Town's must-win game at Burnley remains 0-0 at the break, Tommy Smith having gone close with a header.

Frazer Richardson was handed the right midfield role — rather than the central position anticipated before kick-off - with Paul Anderson missing out with the hamstring injury he aggravated in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

Paul Green came into the centre alongside Cole Skuse with Anthony Wordsworth missing out with the dead leg he suffered on Monday. Luke Hyam remains on the sidelines with a hip flexor strain.

Christophe Berra was back at the heart of the defence with skipper Luke Chambers moving to right-back. Freddie Veseli was on the bench for the first time since he returned from his loan spell at Bury.

Having confirmed their promotion via a 2-0 win against Wigan on Monday, Burnley, wearing a vintage kit to celebrate their 1914 FA Cup win, struck the game’s first shot in the second minute, Scott Arfield’s effort deflecting wide from Danny Ings’s knockdown.

Daryl Murphy hit the first shot of the game for the Blues, who were wearing last season’s white and black away kit, from the edge of the box in the 10th minute but Ben Mee blocked.

Ashley Barnes just failed to reach Ings’s knockdown in the 11th minute as the home fans began a round of applause in tribute to Robbie Williamson, an 11-year-old boy who died earlier in the week after falling in a canal.

On 20 Burnley keeper Tom Heaton came off his line quickly to claim ahead of Stephen Hunt, but largely both keepers had been spectators.

Tommy Smith was booked for a tactical foul on Ings in the 25th minute after Aaron Cresswell had given the ball away midway inside the Blues’ half.

The New Zealand international was close to opening the scoring two minutes later when Kieran Trippier nodded his header off the line and over after Berra had knocked Richardson’s corner from the right back across the edge of the six-yard box.

The Blues were starting to look more dangerous, winning a number of corners. But on the half hour, following one of those Town flagkicks, the Clarets broke quickly but Arfield was unable to direct Michael Kightly’s right-wing cross towards goal. On 33, Gerken claimed Barnes’s shot down to his right.

Burnley skipper Jason Shackell cut out Chambers’s right-sided cross as a rather lacklustre half moved into its final five minutes.

Murphy and Jonny Williams exchanged passes on the left in the 41st minute, the Irishman whipping over a teasing cross to the far post which Richardson couldn’t direct goalwards when under pressure from Kightly.

A minute later, Ings shot in to the side-netting, then Murphy cut in from the right before shooting across the face of goal.

The less than exciting first period was brought to a close with no further significant action.

Town probably had the best chance of the first 45 minutes, with Smith’s header goal-bound until Trippier’s intervention.

But overall the Blues never gave the impression that they were a side desperately in need of three points to stay in the play-off race.

At the other end, Gerken hadn’t been seriously tested, although Burnley frontmen Ings and Barnes had had one or two threatening moments.

Burnley: Heaton, Tripper, Shackell (c), Duff, Mee, Arfield, Marney, Jones, Kightly, Barnes, Ings. Subs: Cisak, Edgar, Wallace, Treacy, Baird, Stanislas, Long.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Cresswell, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Richardson, Green, Hunt, Williams, Murphy. Subs: Loach, Mings, Veseli, Tabb, Taylor, Marriott, Nouble. Referee: James Linington (Newport, Isle of Wight).

Photo: Action Images

blueboy1981 added 13:35 - Apr 26 Good to know we've gone there and had a real go at them !!!!!!!!!!!! ....... only joking of course. Shame that. Have we had a shot on goal ?? - if so I've missed it. Terrible defending, and goalkeeping for their goal - typical Ipswich.
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cats_whiskers added 13:44 - Apr 26 I haven't noticed Skuse at all in this game, what does he bring to the side? Nowt by the look of things
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battyblue added 13:45 - Apr 26 MARRIOTT ON NOW MURPHY OFF
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battyblue added 13:59 - Apr 26 MM i am in the sh-t now, suppose i will have to bring on Paul Taylor to try and rescue us reluctantly .
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mkbobby added 14:00 - Apr 26 We are absolutely clueless , don,t any one think that we will be a threat next season because when jonny Williams goes we will have no one to run games for us , green , hunt, Richardson, tabb, skuse,are not good enough Murphy would only be a back up striker in most championship teams , we have no pace in the team our only chance of improving for next season is sell cresswell (because right backs don't win you games ) and spend it on guile and pace ie Williams

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EssexTractor added 14:03 - Apr 26 Last pre match words from MM on Sky "it's a must win match for us" Sadly his team selection and tactics for the first 65 minutes were DIRE and a total contradiction of those words Enter Taylor and Nouble and suddenly a threat appears. But is it too late....
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BrettenhamBlue added 14:05 - Apr 26 A good season. Shame it ended with a whimper. Very poor performance by us.
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Luka added 14:05 - Apr 26 Anyone slating Mick McCarthy really are idiots - from bottom, 7pts off, to 1 game away from the Playoffs in 18 months with £150,000 spent (Wordsworth and Doherty) is remarkable, especially in this division, with many clubs still getting parachute money from the premier league is phenomenal. Not many would have taken the Town as far as he has.
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NoelTheDub added 14:10 - Apr 26 Team wrong from the start Williams has no one ahead of him to play balls to,Richardson on right wing why MICK,even our few corners Cresswell on the left and Taylor on the right all out swingers,But most of all why wait until we go 1 down to make a change.We never gave this and many others games a go and tactics and formations make it very hard on our players.Super Burnley have 2 very hard working forwards and the rest are comfortable in their positions that the difference Mick thats not small squads or lack of money.Our shape is all wrong full stop

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mkbobby added 14:12 - Apr 26 Sorry left backs
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TimmyH added 14:14 - Apr 26 Burnley hardly got out of 1st gear...says it all!
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blueboy1981 added 14:15 - Apr 26 Without Taylor and Nouble we looked as punchless as the proverbial punchbag - yet again. Did we really go to Burnley to WIN this match ?? Same old .............. I'm afraid.
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cats_whiskers added 14:15 - Apr 26 Tommy Smith and Jonny Williams and Berra were worthy of a performance, Skuse was anonymous, only Green of the loaned players was worth a mention, late tackle save a certain goal. Hunt, Richardson aren't worth a full contract. At least Nouble tried and persisted when on and showed some desire.
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CharlieITFC added 14:20 - Apr 26 Very good season in my opinion. Yes it could've ended better, and yes we've given a lot of point up that we shouldn't have, but at the end of the day we have gone from relegation candidates to play off hopefuls in one season. MM I'm sure will be given some funds in the summer - even if it is minimal. But he proved last summer he could find gems for free (McGoldrick and Berra the two that stand out) What I have been disappointed about most this season, is the amount of 'fans' that knly seem to have a voice when we lose. I for one think it's partly down to you that we have not done as well as we could've this season. Maybe if you stopped trying to pick fault with everything and actually consistently get behind the lads we might get that 12th man effect, regardless of if you attend games or not, it makes a difference. We are get lucky to have MM and TC, and I cannot wait to see what the summer brings and what we can do next season.

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NoelTheDub added 14:47 - Apr 26 CharlieITFC ......I take your view but that was as bad as it gets today and an example of why we have slipped away over many games this season.As for funds next season hope Mick goes for more attacking players but more important play them in there natural position..
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CharlieITFC added 14:36 - Apr 27 Noel, I don't disagree, we were very underwhelming today to say the least. But it really bugs me how many fans in here seem to think we should be winning the league or something this season. We have progressed so far this season, and next year I think we should all be optimistic!
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