Collin Quaner’s first Blues goal gave Town a fifth minute lead but Molla Wague equalised for Nottingham Forest on 31 as Paul Lambert’s side recorded their sixth 1-1 draw in seven games. Quaner stabbed in an Edwards cross to put Town ahead but Wague scrambled home from a corner as Forest had the better of the first half. However, the Blues were dominant after the break but were unable to turn their superiority into their fourth win of the season.

Boss Lambert again made five changes with Cole Skuse, Matthew Pennington, James Bree, Teddy Bishop and Quaner all back in the team.

Toto Nsiala, Kayden Jackson, Andre Dozzell and Trevoh Chalobah dropped to the bench, while Josh Emmanuel was left out of the 18.

The Blues lined-up in their familiar 4-3-3 system with Alan Judge and Gwion Edwards either side of lone central striker Quaner. Keeper Dean Gerken was back among the subs having been ill last week.

Forest, with their assistant manager Roy Keane making his first return to Portman Road since his time as Town boss, made three changes with Jack Robinson, Molla Wague, making his first start for the Tricky Trees, and former Blue Daryl Murphy coming into the team.

Joao Carvalho, Karim Ansarifard and Alexander Milosevic all dropped to the bench. Former Blues loanee Jack Colback skippered.

At a blustery Portman Road Town went ahead with the game’s first serious attack in the fifth minute via a well-worked goal down the right.

Bishop fed Bree, who played the ball into the path of Edwards breaking ahead of him. The Welshman crossed low and Quaner turned his first Blues goal through Forest keeper Costel Pantilimon’s legs from a few feet out.

The goal inevitably led to chants of ‘Keano, what’s the score?’ from the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

On 13 Murphy flicked a header well wide for Forest from Joe Lolley’s cross from the right following a corner with the visitors taking the game to the Blues, who in turn were looking a threat on the break.

In the 20th minute Ben Osborn was sent away down the left by Murphy and crossed low. Ex-Town loanee Colback worked himself an opportunity to shoot but Pennington slid in superbly to block. Two minutes later, Lolley found himself space but scuffed his effort through to Bartosz Bialkowski.

Eight minutes later good play on the right led to Bree sending over another dangerous cross but behind Quaner and with no one waiting behind him.

Right on the half hour Forest levelled. Lolley’s corner from the right was scruffily bundled over the line at the near post by Wague having hit Jon Nolan as it had come into the box.

Skuse blazed over for the Blues from distance in the 32nd minute, then Murphy flicked a header straight at Bialkowski with the visitors having most of the ball and keeping Town in penned back in their own half for the most part.

Murphy looped a header over in the 41st minute from a Lolley freekick on the left before the Blues were forced into a change with Skuse, who had suffered a couple of knocks, replaced by Chalobah.

Just as the game went into two minutes of injury time, Forest thought they’d gone ahead. From a freekick on the right, Bialkowski saved from Yohan Benaloune, but the ball fell to Murphy at the far post and the Irishman squeezed the ball home, however, with the flag having been raised, wrongly video evidence suggests.

That fortunate escape was the last action of a half which had started very brightly for the Blues with Quaner netting his first goal for the club from a very well-worked move.

However, from there Forest had been in control with Bialkowski the only keeper forced into action and the equaliser - albeit a scruffy goal from a set piece Town will feel they should have kept out - was little surprise when it came. Had Murphy’s goal counted it wouldn’t have flattered the visitors.

Three minutes after the restart Nolan headed straight at Pantilimon after Bree had crossed following a patient Blues build-up down the right.

Town began the half positively, enjoying more of the ball than they had before the break. On 51 a cleverly-worked freekick almost saw Chambers play in Quaner but a defender’s toe intervened.

A minute later Chalobah was inches away from Town’s goal of the season smashing a volley from the edge of the box only just wide.

The Blues, with Judge increasingly involved following an unusually quiet first half from the Irishman, continued to take the game to the visitors and were much improved from the first half. On 57 Edwards burst down the right and whipped over a dangerous cross.

Quaner made way for Jackson in the 59th minute with Town still on top and Forest by now the ones rarely breaking into the opposition half of the field.

In the 63rd minute, the Blues almost scored a brilliant second goal. Bialkowski kicked long down the right for Judge, who bamboozled his man twice before sending in a superb cross for Nolan, who had made strong run into the six-yard box but somehow the former Shrewsbury man, who scored his first ever header at West Brom last week, nodded the ball just the wrong side of the post.

Moments later, Forest made a double with Carvalho and Matty Cash replacing Ryan Yates and Ben Osborn.

Town continued to press, Jackson hitting a low shot from 20 yards through to Pantilimon in the 71st minute.

The Blues were denied what would have been a brilliantly worked second goal in the 73rd minute. Judge pulled the ball back to Nolan, who smashed the ball home off the underside of the bar.

However, referee Stroud, never a popular official on his regular visits to Suffolk, pulled play back as he hadn’t blown his whistle, much to the annoyance of the Town players and fans.

Forest were next to go close, Bialkowski saving first from Cash and then from Murphy in the 76th minute. Soon after, Forest switched Pele for Karim Ansarifard.

But the Blues, who had been excellent since the break, were still presenting by far the greater threat. On 81 Chalobah sent Jackson away on the right but the ex-Accrington Stanley man’s shot from a tight angle was blocked by Pantilimon.

