Luke Varney netted an equaliser just after half-time as Town drew 1-1 at home to Cardiff City, who had central defender Sol Bamba sent off for abuse towards the fourth official during a bizarre second-half temper tantrum. Aron Gunnarsson put the visitors ahead following a Bartosz Bialkowski error in the 38th minute, Varney levelled on 52 but despite the one-man advantage the Blues were unable to find a winner.

Town boss Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side, while Teddy Bishop and Brett Pitman, for the first time since suffering an ankle injury at the end of September, returned to the bench for Myles Kenlock and Leon Best.

Former England striker Rickie Lambert was back in the Cardiff side after missing last week’s 0-0 draw with Brighton through injury, while Lee Peltier returned at left-back after a one-match ban.

In steady, persistent rain and in a slippery conditions, Cardiff started the game brightly and went within a whisker of going in front in the fourth minute when Icelandic midfielder Gunnarsson crashed a 25-yard volley against the outside of Bartosz Bialkowski’s left post from a headed Luke Varney clearance.

Moments later, Bluebirds keeper Ben Amos failed to deal with a Tom Lawrence cross from the left when he punched the wet ball with little confidence, but rather fortunately it ran out to the right flank rather than falling for a Town player in the box.

Having started slowly the Blues began to get on top with visitors’ keeper Amos having another wobbly moment in the ninth minute.

After Lawrence had made a tricky run into the area on the left, Jonas Knudsen crossed to the far post and skipper Luke Chambers, whose header ought to have been claimed comfortably by Amos.

However, the former Manchester United man somehow allowed it to squirm from his grasp to Lawrence 12 yards out, but the former Cardiff loanee’s first-time effort at goal was blocked by the on-loan Bolton keeper as he chased after the loose ball.

The Blues threatened again two minutes later when Lawrence sent over another ball from the left towards Chambers but Joe Bennett got ahead of the Town captain to nod behind.

On 24 Town keeper Bialkowski was twice forced into action as the impetus moved back towards Cardiff. First Gunnarsson hit a powerful shot into the ground from a tight angle on the right, which the Pole pushed away out to the left.

The loose ball was collected by Junior Hoilett, who whipped over a cross, which Bialkowski bravely punched away before being clattered by Lambert.

Four minutes later Matthew Connolly picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Jonathan Douglas.

Just before the half hour, after Cardiff had counter-attacked quickly following another impressive Lawrence run down the left, Christophe Berra made a fine challenge on Bennett on the edge of the area as he prepared to shoot. The loose ball fell for Gunnarsson, who smashed his latest effort well back into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

Amos had had a difficult first half hour in difficult conditions for keepers but on 33 he confidently claimed David McGoldrick’s well-struck effort from 25 hards down to his left.

Moments later, the Republic of Ireland international, who was starting to become more influential, hit a dipping effort from a similar distance which sent Amos scrambling across his goal before watching it fly past his left post. On 37 Lawrence was booked for a foul on Bennett.

While Cardiff keeper Amos had had the tougher half due to the conditions, it was Town keeper Bialkowski whose error led to the game’s opening goal.

Peter Whittingham sent over a corner from the right, Bialkowski looked to catch but dropped it and Gunnarsson slammed into the roof of the net from close range.

An Adam Webster error saw the Blues put themselves back under pressure almost immediately after the kick-off, the visitors winning another corner from which Bialkowski punched without getting any distance but fortunately without it leading to another Cardiff opportunity.

In injury time, a long spell of Town passing ended with Lawrence playing in McGoldrick but a defender just took the ball away from the Blues’ number 10 as he was about to shoot.

Town were continuing to press - Douglas feeling he had been fouled in the area as a final moments corner was sent across - as referee James Adcock blew his whistle for half-time.

As was the case at Bristol City last week, Town found themselves behind in a game which had had little in it and the scoreline was harsh on the balance of the half.

After the early stages the Blues had had most of the ball, but prior to the goal - Cardiff making the most of Bialkowski’s error whereas Town hadn’t been able to profit from Amos’s earlier slips - the visitors had created the better of the game’s opportunities.

Seven minutes after the restart, Town got back on terms. Following a corner on the right. Lawrence brought the ball into the area on the right, fed Webster to his right and the centre-half - by now wearing a bandage on his head - cut back to Varney, who slammed home off Gunnarsson before celebrating with the Blues bench.

