Debutant sub Kenwyne Jones headed an 82nd minute equaliser as Town and Bournemouth drew 1-1 in an exciting top of the table encounter at Portman Road, Freddie Sears having put the Blues in front in the sixth minute.

Mick McCarthy, whose side had dropped to eighth following the day’s earlier games, made three changes to the team which won at Watford a fortnight ago with Zeki Fryers making his debut at left-back for the suspended Tyrone Mings, while Teddy Bishop, back after a shin injury, came into the middle of midfield for Kevin Bru, who missed out with a calf problem.

Sears started up front alongside 23-goal Championship top scorer Daryl Murphy with David McGoldrick and Jonny Williams, who received a warm ovation as he walked to the dugout, both on the bench. Luke Varney began on the right of a four-man midfield.

For Bournemouth, top scorer Callum Wilson started up front despite manager Eddie Howe having said he expected him to miss the Easter matches.

The visitors carved out the game’s first chance in the fourth minute, Simon Francis laying the ball back to Matt Ritchie, who whipped over a cross which Ryan Fraser headed wide having got ahead of Blues skipper Luke Chambers.

A minute later, Town went in front via their first opportunity of the game. Cole Skuse’s cross from the left found Daryl Murphy at the back of the box. The Irishman was given time and space to play a pass across the area to Sears, who slammed home from six yards with Steve Cook playing him onside. It was the ex-Colchester man’s fifth goal for the Blues and his 19th this season.

The Cherries immediately looked to hit back, Ritchie finding Andrew Surman, who sent a ball across the Blues’ six-yard box from the right.

Moments later, Brett Pitman just failed to reach a cross from the left, the loose ball eventually falling for one-time Town trialist Harry Arter, who blazed over.

The visitors had been on top since the Blues’ goal but on 12 Varney fed Fryers in space on the edge of the box, however, the debutant left-back shot well over.

At the other end, Christophe Berra blocked from Wilson, then, as what had been a pulsating first quarter of an hour came to an end, Francis just got in ahead of Varney after the on-loan Blackburn man had been threaded in by Sears. Referee Robert Madley awarded a goalkick, however.

The Cherries continued to look threatening every time they went forward but with Town so far preventing them from creating any big chances. On 25 Chambers was booked for a late tackle on Ryan Fraser.

There was a scare for the Blues on 31 when Bishop stabbed the ball away from a Bournemouth player into the path of Pitman, but the striker turned his shot straight at Bartosz Bialkowski from the edge of the box.

The Town keeper was forced into his first serious save of the game six minutes later. Ritchie fed Fraser in space to his left and the Scot hit a shot which Bialkowski did well to push past his left post.

Arter was booked for a cynical foul on Tabb as Town broke before Bialkowski again saved from Fraser. The winger whipped over a cross which swerved towards goal and the Pole did superbly to tip the ball over at his far post as it appeared to be dipping under the bar.

Moments later, Chambers and Berra reacted angrily to Wilson rather obviously diving between them inside the area. The Cherries striker then shoved the Town captain and was spoken to along with his skipper Tommy Elphick but referee Madley kept his cards in his pocket.

Varney felt the Blues ought to have been awarded a penalty in the 42nd minute when his cross struck Elphick’s arm. Referee Madley awarded a corner from which the visitors broke after Fryers had slipped, the on-loan Crystal Palace man perhaps fortunate to avoid a booking for fouling Ritchie.

Bialkowski was in action again two minutes later, the Polish keeper punching away Ritchie’s well-struck 25-yard shot. The loose ball fell to Fraser on the edge of the box but his shot screwed well wide.

The Cherries kept up the pressure in the closing stages, Chambers blocking a shot from Francis on the left of the area, the full-back having got away from Jay Tabb. Soon after, referee Madley brought an riveting half to an end.

Having taken their early chance the Blues had largely been on the back foot with Bournemouth passing the ball around slickly and looking dangerous whenever they went forward.

