Town and Wigan played out a disappointing 0-0 draw at a snowy Portman Road. Jay Tabb had the best chance for the Blues in the first half, while David McGoldrick and sub Freddie Sears had opportunities after the break, but overall a goalless draw was a fair reflection of a drab game.

McGoldrick’s return from his knee injury in place of Daryl Murphy, who has a calf strain, was Town’s only change from the team which lost 3-2 at Brighton 10 days ago.

The Town number 10 who had missed the previous two games, was partnered by Noel Hunt with recent signing on the bench.

The visitors carved out the game’s first chance in the fifth minute when Don Cowie sent James Perch away on the right and the ex-Newcastle man whipped over a cross which Marc-Antoine Fortune headed high and wide at the near post when he ought to have done better.

Town created their first opening a minute later, McGoldrick, skipper Luke Chambers and Paul Anderson exchanging passes on the right before the winger sent in a cross which Tabb was unable to head towards goal.

After Tommy Smith had eventually dealt with a difficult bouncing ball ahead of James McClean, Kevin Bru just overhit what would have been a superb pass into the path of McGoldrick.

On 14 Tyrone Mings fed in Tabb on the left of the area but the midfielder hit powerfully over when he should have played the ball across the six-yard box to the waiting Hunt, McGoldrick and Anderson.

The game developed into a scruffy affair on a pitch which was cutting up with neither side able to create much but with Wigan having the upper hand. Town were very much missing Murphy’s aerial presence up front with high balls regularly punted forward but defended comfortably by the Latics’ backline.

As the match moved towards the half hour mark snow began to fall steadily and the Blues managed a couple of shots. First McGoldrick hit a deflected effort through to Ali Al Habsi in goal for the Latics, then Hunt’s strike flew high and wide from distance.

Moments later, Smith was yellow-carded for a foul on Martyn Waghorn, then Wigan’s William Kvist joined him in the book for a challenge on Bru. Five minutes before the break McClean picked up a caution for tripping the breaking Bru.

Tabb headed Hunt’s right-wing cross to Al Habsi in the 43rd minute but neither side looked like breaking the deadlock as a dull half came to a close with the snow by now falling more heavily.

Under par Town, who were clearly missing Murphy, had been unable to create anything of note, Tabb’s opportunity just before the quarter hour when he should have passed rather than shot perhaps the best of them.

Wigan had similarly failed to significantly test Bartosz Bialkowski - Fortune’s early header was their best chance - in a forgettable first period in which there had been little between the teams, despite the Blues’ presence in the top four and Wigan’s current position second-bottom.

The Blues switched Anderson for Teddy Bishop at the start of the second half with the snow having momentarily subsided.

Nine minutes after the restart, Bishop, who had made an immediate impact going forward on the right, found Cole Skuse to his left, the central midfielder playing a ball in behind Perch to Mings, but the left-back’s cross was blocked.

Tabb felt he had been impeded as he broke into the area but referee Charles Breakspear, who had frustrated the home fans and players with a few decisions before the break, waved away his protests.

The game continued in the same less than inspiring manner of the first half with the snow having resumed. Just after the hour, Fortune cut in from the right but scraped his shot well wide.

The Latics went closer on 62 when Perch flicked Cowie’s left-sided corner from the left beyond the far post when he should have scored.

Three minutes later, with Wigan looking the side most likely to break the deadlock, home debutant Sears took over from Hunt.

Town carved out a rare opportunity on 72 when Mings crossed from the left but McGoldrick headed weakly to Al Habsi.

As the match moved towards its final 15 minutes Tabb flicked a header into McGoldrick’s path on the left and the striker did well to cut it back to Sears, who could only divert straight at Al Habsi at the near post.

The Blues were starting to look a bit more of a threat, but on 79 Berra cut out McClean’s dangerous cross from the left ahead of Fortune.

A minute later, Emyr Huws was booked for blocking off McGoldrick as Town broke. From the freekick deep on the left, McGoldrick headed Tabb’s ball wide. Jonny Parr replaced Tabb at left midfield for the final six minutes.

Two minutes before the end Sears had the ball in the net but having been flagged offside, although with the Town players complaining that the ball had been played into his path by a Wigan player.

After three minutes of uneventful injury time referee Breakspear confirmed Town’s first home 0-0 draw since the Blackpool game last February with frustrated boos greeting the whistle.

In truth the game didn’t really deserve a goal with both sides as poor as one another. Neither keeper was forced to make a serious save in either half.

After the break, Wigan probably should have scored through Perch’s header, while Town, who never put the struggling visitors under any real pressure, came closest via McGoldrick’s header straight at Al Habsi and Sears’s effort which the former Colchester man couldn’t divert away from the keeper.

Overall, a disappointing result for the Blues against struggling opposition, who battled gamely but showed little quality. Town remain fourth but are now three points behind leaders Bournemouth and Derby and two behind third-placed Middlesbrough with all three having a better goal difference.

After one win in six games in all competitions, the Blues need to get their stalling promotion challenge back on track with a win away against Rotherham, another of the teams at the wrong end of the table, next Saturday.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bru, Anderson (Bishop 46), Tabb (Parr 84), McGoldrick, N Hunt (Sears 65). Unused: Kenny, S Hunt, Clarke, Ambrose.

Wigan: Al Habsi, Taylor, Perch, Barnett, Ridgewell,Huws, Kvist, McClean, Cowie, Fortune, Waghorn (McKay 78). Unused: Carson, Boyce, Pearce, Kiernan, Cosgrove, Flores. Referee: Charles Breakspear (Surrey). Att: 19,155 (Wigan: 225).

