williams’s corner from the right over on 62, then three minutes later Skuse hit a 25-yard strike which Darlow claimed to his left.

Murphy went close to getting the Blues level in the 70th minute when Williams teed him up 25 yards out. The Irishman’s curling shot looked goal-bound until Darlow got across to his right to tip it around the post.

Two minutes later, Fox was booked for pulling back Murphy five yards outside the area, Cresswell subsequently chipping a somewhat weak freekick through to Darlow.

On 77 Murphy did well to find himself some space 25 yards out but scraped his shot wide. Town were continuing to dominate but without carving out too many clear-cut openings.

However, a minute later, they finally got on terms. Cresswell took a corner short to Nouble and the former West Ham striker chipped a cross to the far post where Murphy powerfully headed home his 11th goal of the season.

Williams received Town’s first caution of the afternoon for a foul on Fox as Town looked for a late winner for the second time in a few days.

But it was Forest who would threaten next, Paterson’s cross-shot looping just over, prior to Paul Green replacing Williams, who received a warm ovation as he came off.

The visitors swapped Majewski for Matt Derbyshire and the striker wasn’t far away from a goal within a minute of coming on, his flicked header from Fox’s corner just beating the post.

Town really should have grabbed the winner in the 89th minute when Collins gave the ball away midway inside his own half. Murphy took the ball on but shot against a defender when Green was well placed in space to his right calling for the ball.

As the scheduled 90 minutes came to an end Nouble lashed a superb strike from the left which Darlow did brilliantly to push past his post.

Hyam saw a strike blocked after Green’s poor corner was cleared to him on the edge of the box, then Chambers headed over after Green had returned the ball back into the box. Darlow had his name added to referee Andrew Madley’s book shortly before the official blew his final whistle.

A draw was probably a fair result with Town better after the break and having had chances to win it. But for a series of excellent saves from Forest keeper Darlow — the stop from Ebanks-Blake the pick - the Blues would have celebrating their third win in three days.

However, that might have been harsh on the visitors who presented far the greater threat before half-time and might have had the game won by that stage if they had taken their opportunities.

Despite failing to achieve the hoped for victory over Forest — who are now 10 games without a win - seven points from three successive games against fellow play-off challengers is a better return than most expected for the Blues, who remain eighth two points from the top six.

Town: Gerken, Cresswell, Chambers (c), Berra, Smith, Skuse, Hyam, Hunt (Nouble 46), Anderson (Ebanks-Blake 35), Williams (Green 85), Murphy. Unused: Loach, Mings, Tabb, Richardson.

Nottingham Forest: Darlow, Jara, Halford, Collins(c), Fox, Greening, Peltier, Osborn, Majewski (Derbyshire 86), Paterson, Mackie. Unused: De Vries, Harding, Tudgay , McLaughlin, Cox, Blake. Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire). Att: 17,955 (Forest: 1,027).

Photo: Action Images

MathieandMarshall added 21:44 - Mar 30 Said to my mate before the game that we would win easily if we got at Forest from the first minute & attacked like we did 2nd half against Derby... Unfortunately we didn't! Mick in his wisdom decided to start with the system & most of the personelle who were poor first half Tuesday & let forest score early! 2nd half was a different game. They were rattled when we attacked them and looked nervous at the back. If only we'd started the game 4-3-3 I think we'd have battered them! As others have said, 7 from 9 is a great retun bit can't help thinking its 2 dropped

2

Ipswich Town Polls