Lawrence had proved a big threat down the left all game against his former loan side and on 54 claimed a penalty when he was left grounded as he sought to take the ball past Bluebirds skipper Sean Morrison. Despite loud appeals from the crowd it looked to have been a shoulder to shoulder challenge.

On 56 Cardiff manager Neil Warnock made a double change with Craig Noone and Anthony Pilkington replacing Joe Bennett and Kadeem Harris.

Lawrence continued to be a thorn in Cardiff’s side and on the hour the on-loan Leicester man cut the ball to Grant Ward, who hit a powerful shot past Amos’s right post.

It was Varney’s turn to appeal for a penalty in the 66th minute when he and Morrison both ended up on the ground as the collided as they chased a ball into the area. Again referee Adcock wasn’t interested, almost certainly correctly.

With 20 minutes remaining Cardiff were reduced to 10 men in bizarre circumstances. After receiving treatment following a challenge by Douglas - which hadn’t led to a freekick, the referee having wave play on - Bluebirds defender Bamba shoved his physio to the ground and marched towards the referee and Douglas, pointing his finger angrily at the Town midfielder.

The former Leeds man eventually made his way towards the touchline before turning his tirade towards fourth official Charles Breakspear, indicating that he had been caught by a high boot. Cardiff boss Warnock tried to haul his player away and as the pair grappled on the touchline referee Adcock pulled out his red card.

The Ivory Coast international was eventually persuaded to make his way along the touchline and down the tunnel.

Before play restarted Town switched Varney and Ward for Pitman and Freddie Sears, then Cardiff swapped Lambert for Bruno Manga, a centre-half to replace the dismissed Bamba.

Who's next?! 😡 Sol Bamba takes on the officials and his own manager as he loses his head and earns himself a red card. pic.twitter.com/nd8oY1YAeo– Football On 5 (@FootballOn5) December 10, 2016

On 80, with the Blues having been unable to make their additional man count, Bishop took over from Douglas, who made his way off to cheers from some sections of the Town support and applause from others.

Bishop made a driving run towards the edge of the area in the 86th minute and was fouled, but McGoldrick’s freekick curled well over.

The game entered five minutes of injury time with Peltier the latest in a series of Cardiff players to spend time on the ground, in his case following what looked to have been an innocuous clash with Sears.

Whittingham saw a freekick deflect over after Chambers had been cautioned for the foul which led to it, then Hoilett joined him in the book for wasting time ahead of the corner.

In the aftermath of the corner, Whittingham crossed from the right, Morrison headed goalwards and Bialkowski saved. From the subsequent throw-in on the left Berra blocked from Manga with Cardiff putting the Blues under pressure rather than the other way around in the closing stages.

Moments before the final whistle and the now familiar loud boos from the home support, Noone shot only a few feet wide for the visitors.

Having got on terms the Blues were on top and were creating opportunities regularly if not frequently up to the red card.

After the dismissal, as strange a red card as you’ll see, the Blues never built up any momentum and in the end it was Cardiff pressing for a winning goal rather than the Blues.

As has often been the case in recent weeks, the Blues put in a decent enough performance overall but without creating enough at one end, while conceding a goal caused by an individual error at the other.

The result sees Town, who have now won two of their last eight at home, drop to 17th ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Birmingham, who are seventh following a 4-0 defeat at Newcastle, and a visit to second-bottom Wigan next Saturday.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Webster, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas (Bishop 79), Ward (Sears 71), Lawrence, McGoldrick, Varney (Pitman 71). Unused: Gerken, Emmanuel, Bru, Williams.

Cardiff: Amos, Peltier, Morrison (c), Bamba, Connolly, Bennett (Pilkington 56), Gunnarsson, Harris (Noone 56), Whittingham, Hoilett, Lambert (Manga 73). Unused: Wilson, Ralls, Richardson, Zohore. Referee: James Adcock (Nottinghamshire). Att:15,042 (Cardiff: 246).

