Town’s home game with Brighton and Hove Albion ended in a 0-0 draw, the Blues’ second successive stalemate at Portman Road. Mick McCarthy’s side put in a much-improved display and were the better side but were unable to turn their superiority into goals even after the Seagulls were reduced to 10 men in the closing stages after Dale Stephens's red card.

Freddie Sears, without a goal in 35 games and who was nursing a groin injury after the Leeds game, dropped to the bench, while Adam Webster (hamstring) and Brett Pitman (knee and ankle) joined Town’s lengthy injury list.

Kevin Bru came into a central midfield three with Tom Lawrence starting on the left and Grant Ward on the right. Leon Best was making his first start for the Blues as the lone central striker.

Josh Emmanuel was at right-back with skipper Luke Chambers moving to the centre of the defence alongside Christophe Berra.

Brighton, with former Town loanee David Stockdale in goal, were without the suspended Gaetan Bong with Sebastien Pocognoli coming in at left-back. Oliver Norwood replaced the injured Beram Kayal in midfield.

In the opening minute one-time Town loan target Anthony Knockaert whipped over a ball from the right which flew across the Blues box and wide.

In the fifth minute Lawrence won a freekick having been tripped when taking the ball past a couple of Brighton players and towards the area. The ball was played short to the Leicester City loanee but he scraped his shot wide. On 10 Glenn Murray hit an effort well over from distance for the visitors.

Town created the game’s first serious chance after a not overly enthralling first 15 minutes. After good work from Lawrence and Best, Emmanuel brought the ball into the area from the right and hit a shot which struck a defender and then Jonathan Douglas, who stroked the ball home but from an offside position.

In the 24th minute Lawrence picked up the game’s first yellow card for a late tackle on Albion skipper Bruno.

Three minutes later, Emmanuel sent over a dangerous cross but Bruno prevented Douglas from reaching the ball, illegally according to the Town midfielder but not referee Andy Davies.

The game continued to be a cagey affair of few chances played in an almost pre-season friendly atmosphere in front of 15,228, the lowest Portman Road for a Championship game since 14,953 watched the game against Blackburn in December 2013.

On 37 Norwood was booked for a cynical challenge on Lawrence as the loanee broke following a Seagulls corner. From the freekick, Town brought the ball forward and Cole Skuse laid the ball back to Jonas Knudsen, who shot over.

Four minutes later, Skuse hit a powerful strike from the right after a Lawrence cross had reached him beyond the far post breaking towards the box. Stockdale saved his low effort and claimed at the second attempt.

The Blues were starting to present more of an attacking threat and a minute later Knudsen brought the ball forward on the left before hitting a strike into the side-netting. While Stockdale prepared to take the goalkick Stephens was yellow-carded for dissent, complaining that the Danish international had fouled him in the build-up.

Moments before the half-time whistle Lawrence curled a freekick into Stockdale’s arms from 35 yards after Ward had been fouled.

After a relatively uneventful first 40 minutes the Blues had grown in confidence as the half was drawing to a close and had looked the more threatening side, although without creating a clear-cut opportunity. Brighton had presented little danger going forwards throughout.

Lawrence had been Town’s main threat floating in from the left, while Emmanuel had put in an impressive 45 minutes at right-back, both from a defensive and attacking perspective.

Soon after the restart, Knockaert found himself space on the right before hitting a shot into Bartosz Bialkowski’s arms.

But the Blues quickly regained the ascendency, Knudsen sending a cross over from the left but Douglas was unable to get in a clean header.

Just before the hour mark, Chambers cleared the ball against Tomer Hemed then, probably inadvertently, felled the Seagulls striker. Soon after Douglas joined him in the referee’s book for a rather more deliberate attempted trip on the Israeli frontman as the visitors broke.

Just after the hour full debutant Best was replaced by Sears in what was clearly a pre-planned substitution.

The Seagulls threatened on 64 from a Knockaert corner from the left which eventually reached Shane Duffy, who blazed over when he should have hit the target. On 66 Conor Grant took over from Bru in the Blues’ midfield.

Despite Duffy’s opportunity, Brighton were still looking under par for a side in third place int he table. On 71 manager Chris Hughton switched Jiri Skalak and Hemed for Steve Sidwell and Jamie Murphy.

Sub Murphy immediately shot low but wide, then Bialkowski caught an overhit Stockdale kick on his line.

With 11 minutes remaining Ward was replaced by Teddy Bishop, who wasn’t wearing a mask protecting his recently broken nose.

With eight minutes remaining the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Stephens picked up his second yellow card of the game for a late tackle on Douglas in the centre circle. There was little argument from the midfielder as he made his way off the field.

Two minutes later, Blues right-back Emmanuel was shown his first yellow card of the game for a foul.