Photo: Action Images

runningout added 16:36 - Feb 1 Think we are downing Wigan, when they showed big improvement on their part after a few additions to their squad. Something we are not going to do, as MM reckons our squad is good enough to go places. We have one or two in the team that are not doing it of late, if they don't wake up we'll be going stale in mid table
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essex57 added 16:36 - Feb 1 It seems to me that that the majority of commentators on here have much more ability thanMM and TC to manage our great club perhaps they should be sending there cvs to ME im sure they will soon realise words are cheap and aplenty, results a little harder to come by.
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warktheline added 17:12 - Feb 1 @pinewoodblue, spot on, I honestly agree with you wholeheartedly, but finding these is not easy. Mick undoubtedly is continually on the look out, let's not forget, the man is not adverse to inspiring players, Bishop and wee JW for example, but in return he expects work rate. Believe me, our teams of the late 70's and early 80's are not lost on me....my childhood memories are immersed with that golden era, but sadly the previous two managers have left a hell of a rebuild....that is what Mick is doing, and a bloody good job he's doing. These things take time, and for me, Mick is well ahead of schedule!

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Jimmy86 added 17:19 - Feb 1 Essex57 it doesn't take a football genius to work out pumping long aimless balls up to players, who are barely 6 ft tall will actually get you anywhere. Their strength isn't in the air, it's receiving the ball into feet!!! And for some reason we continued with that same tactic throughout the game. U'd have thought with Murph out we might have played through the middle, but unfortunately that's where are lack of creativity hurts us

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thebeat added 18:17 - Feb 1 We can talk about the great job Micks done, he's the best man for the job etc until we are blue in the face but this page is about yesterdays game and the point is he got it badly wrong in every department. We all saw our best period of the season was 4-3-3 with Parr in for Smith and the likes of Bishop and Williams linking up with McGoldrick to create chances. Yesterday and just lately Mick is stubbornly playing 4-4-2 simply to keep the likes of Anderson and Tabb in the side because they dont really fit in to 4-3-3. It also killed him to drop Smith earlier in the season even tho it was the right thing to do and worked well. 1st chance he had he put him back in he was straight in and hasnt been out since even tho our defence is weaker for it and it limits our attacking abilities without Parr and Mings getting forward in a 4-3-3. It also exposes Chambers against speedy tricky wingers. Micks not stupid he knows we played better in a 4-3-3 yet he refuses to go back to it at the moment. As good a job as he has done it doesnt excuse him for getting it so wrong at the moment.

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NoelTheDub added 18:17 - Feb 1 walktheline You say Mick is continually on the look out would he not look at our bench his refusal to freshen things up is pissing me off big time.Does the man not see our problems because other managers do and thats whats happening.Mick has only one way to play and can not adapt when other managers counter this.Mick has done wonders with what hes got but I believe we can do better by taking Anderson/Tabb out of there fast even just to see a different style of play.Even drop Didz behind two strikers,Ambrose,Bishop,Parr,should get a start yes if is fails revert back to plan A but clearly is worth a pop...

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warktheline added 18:33 - Feb 1 @noelthedub, valid points, many of which I agree with....I'm sure the management will address playing situation...obviously some players are struggling at moment and at least we have decent players waiting to jump into starting 11. Parr undoubtedly should be playing right back, bishop should start and quite possibly Ambrose too.
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Theipswich added 19:37 - Feb 1 Ipswich best club ever. BUT when i saw your match yesterday i felt so sad seeing a club that is in fourth position playing a team which is in the bottom set and we drew. Ipswich should be a team that fights for a win but yesterday it seemed that Ipswich wanted a draw or loose. COME ON IPSWICH START WORKING HARD AND NEVER GIVE UP!
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oldegold added 19:47 - Feb 1 Agree wholeheartedly with Theipswich..keep fighting...and change those sterile tactics please..we're 4th from top, not from bottom!
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oddball added 19:49 - Feb 1 Great result, good point :-)
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Ipswich58 added 20:48 - Feb 1 It is pointless saying ME has to so provide funds. We have the players, but MM stubbornly refuses to pick the right team or formation. Stewart, Henshall, Ambrose, Sears, Parr, why aren't they starting. Stubbornness will be his undoing.Why is Hewitt not being developed. Yes he has worked wonders but surely he can see why things are going wrong. If not then he needs to open his eyes.. I've supported the club since 68 often travel 400 miles return to watch hoofball. He is so rigid and inflexible and the more people point that out the more he dogs his heels in. He can't stand anything or anyone who doesn't conform or who is out of the ordinary . Surely the sign of a good manager is to deal with all sorts of characters not just yes men. If he doesn't change we won't go up and we will lose Mings and Bishop and who knows who else and we will be back to square one. Wonder how he would have coped with George Best?

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Ipswich58 added 20:56 - Feb 1 And please spare us anymore of ' it was a good point' against a good team. They're second from bottom, in disarray yet we line up with 442 and three players of such ordinariness in Yabb, Anderson and Hunt it beggars belief.
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Razor added 10:08 - Feb 2 Spot on Ipswich 58.
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JimmyP45 added 12:44 - Feb 2 Easily one of the worst football matches I have ever had to sit through. Route one from minute one and with no target man to aim for, what's the point. Simply cannot loft long balls up to McGoldrick and Hunt as they cannot bring the ball down against tall defenders. Never got a grasp on the game and we do not look like the creative attractive team that we were in the first half of the season. We must get the ball on the ground and play it around but at present, lack the quality in midfield to do so.

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