However, for the most part Town had been able to limit the Cherries’ significant opportunities, while Bialkowski made a number of important and impressive saves towards the end of the half.

Sears scraped the first opportunity of the second period wide three minutes after the restart when playing the ball to Murphy to his left might have been a better option. Soon after, Bishop scuffed a shot through to Cherries’ keeper Artur Boruc.

There was a mix-up between the on-loan Southampton keeper and Cook soon after, the defender laying the ball back to him when he wasn’t expecting it and the Pole was forced to clear ahead of Sears.

But soon the pattern of much of the first half was restored with the Cherries looking for the goal which would get the back on terms.

On 51 Bialkowski was off his line quickly to paw the ball out of play after Charlie Daniels had escaped down the left. From the resultant throw, the keeper comfortably stopped Surman’s low 25-yard effort.

The chances began to come thick and fast for the visitors. Fraser crashed a shot into Chambers’s face from the edge of the area, then Berra blocked from Ritchie and Wilson shot into the side-netting from a tight angle on the left. Three minutes before the hour mark, Richard Chaplow replaced Bishop.

Town began to look more dangerous, but Varney’s 63rd minute effort from distance flew well over. Two minutes later, Yann Kermorgant replaced Pitman for the Cherries.

Fraser broke away down the Bournemouth left in the 69th minute and crossed to Wilson, who was unable to find himself space to shoot under pressure from Berra. Eventually, he stabbed the ball back to Ritchie, whose shot was blocked before Berra cleared the danger.

Despite that opportunity, the Blues were presenting more of a threat going forward than they had in the first half. Murphy failed to make the most of a break on 69, then four minutes later the Irishman won a freekick on the left, which was headed over ahead of Berra, who committed a foul, according to referee Madley.

Chris Wood replaced goalscorer Sears with 11 minutes from time, while Bournemouth brought on Kenwyne Jones and Adam Smith for Cook and Fraser.

Moments later, Varney went close to increasing Town’s lead, the 32-year-old tenaciously battling for the ball and breaking into the area before finding his path blocked by Boruc.

The Cherries finally broke through the Blues’ backline with eight minutes of scheduled time remaining. Ritchie whipped over a corner from the left and Jones got ahead of Smith to head home a debut goal with what must have been his first touch of the ball.

In the final minute Matt Clarke replaced Varney, who had suffered what appeared to be an ankle knock in his earlier collision with Boruc.

As the game moved into four minutes of injury time Arter scraped a shot wide, then moments before the whistle Berra conceded a needless corner from which the Cherries almost won it.

Ritchie sent over a ball to the far post which Kermorgant nodded back towards goal and Bialkowski reacted superbly to claw it away from goal. Adam Smith’s rebound was blocked by Skuse and moments later referee Madley sounded the final whistle.

While Town fans will be disappointed to have conceded from a set piece so close to the end, a draw - the fourth in a row between the two sides - was a fair result on the overall balance of the game.

Bournemouth again impressed with their trademark passing and movement, but the Blues showed their battling qualities to stay in front having come under a great deal of pressure having taken their early chance.

Man of the match Bialkowski made a number of vital saves, not least in the final moments from Kermorgant.

The result moves Town back to sixth but with fourth-placed Watford and Derby in eighth in action later this evening.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Fryers, Skuse, Tabb, Bishop (Chaplow 57), Varney (Clarke 90), Murphy, Sears (Wood 79). Unused: Gerken, Anderson, Williams, McGoldrick.

AFC Bournemouth: Boruc, Francis, Cook (Jones 79), Elphick, Daniels, Ritchie, Surman, Arter, Fraser (Smith 79), Pitman (Kermorgant 65), Wilson. Unused: Camp, Ward, Gosling, MacDonald. Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire). Attendance: 22,672 (Bournemouth: 963).