Photo: TWTD

yorksblue added 14:32 - Dec 11 Cottoneyejoe. Ditto
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grumpyoldman added 14:36 - Dec 11 Sir As a supporter of the "blues" since 1962 I feel I have to write to you about what my feelings are about the present state of our once great club. I have supported them through the good and bad times, many promotions, too many relegations, but my belief in the club's ability to entertain and inspire me had never waivered until early last season. Over the years I have brought my son, then grandson, to love the club as much as me, but sitting there last season with my grandson against Bristol City I decided enough was enough. We sat there bored out of our minds, Josh sat there staring at the ground occasionally looking up when the SBR stand cheered. The team always seems to be set up not to lose, even against clubs struggling near the bottom of the league, when we should be trying to win. The players we sign are chosen by one man, the tactics we use are chosen one man, substitutions are down to one man. Until that man leaves I will not be attending Portman Road or buying any products sold by ITFC. I will always be grateful to Marcus Evans saving, then subsidising the club for a number of years, but feel that he is blinkered in his ongoing support of Mick McCarthy.

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BillBlue added 14:52 - Dec 11 Have just sent my second email and emphasised the loss of current and future generations of support, which is actually in progress, until he will have nothing left to sell!! I notice these are actually going to somebody called Gleave Parsons.
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grubbyoik added 14:52 - Dec 11 If any other business was falling apart like this one is..you usually hear something from the owner.. Has some body kidnapped Marcus Evans.. Has somebody assasinated Marcus Evans.. Does Marcus Evans exist.. Maybe he's one of those spineless mythical creatures that people have only heard about but never seen.. Mrs Evans.. does Mr Evans exist.. Maybe he doesn't and we got bought by Mick Mcarthy very Limited!! That would explain everything😉

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bressinghamblue added 15:02 - Dec 11 To all the Town fans who have already sent your email to Marcus Evans .... THANK YOU. To all those that have not, let's get this ball rolling. Here's Marcus Evans PR team's email address: prteam@marcusevans.com Let's also post our emails for all to see. I'd love to see this thread have 5000 comments. That way the club, Phil and most importantly Marcus Evans will surely have to take some notice. WE MUST SAVE THIS ONCE PROUD CLUB OF OURS. Mick is killing it. Copy of email below: ------ Dear Mr Evans, I'm writing to you to implore you to take some bold action at Ipswich Town. My first match was in 1976 under the late, great Sir Bobby and I had the privilege - like you - to grow up watching the artistry of players like Arnold Muhren. Our once great club played exciting football, and nurtured its young talent. However, under your stewardship, it has become a shambles under first the thug Keane and now the dinosaur McCarthy. The crowds are at rock bottom, the football dross, and even the faithful like myself are deserting the sinking ship. Why? You have a manager who treats the fans with contempt and who has been frankly clueless for the last two seasons. This season he has hit rock bottom. I am a season ticket holder, and so is my son, and we are bored to the bone. The 10-12 other season ticket holders who sat around us have gone one by one. Now we will too, unless you change the leadership in the club. The answer? It really is simple. Football is an entertainment business - you of all people should understand that. We need bold leadership from YOU. We need a Manager who is prepared to play football the modern way, and to excite fans in the Eddie Howe mould. Someone who gets the crowd behind them instead of treating them as if they are the opposition. Please, please act on this email. This is not a rant - it is a marketing opportunity for you and your company. Take action, and win your customers back. Yours sincerely --------

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Penguinblue added 16:08 - Dec 11 Keep it going everyone. For those not thinking it worthwhile the messages wii get through - even the person employed to delete the e-mails will pass comment. Remember the utter contempt McCarthy shows to supporters if they dare criticise. McCarthy OUT
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BillBlue added 16:10 - Dec 11 bressinghamblue - FYI this is what I said this afternoon. Gentlemen, Please pass this onto Mr Marcus Evans from a person who is approaching 90 and is worried about the future of the club he has chosen to support since the end of the 2WW. Attendances are now lower than at any time in my memory but that is not the main point that is worrying me, It is the loss of future support when week after week I read fathers saying they can no longer get their children to go so already the current generation of support is lost. When that continues the club will close and he will have nothing left to sell. I wrote to him four years ago, when he appointed McCarthy but he chose to ignore me. Please, for the sake of the once great Football Club and for his pocket get rid of the Manager right now but next time ask advice from people who have either played for or managed the Town. Regards to you all, Bill Forrest. We should not forget these are not going to Marcus Evans but actually to a fellow called Gleave Parsons so we could start addressing them personally.