In injury time Bishop won a freekick just outside the area. The ball was played to Grant, who smashed the ball into the wall.

After Murray joined the long list of names in referee Davies’s book for dissent the rather over fussy official brought the game to a close.

Town were the better side and passed the ball around neatly and tidily at times and certainly were more impressive than they were at Leeds on Saturday and in a number of other recent games.

However, they were unable to create any significant second-half chances or win themselves corners or freekicks in dangerous areas until Grant’s late effort into the wall and have now gone three games without a goal.

But with the Seagulls third and having been one of the division’s top teams last season, a second successive goalless home draw shouldn’t be viewed as a poor result with the visitors limited to few opportunities, Duffy’s shot over the bar their only significant chance in the second half.

Emmanuel will be pleased with his first start of the season, while Knudsen kept Knockaert quiet on the other flank. Lawrence was Town’s outstanding forward player before tiring after the break.

The Blues, who previously recorded back-to-back goalless home draws last October and before that late in 2009, move up one place to 13th.

Town: Bialkowski, Emmanuel, Chambers (c), Berra, Skuse, Douglas, Bru (Grant 66), Ward (Bishop 79), Lawrence, Best (Sears 61). Unused: Gerken, Kenlock, Digby, Dozzell.

Brighton: Stockdale, Bruno (c), Dunk, Duffy, Pocognoli, Knockaert, Norwood, Stephens, Skalak (Sidwell 71), Murray, Hemed (Murphy 71). Unused: Maenpaa, Hunt, Goldson, Baldock, Manu. Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire). Att: 15,228 (Brighton: 568).

Photo: TWTD

blues1 added 00:14 - Sep 28 No the crowd wasn't great tonight. And Yes, some of that is due to the style of football on show most weeks. However, Tuesday night attendances often are lower when there's a Saturday game to follow, which accounts for part of the reason also.
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Lord_Ethan added 00:47 - Sep 28 Yet again another poor home performance. Although Brighton weren't at their best we still never looked like scoring. We look clueless going forward and have no creativity in midfield. Douglas is pretty much non existent and has no impact on the game what so ever. Chambers, although playing in his preferred position, still looked poor and was always happy to just hoof the ball up the pitch. Would much rather see Bishop given a chance in the starting 11. Surely he's fit enough to be starting games now? Only positive i can think of was the outstanding performance from Emmanuel. Looked like a proper right back and definitely deserves more chances.

10

planetblue_2011 added 00:54 - Sep 28 Can Chambers play up front? We might need him!!
1

81andallthat added 01:02 - Sep 28 Please Telegraph editors ( or even The Evening blah blah blah), release your hacks on Mick, this is due to the fact I'm sure he's taking backhanders(*), to reduce us to being the most boring predictive team in the league, I know our owner is a touch on the crooked side (stop laughing at the back), but this needs addressing with keen eyes. * Disclaimer= I can't prove any of this, so Micks lawyers, don't bother chasing me down( I'm joking,I think!!). All of the above may or may not be true..you decide.