Photo: Action Images

NoelTheDub added 12:51 - Apr 4 10 out of 10 for effort and commitment we all cant fault that but as a football team we are in rag order.Yes we were played off the park by a very good ball playing team and Mick tried to hold on but we got done at the end.The only gripe I had yesterday was the constant hoofing even when it was easier to pass it which makes our day harder than it was.If only Sears was to get a proper pass to run on to or Bishop not spending most of his time looking up in the sky.I do believe its time for Williams to come in and hopefully Dids,Sears,and Murf up top thats the plan B we are all season waiting on Mick but cant see that happening.

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Lombokblue added 13:50 - Apr 4 What a result, we don't have the best defenders in the world but they give it everything. The loan system is mad , Cardiff are going nowhere so they loan out their best players to cut the wage bill. All the teams who have played Cardiff with Jones are disadvantaged and what is the emergency loan system? But then we have the Joniesta back so i can't complain.
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JWM added 14:14 - Apr 4 Barcelona wannabes Bournemouth Hoofed it as much as we did but I guess they Hoofed it with more quality! As far as I could make out they were just a bunch of moaning diving cheats. I will take my team of hardworking honest professionals over a team of cheating divers any day of the week.
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bellazzurri79 added 14:18 - Apr 4 Breaking news**** Callum Wilson is indeed still in Christophe Berras pocket!!!!
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CornardBlue added 14:48 - Apr 4 Thought it was a really good game with teams playing different styles of play. Bournemouth do play nice football but why do they have to cheat all the time I can see why they have been awarded 14 pens this season and 28 in the last 2 seasons. For all there nice football and our so called hof ball they are only 6 points above us, I think if we had there luck with pens we might be a few points in front of them.

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RaymondovicBlue added 14:52 - Apr 4 gotta say - Bournemouth had an off day in front of goal ... look at the statistics and tell me how else they scored only one! Mind you - we also made chances and I honestly thought we played well ... I was sat in a room with AFCB fans watching and they had nothing to laugh at me for ... in fact the statement "I can see this going to 2-0" was quite common. So we DIDN'T do that badly !!!! Need 3 straight wins now though if we are to go up at all Sorry to admit that I was disappointed that Smith was the one who let Jones score - but look at the match report (and rewind the video - He had a good game Still disappointed that Sear's pace was sacrificed for Wood's "whatever he brings" (yet to see why he is playing, but I am sure he is a class player !) Midfield was solid and you've gotta say - WE kept the best and most lively midfield in the league very quiet yesterday. Varney is a good right Midfield, isn't he ? Skuse was a revelation - I kept seeing him surging forward .... how did that happen ?? Johnny on the left for Tabb in the next few games and I'm happy - and PLEASE give Connolly a run out !!!! How's this for a team that NEEDS to score goals and win matches from now on? Bart Chambers Smith Berra Fryer Varney Skuse Bishop/Bru Williams Murphy Sears SUBS Gerken Smith Clarke Tabb Bru/Bishop Connolly McGoldrick Does Fryer play right back ? I thought he was excellent and if Mings is an automatic starter then can he play RB with Chambers in the middle? (or is it too late in the season to change a back four in the book of Mick)

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wayway added 15:06 - Apr 4 It does not comedown to money, I am convinced that the squad we have are more than capable of playing football as it should be played, on the deck and not hoofed up in the air at the first opportunity. I wonder what Eddie Howe would do with our squad.
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warktheline added 15:12 - Apr 4 @wayway, not convinced Howe could or would do any better than McCarthy with squad available, and how well do you think the young Howe would have done had he replaced PJ? Not digging at you, just interested in your thoughts.
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GiveusaWave added 15:29 - Apr 4 Smith had a really good game. Yes, he made a mistake. That happens sometimes. We did really well to hold out for the 1-1. Look at the game holistically; they were all over us for most of the match. 1 touch and 2 touch footballs, good drag-backs, great movement and even the odd long-ball. They played us off the park and this could prove a superb point at the end of the season. We need to move forwards now. 9 points from the next 3 games is critical. MM has done a miracoulous job with the squad we have.