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Penguinblue added 16:11 - Dec 11 and the editors of TWTD. Please start showing some b@llocks
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bressinghamblue added 17:03 - Dec 11 For all you Twitter followers, just set up @BressinghamBlue with the hash-tag #MyBelovedIpswichTown Please show your support for a change of Manager by posting your comments. Let's get this protest trending!
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H1960 added 17:55 - Dec 11 @BillBlue brilliant email, I too didn't want McCarthy 4 years ago either
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Bluespeed added 18:14 - Dec 11 Dear Mr Evans ( if you do really exist ) Never before have I ever felt the need to plead with the football club I have supported through thick & thin since my late father introduced me to the super blues, 52 years ago I in turn have indoctrinated my two sons & there three children to the Ipswich football family despite the lure of Premiership teams with the big names & following, I now find myself asking myself if I can stomach any more of the spin & nonsense coming from Portman road presumably acting upon your instructions? Also the absolute dross being described as football by your current club manager & his team, my 9 year old grandson asked me on Saturday why our captain doesn't take a touch before lashing at the ball? & why we play with two pedestrians in central midfield i of course have no answer, if this was a London stage production or similar entertainment on offer customers would demand a refund, my plea is for you to give the stay away fans & those that suffer most Saturdays your intention to stop the rot ! & ask your manager to stop treating the paying supporters with contempt, he might be a straight talking Yorkshire man but he should remember supporters were here long before him & will be here long after you have both gone if between you you haven't destroyed this once proud club , unfortunately I don't expect the courtesy of a reply however please please please do something about this terrible situation !

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BlueMachines added 19:16 - Dec 11 My email Dear Marcus Having supported ITFC for around 20 years I am growing increasingly concerned about the situation of our club. Please show some ambition and try and gain promotion by employing a manager that has a will and knowledge to win. Please do not waste any money you are willing to invest by giving it to the most unimaginative, uninspiring and most negative manager I have ever witnessed at Portman Road. I support my team ultimately in the hope success will be delivered. As it stands the severe lack of ambition to win a game, let alone a league leaves me disillusioned with the game as a whole. I will not be renewing my season ticket and nor will the mate that I go with until such time that some ambition is shown and Mick McCarthy is shown the door. I realise that I alone won't make a difference but more will be the same as me. The attendances are dwindling. Our passion for the club is dwindling and MM's lack of respect for the fans means our support for him is dwindling. In 4 years I can only remember 1 convincing performance we we went out and won a game with conviction. At home against Middlesbrough. The day Terry Connor was in charge. Once in 4 years have I seen football that I have been entertained by. MMS statements about never dropping certain players or giving up after 1 minute when we went a goal down against Newcastle are unacceptable and his growing defensiveness towards any criticism highlights to me his time has come. The one thing he did right here when he came was to play players in the correct position. Why has that mantra now changed? Chambers at right back because us is a proper bloke is BS. I could go on but I think you get the point. Please show some ambition or the club will be yours. But with no fans. Which ultimately means no club at all. ITFC is not a play thing or a tax break. Not to us. Please show some respect and treat it as a football club. One that shows ambition to progress. One we want to be proud of again. Regards

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Surco72 added 19:28 - Dec 11 Is he still here ? Give Ys all an early Xmas present Evans and put MM out of his misery and a new manager time to look at his squad before the Jan transfer window . Holloways form at QPR makes his backing of MM even less valid
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midastouch added 19:42 - Dec 11 Mick McCarthy (Sunderland, 2003-04) Two wins in 37 games. Win percentage: 5.4% So we have a have a manger with Premier League managerial experience, but it's an experience all the fans who had to sit through it would rather forget! McCarthy is an honest yet boring manager. Fans don't want to part with their hard-earned cash to be bored on a Saturday afternoon. Most of them have enough of being bored Monday to Friday during their working week. The idea of football on a Saturday is to bring one some much-needed entertainment and escapism. Yet the football served up under Mick is so boring it can rival the Monday morning commute! MARCUS HEAVENS WE'RE BORED STIFF OF THE RIGID AND UNIMAGINATIVE FOOTBALL MICK IS SERVING UP, PLEASE ACT NOW BEFORE THE SITUATION TURNS TOXIC! Please let sense prevail!

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chevvymalc added 19:48 - Dec 11 Until we play young and hungry for success players instead of mediocre past it veterans who's self interest is for the Club to stay where it is or perish the thought be relegated because they will be off loaded and lose out on a decent payday . Can anybody say that bar two of Saturdays team would they ever play in the top League or should I say survive in it.!!!!!
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midastouch added 19:49 - Dec 11 And look here, the 3 worst win % records in the Premier League and we've had all 3 of them all appointment by Marcus Heavens!!! YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP!!! See here: The 10 worst managerial records in Premier League history http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/10-worst-managerial-records-premier-760635 Don't you research your statistics Mr Heavens before making such unwise appointments? Your recruitment policy is utterly atrocious! How the heck could anybody recruit 3 people that have all failed so dismally at the top level! It is beyond belief!