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MicksZzzTactics added 05:13 - Sep 28 To ALL those that didn't bother to turn up today, regardless of whether it was because even you finally decided to keep your hard earned cash in YOUR pockets, as opposed to sticking them into the pockets of the repeatedly 'alleged crooked' and otherwise utterly football-clueless Scrooge impersonation known as ME and thus spending them on his predominantly excruciatingly mismanaged and predominantly excruciating to watch little "consumer product" called ITFC, or whether it was because you simply opted to watch some REAL, repeat REAL, football tonight instead, like for instance Dortmund vs. Real Madrid in the CL! Where the German side absolutely bombarded the goal of the most expensive team on planet Earth with shot after shot from all possible and impossible angels in an truly ENTERTAINING 2-2 draw: ... Well folks you really didn't miss much at PR! .... Apart from the spectacle that was a positively surprising good & solid debut display by young Mr. Emmanuel! Otherwise Mr. Lawrence once again showed some pure "offensive-minded intent", which is a good thing! and quite welcome since we ehhh don't have too many of those minds in our XI do we now? lol However as always "intent" is one thing "execution" another, and imo his overall execution still leaves a good bit to be desired. As for Mr. Grant anyone still remember his "King Midas-like" performance against Barnsley? Of course you do!!!, but for close to every game that has passed since it looks at little more like a TRUE "flukish" outing (or else he has simply spend too much time already alongside the dreaded anti-offensive Dinosaur maybe? lol), although there is no denying the kid got plenty of raw offensive talent! What else... Oh yes exactly like @guentchev implied in his 1st post: going to PR nowadays is simply susceptible to being so so tragic AND comical at one and the same time! No I'm not referring to what might transpire on the pitch ---- but as the vast majority of ITFC fans have loooong conceded what do transpire is about 8 times out of 10 OVERWHELMINGLY boring and almost sleep-inducing in all it's dinosaur-inspired tactical predictability! ---- but rather to the alarming staggering number of attendants who become seriously preoccupied with doing basically ANYTHING other than watching the "action", as the game itself literally drags on!!! Oh I would also like to re- raise the old question of whether TWTD's Game Reviews are really critical enough??? Once again today it seems "OK", as in the Game Review albeit being seen from perhaps it's usual just slightly biased/Blues-tinted perspective being fairly well in sync with what actually took place on the field (which tonight INDEED was an improvement over the latest in our series of horrible performance i.e. the one vs. Leeds. But ask yourself this: It almost HAD TO BE an "improvement" didn't it since it's simply really really darn difficult to play this poorly in back-to-back games, isn't it now??? lol) .... However imo today's TWTD Game Review was as so OFTEN before not quite critical enough, especially in it's choice of words. partly because TWTD as customary does their utmost to NOT step on any individual's toes, incl. those belonging to MM and ME obviously! ..... Which to a CERTAIN degree is understandable I suppose, meaning where maintaining a good relationship with all the employees of ITFC is very instrumental in TWTD being able to continue to feed us hungry hungry fans with the very latest and very "best" news on Ipswich Town FC of course! :-) Any which way according to the Game Reviews being posted by completely NEUTRAL big mainstream sport sites like Sky Sport and ESPN etc etc. there is quite a big (even bigger than usual imo) DISCREPANCY of words and adjectives being used to describe the overall picture of tonight's "action". Some few examples from some of 'em big mainstream sport sites: - "Portman Road bore draw" - "A poor advert for the Sky Bet Championship" - "The match will not live long in the memory" So please Phil and TWTD, while I again fully understand your sometimes delicate situation here (I also remember the lame Stuart Watson incident where he had to apologies to ME and ITFC!), I'm also confident that I'm far from the only fan here who would more than welcome it if you could POSSIBLY just try a little harder to "call a spade a spade" and thus skipping some of this all embracing "wrapped in cotton wool" sports journalism! Thank you! :-) Finally is then REALLY another "excellent point" then??? Definitely YES if now 7 times clean-sheet-holding Brighton had played anywhere near the level they are capable of offensively.... but alas they DIDN'T did they??? In fact almost within mere minutes from the opening kick-off and then slowly but surely through the forgettable first half it was or became VERY visible to anyone at PR that The Seagulls offensively were well below usual standard on the day, (exactly like Wolves, Norwich and even Villa were too!) ... so therefor one can safely argue that they too to some degree "WERE THERE FOR THE TAKING", no not from the kick-off obviously since only a professional Clairvoyant could have foreseen this fairly hot 3rd placed team playing this utterly uninspiring, BUT certainly either coming out to the 2nd half or else around the hour mark then??? But for the umpteenth time under Mick The Dinosaur we per instructions didn't go for jugular/kill, didn't go for the win, and this despite nearly all the odds gradually being tilted in our favor!!! ..... but instead settled for yet ANOTHER 'The Dinosauric Way hard- earned-very-few-shots singular point'!!! So NO, taking all that into consideration oh plus that they played with only 10 men the last 12 minutes, this was not an "excellent point" after all imo!

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BlueMachines added 05:23 - Sep 28 @theman. We'd made all our subs before they went to 10 men. Now whilst I think we should've attacked more after that with a change of formation. We couldn't change the players on the pitch at that point.
1

dannyrr added 05:55 - Sep 28 We played better football tonight and Emmanuel had a good game. The first two substitutions didn't make any sense as we lost any chance of winning a ball in the air. It looked like there was no urgency to go forward and whilst there was lots of passing it was in our own half. Even when they went down to 10 men we still had no urgency to push forward. With almost our last chance in the closing minutes we had a free kick - a perfect chance to test Stockdale with a Freddy free kick we smashed into the wall. What a waste. Like Villa they were there for the taking but we let them off as usual with our failure to drive forward and threaten the keeper. Don't think Stockdale had to make a save in the second half. It looked like they were happy to take a point from the game and we were happy to oblige.