3

Lord_Mac added 15:56 - Apr 4 The game was simply a clash of styles - and extremely interesting because of that There's nothing in the rules that says you have to play an open, expansive running style. In this league, with limited resources, and particularly against able teams, stopping them playing is just as legitimate a style. It's like Scrabble - you can win by scoring huge numbers of points, or by making it hard for your opponent to reach those triple word squares. Or cricket, where you can score 400, or bowl economically (another forgotten art). Too many people (Sky and others) judge us by how well we play to someone else's game plan, rather than how we execute ours. Our game plan is probably the only way we can compete with the resources we have. And therefore, we worked extremely hard to earn a point against a very good team. And are one of only 6 teams not to have lost against Bournemouth in two games. Howe's interpretation - that they deserved 3 points because they play more pretty football - is just nonsense. They have better, players, more expensive players. And they are well versed in the art of cheating. I'm only sorry we didn't see it through.

3

Elizabeth added 16:04 - Apr 4 It felt like a loss at the end of the game ! 1-0 is always precarious . If only we had players with conviction in midfield we could have taken all three points. I'm off to Huddersfield on Monday which is a must win !! Looking forward to it and hoping Jonny Williams plays .
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oldegold added 17:14 - Apr 4 The last six games will ultimately make or break us and if MM continues to play Hoofball then we are doomed.I presume it has dawned on him that the other 7 teams in with a shout of promotion are going hell for leather to attack,to score goals and to win games.Yesterday we saw the usual hide in our shell approach of dinosaur Mick by trying to play out 84 minutes sfter Freddy scored and trying to contain the Championship's most attack minded team.Just ridiculous really and I just wonder what training strategies are worked on in training because we did not play one cultured ball in 90 minutes. Playing with only two strikers with little or no support is just heresy snd you can see that Murphy is actually out on a limb eith little or no support from midfield apart from the ball being punted up and him being expected to run after it. Why is Freddy being replaced when he is keen, shoots on goal and is a constant menace? We had 5 loan players between team and bench and that shows he is going down the Paul Jewell road...why no Hewitt,why no Ambrose,why no McGoldrick? We need to win games and win them well but will our earnest manger see the light? I doubt it.

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Minneapolis_ITFC added 17:39 - Apr 4 Came so close once again to beating one of the promotion favorites but it the end it wasn't to be. Yes Bournemouth were good value for their point, they had the majority of possession and chances and are evidently a good team but we gave it a good shot and they only escaped with a share of the points by way of the final ten minutes. The match official made some questionable decisions along the way and maybe wasn't best suited for a game of such magnitude. Unfortunately we can't pick and choose who gets to referee our games. Once again have been edged out of the play-off places but with six or seven games left in change and taking the belief and determination out of the last two games see no reason why we can't achieve a top-six finish. There are some winnable games coming up and other promtion rivals will themselves drop points along the way so quietly confident. I know our record in the play-off games are disappointing from previous years but let's rectify that this time and finish in those important places and go to the national stadium and face-off against whoever lies in wait. 2000 was a great time when we went up at Barnsley's expense that often seems so long ago. Really want to be part of the premier league once again and as before, we have given ourselves a golden opportunity.

5

dannyrr added 18:24 - Apr 4 Whilst at the game Bournemouth who were previously moaning about our hoofball were no better. Yes they did have moments of skill but they were equal in the amounts of times they hoofed the ball. Thought Varney was MoM. He won every ball in the air he went up for and managed to nod it on. Bart was immense. Bournemouth behaved like a Premier League team. They played fancy football. Tried everything they could to get the referees attention for free kicks and trying to get a penalty. Why did Arter not get a second yellow after pushing a defender after the referee ignore his Tom Daley dive to get a penalty. The referee wasn't goin to make that decision. I am going to Huddersfield on Monday and hoping to see both DMcG and JW get a game and to see us taking three points away. COYB