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Gcon added 19:53 - Dec 11 Those of you that think the demise of this club is down to the manager, rather than the owner, are completely deluded. By crying for the manager's head you are only adding to that demise. MM is doing his best with zero investment or commitment from the owner. By forcing a change of manager ME will feel he can continue in this manner. A quality replacement is unrealistic given the current ownership. Think very carefully about the direction in which you vent your frustration. A change of manager is not the long term solution.

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grumpyoldman added 20:32 - Dec 11 Gcon I will keep stating the obvious until I am blue in the face. Does Evans, choose the players who are signed? does he decide on tactics? does he decide on style? does he decide who plays in the first team? does he decide on substitutions? Of course the answer to all those guestions is no, MM is in control of all the above. Evans is only in charge of the finances, MM knew the situation before he signed his latest lucrative contract. We all want the club to succeed our only disagreement is who is to blame.

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alfromcol added 20:34 - Dec 11 Not sure this Gleaves guy works for ME anymore see https://uk.linkedin.com/in/gleave-parsons
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Brownie added 21:12 - Dec 11 The performance of the team is down to the manager. He picks it so he is responsible. He has other options but never uses them. The lack of investment is down to the owner. He pays the debt but doesn't appear to want to invest in the team anymore after burning his fingers with previous managers. I don't want to be rude to some on this site but to me you can easily change the manager you can't change the owner without someone to replace him. A new manager will want new players & will change the tactics. That would be a start. I am surprised that some can't see that poor entertainment, results & a crowd that is falling by week will lead to relegation. Not this year in my view but if MM stays & the owner doesn't invest this club will go down.

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Blueactually75 added 21:29 - Dec 11 In the words of the great Sir Bobby: What is a club in any case? Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it. It's not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes. It's the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. It's a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father's hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.

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warktheline added 21:58 - Dec 11 @blueactually75, jeez pal! Your short extract from Sir Bobby stirred more football emotion in me than the whole of the last 2 years! Shame on you Evans and sundry, you're not fit to be mentioned in the same breath as Sir Bobby!
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warktheline added 22:30 - Dec 11 Do you guys know 4 years ago staying in the Championship was absolute paramount to me. But I was wrong, playing football to entertain is far more important and whatever division that may be in at some point in the future is irrelevant. The only way forward for our club may mean several steps backward, but ultimately if we get rid off Mr.Capitalist and cronies we can strive to emulate our golden years. The youth system is the only way forward for clubs like ours. McCarthy is hellbent on Championship status, and as such will never take our club forward. All this scrapping for points regardless of how he achieves it is stagnating our club on many levels. ' Seasoned pros, top blokes, and they call him Skip', may maintain short term, but will long term hinder Ipswich Town FC. I realise and understand many of you will rebuff the thought of lower level football, but there's no gain without pain, and anyhow under this current regime we are undoubtedly heading this way, it's just a matter of time!

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thebeat added 22:37 - Dec 11 Gcon are you for real? Evans isnt the one picking his mates when there are far better players in the squad. Evans doesnt send them out for a 0-0 every week. Yes he should invest more but the dwindling crowds arent down to him. Peoples kids are begging them not to take them to Portman Rd anymore. If we lose them we lose our future crowds. We need a young manager with a proper footballing ethos which will spread throughout the club like the Burley days. He totally changed the way we played on peanuts. It can be done. This squad isnt that bad, hes just picking the wrong players using awful negative cowardly tactics. A good manager would create a system where Didz, Williams,Sears and Bishop could all play. Look at Liverpool at the moment, their front 5 are all attack minded and their movement is amazing. Yes they leave gaps but they are in 3rd and winning far more than losing. He'd never play like that, he wants to bludgeon every team to death for a 0-0 or a 1-0. He cant turn this around, he simply cant because he wont change his ways and it clearly doesnt work. WE ARE 17TH! PLAYING HIS MATES IS GOING TO GET US RELEGATED! How can you not see this?

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armchaircritic59 added 22:42 - Dec 11 Quite so pinewoodblueboy, and i believe you can add Swansea to that list. So even if you didn't include Leicester, that's half the current Premier League!
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