3

wark_on_water added 06:40 - Sep 28 And there goes another generation of young town supporters...
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Hegansheroes added 06:52 - Sep 28 Went to see Leiston last night instead & saw an entertaining game which was a joy to be at at. So glad I didn't waste another £30 and unlikely I'll be going to PR until this truly poor manager has been sacked. Maybe he's been taking bungs like big Sam, let's hope so and we can just shove him out the door
7

Hegansheroes added 06:52 - Sep 28 Went to see Leiston last night instead & saw an entertaining game which was a joy to be at at. So glad I didn't waste another £30 and unlikely I'll be going to PR until this truly poor manager has been sacked. Maybe he's been taking bungs like big Sam, let's hope so and we can just shove him out the door
0

pup12 added 07:02 - Sep 28 Well done Josh E!! Very solid game ,looked to get forward too.MM will soon coach that out of you.To be honest thought we would get beat.Brighton very poor and really there for taking at home.Why take Best off keep him on with Sears.And when Brighton went down to 10 why didn't we go two up top then?Anyone with a spare £30 is not gonna turn up Saturday ,way to expensive.charge £20 fill the ground.Coyb

3

marty5037 added 07:09 - Sep 28 Supporter for over 50years, worse football since Duncan days!!! Why we play two midfielders who can't pass forward amazes me. Why take best off who was putting in a shift. Total rubbish McCarthy
13

sidtheswan added 07:45 - Sep 28 Glad I was on holiday and missed it shame I'm back for Huddersfield game as probably 0-0. Not scoring = relegation not mid table = less crowds = less money . Football is in the entertainment business and we are not entertaining . I would rather see 3-3 then 0-0 ! MM is in charge of the wrong club we do not want boring football we do no want teams that grind out results . Anyway am so bored typing same s*#* every week so seriously cannot wait for the day MM leaves .

4

martin587 added 07:53 - Sep 28 Lowest crowd for a long time to watch a league match and we can see why.ONE shot on target in 90 minutes,and we are the home team.What a disgrace.Emmanual the only plus for me.Things need to change FAST.
8

grumpyoldman added 08:15 - Sep 28 It matters not how well Emmanuel plays as soon as the defenders are all fit MM will revert to playing Chambers at right back. As for saying when Brighton went down to ten MM couldn't change anything, he could have, attacking is about attitude as much as the personnel.
6

essexbluey added 08:23 - Sep 28 People want mick to leave but i can never hear anyone shouting it at the game.
-2

dirtydingusmagee added 08:51 - Sep 28 ..................nope,sod it i cant be bothered ,have a good day folks .
0

poldark added 08:57 - Sep 28 I despair that so many people on here think this was an acceptable performance and result reasons for pessimism : 2 shots on goal in 180 mins. 15000 fans and if you know how it works there is an official attendance and an actual attendance this would be nearer 13000 k . when Brighton went down to 10 men not one shot on goal. Playing Skuse and Douglas in the same side at home. I am a ardent ITFC supporter but can't get excited by what I see weaken week out. We have a owner who has little interest in the club and a manager who couldn't care less about supporters or entertaining we will end up mid table at best

11

Swn98 added 09:03 - Sep 28 Pol dark could you please enlighten us official attendance is obvious actual attendance?
0

poldark added 09:19 - Sep 28 Actual attendance is the actual number of people at the match official is the number of season tickets sold and tickets sold on a match to match basis. Where I was sitting there were at least 10 season ticket holders not at the match so it stands to reason many others were not there.
5

Penguinblue added 09:34 - Sep 28 It has to be over for McCarthy. Tedious, negative, defensive (no matter what) contemptuous, favourtism, dire, boring, suppressor of any flair, hoofball, 'they have spent a lot of money they have', embarrassing repetition in in pre and post comments. Don't you want your club back people? This is awful. Sorry, but even the editorial of TWTD is insipid. OUT McCarthy OUT

6

Bert added 09:35 - Sep 28 It seems that the word hoofball is stuck in some people's heads, even those who were not there last night. Give your opinions but don't become the dinosaur that you label others with. I do hope the professional moaners on here who gave up their season ticket will stop hiding behind their words. Most people at Portman Road support their team and, by the way, see the good and the not so good quite clearly without resorting to cowardly words.

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poldark added 09:53 - Sep 28 Bert unfortunately supporters support there team when they get something back last night fans clapped at a kick from Bart that went for a goal kick the other end because Best chased it that's what we are left with if McCarthy gave something I think supporters would react so don't critize supporters for moaning at the rubbish we are being served up with McCarthy OUT
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Lightningboy added 10:07 - Sep 28 I think our current situation just about sums up our time under Mick: 10 games,3 wins,4 draws,3 defeats,8 scored,8 conceded...it's about as middle of the road & dull as you can get....it'll certainly be more of the same whilst he's still here folks..it's like a slow death..zero excitement,zero optimism. A win versus the top club on Saturday would only be fooling everyone into thinking better times lay ahead under McCarthy. The really frightening thing is that our owner seems to find all this acceptable.

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ormey75 added 10:22 - Sep 28 I just find it amazing that 15,228 people can't find anything better to do on a Tuesday night, when will they learn, it's been the same for 4 years!
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