2

wayway added 21:15 - Apr 4 Warktheline. I am convinced we have the players with sufficient skill to play decent football if only they were allowed to. Skuse, Parr, Bishop, Bru, Varney, Chaplow and now Williams are more than capable of playing a passing game. Chaplow would be The ideal player to pick the ball up from the back four instead of them having to hoof it forward usually on to the head of the opposing defenders or like yesterday, hoof it into touch. Think how many more goals Murphy would have this season with better service from midfield. And it would do Sears and McGoldrick no harm either. As I have said many times we have a stubborn boring manager who only knows how to play boring football. I don't give a damn where we are now or where we were two years ago, if the fans want to see us hoof or way to the premiership and become a laughing stock next season then leave me out.

2

PJH added 21:38 - Apr 4 Elizabeth-if Paul Taylor was still here he could have played in midfield because he has got a conviction! I am off to Huddersfield too and it would be nice if JW played but not sure whether best to start him and see how long he lasts or to bring him on for last half hour or so. wayway- you are not renewing your season ticket then? (if you have one)
0

harlingblue added 00:39 - Apr 5 Wholehearted effort from the entire Ipswich team. We almost held on to a great win against a very good Bournemouth team that plays football the old 'Ipswich way' but without the honesty. MM and TC have given us real fans 'our Club back' on a shoe string, gathering players to resurrect their careers while giving youth a chance at the right time. How good was Berra, Sears and Varney today, while Bishop didn't look out of place and Friars, after a testing start stood tall.

1

madmouse1959 added 04:13 - Apr 5 We have to do more than just stopping other teams play !!. ...Once again we concede a goal from a corner and Tommy Smith looks pretty dam average in some games. Our defending was woeful... all over the place....it was lucky the midfield were running around breaking the play up. Bournemouth knocked the ball about like it was a training session and we were lucky . On another day we could have lost this game quite easily. The positive thing was a fairly good performance by the new left back on loan. A must win at Huddersfield !!!

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 06:08 - Apr 5 madmouse - im not sure what game you watched, but one thing that cant be said about our performance was that our defending was " woeful" !! From Bart to Murphy all eleven were terrific in their chasing, harrying and general defending. Yes Smith had a lapse and it cost us a goal but IMO that was one of our best defending performances of the season.
1

essexboy added 09:31 - Apr 5 Good point.Now let's move on to Monday.We Got away with it,now it's history.
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Geoff added 11:40 - Apr 5 Would like to see football played as i did when Bobby Robson was here,we were all spoiled took Europe nights for granted.Had a small squad but played some great football through midfield went out and signed players we had not heard of before and turned them into internationals.The man was a genius,but you can only play to the strengths that you have if we had played football against Bournemouth we would have been thrashed MM knows our strengths he is stubborn and will not change it. But lets all get behind him now and support the lads to the end of season we have not been in this situation for ten years C O Y BS.

1

yorksblue added 11:51 - Apr 5 Cant be too disappointed with that. We gave it a decent go. Would have taken a point before KO. On another subject - watched Cameron Stewart at Barnsley yesterday. Why did we buy him? He's not even good enough at League 1 level. Too light weight and lazy beyond belief.Get rid please.
1

MonterreyBlue added 14:44 - Apr 5 Final point: you should recieve a yellow card for "simulation" (also kmow as diving / cheating) therefore Bournemouth should of finished the game with 3 men on the pitch 😬
0

Gazelle added 19:22 - Apr 5 Every game I've seen this season the other side has had more possession, this was no different.
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MrDiddle added 21:06 - Apr 5 I think with every game, Mick does his homework and chooses the best team that he feels likely will do best to nullify the opposition style of playing. The Bournemouth game was a classic example of this. And for 80 minutes, regardless of how anybody feels about Bournemouths style of play or indeed our style they didn't score. We are still in the mix right up to the final games of the season, which is the first time this has really happened since the Joe Royle days. The next few games are going to be a great time to be a town supporter. I've not watched many games this season where we haven't given 100% to get the result, and I dont expect us to cave in either. COYB!!!

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