Jackson had an even better chance in the 83rd minute when Chalobah again played him in but once more the Blues striker was thwarted by the former Manchester City keeper.

Moments later, after Colback had been booked for a foul, Judge’s freekick from the right was sent just the wrong side of the post by Tendayi Darikwa with Forest by now pegged back in their own box with the Blues winning a succession of corners and freekicks.

Town were doing everything but scoring. On 86 Pantilimon found himself in no-man’s land when Bree sent a ball back into the area from deep but still somehow managed to paw Pennington’s header behind. A minute later, Chambers nodded Judge’s corner from the right wide.

The Blues continued what had been almost relentless pressure for most of the second half in three minutes of injury time in which Jackson had what looked a great shout for a penalty when he looked to be brought down by Wague as he tried to shoot following a Judge freekick.

Nsiala replaced Bishop for the final few seconds in which Judge’s 20-yard freekick was deflected wide off the wall.

Town did everything but score in a second half they dominated virtually from start to finish with Forest only threatening when Bialkowski made his double save. the performance after the break was if anything an even better display than at West Brom last week and certainly the best 45 minutes at home this season.

The Blues again had chances and Nolan will feel he ought to have been celebrating scoring a header for the second week running, while the midfielder was also extremely unlucky not to have scored with his strike following a freekick when referee Stroud - who was booed off by the Town support - took play back for the set piece to be taken again.

Stroud also once again involved himself in penalty controversy, as he did when Town were at Aston Villa in January, with Jackson appearing to have been fouled in the closing stages.

Overall, yet another positive performance against opposition with play-off aspirations but again one which wasn’t turned into three points, to some degree not entirely Town's fault in this instance given Stroud's refereeing, while Panilimon in the Forest goal was a safe pair of hands throughout.

The Blues, still 13 points plus goal difference from safety with just eight left to play, are next in action at Portman Road in a fortnight following the international break when Hull City make the trip to Suffolk.

Town: Bialkowski, Bree, Pennington, Chambers (c), Kenlock, Skuse (Chalobah 41), Nolan, Bishop (Nsiala 90), Judge, Edwards, Quaner (Jackson 59). Unused: Gerken, Knudsen, Dozzell, El Mizouni.

Nottingham Forest: Pantilimon, Darikwa, Benalouane, Wague, Robinson, Yates (Carvalho 64), Pele (Ansarifard 77), Colback (c), Lolley, Murphy, Osborn (Cash 64). Unused: Steele, Guedioura, Watson, Milosevic. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire). Att: 16,709 (Forest: 1,691).

Photo: TWTD

blueboy1981 added 18:39 - Mar 16 RobsonWark .......... maybe you should have been at Rotherham too. No offence taken if you should have .. !! Call yourself a supporter ? - joke. If you can, and do read you will know I am not Chambers biggest fan by far - just being fair - and pointing out that Managers, and ex players such as Mick Mills etc; etc; should know more than you - or me. Therefore a visit to Spec Savers may well be better suited to you .... ?? As I've said - Buy the Club, appoint your own Manager, get rid of Chambers - in other words do that, or do what's best for you. Your choice, and it's obviously to focus on just Chambers - at present.

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ITFCsince73 added 18:46 - Mar 16 My god down votes a flowing from the happy clappers.
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ITFCsince73 added 19:01 - Mar 16 Blueboy. Are you sure......I want the very best for a club I've supported for over 40 yrs. And I don't look on Chambo staying for another 2 yr as the best I could want. The club won't move forward by keep making these horrendous decisions. We never learn. If Chambo was well thought of as a defender at Championship level, do you not think clubs would be queuing up to offer more money than us. We offered the best deal available to him. As I'm sure he would have been off to earn more, in which it's his last pro contract. Were most likely not going to be able to keep Judge, because he's regarded as a good Championship midfielder, and will more or less pick what club he wants to play for. There's a big difference in what is described as a good quality player, or one with no quality apart from fist pumps and the odd quality tattoo. These are my opinions. Like it or lump it.

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Dolphinblue added 19:06 - Mar 16 Awesome game, loved it, we were unlucky, Forest were poor.
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ITFCsince73 added 19:21 - Mar 16 Forest was poor today. A team that will drift off to finish mid table. Most definitely missing there top scorer, who no doubt would have turned Chambo inside out today.
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Elizabeth added 19:27 - Mar 16 I haven't posted for a while but have been digesting all the comments made ! We now have to resign ourselves to life in League 1 next season and with the players we have especially the youth , I'm confident that we will bounce back .. be good to see some positive results .. no point bitching about certain players , it's human nature that we all prefer some to others , I'm sure they are playing to the best of their ability and Paul Lambert has certainly introduced a pleasing style of football !

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TimmyH added 19:34 - Mar 16 As I said in my earlier post, Forest like a number of clubs in this league are fairly average - good to see the lads put in some performances but I wouldn't read too much into it...the pressure is more or less off and we're almost relegated...and has to be said with a whimper!
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ITFCsince73 added 19:39 - Mar 16 There isn't many who consistently post sensible, honest, unbiased comments. Who clearly only have the club at heart. But you certainly are one #TimmyH.
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heathen66 added 19:41 - Mar 16 Great game marred by disgraceful refereeing. Started on the front foot and manged to get in front with a very well taken and well worked goal, but then sat back in a 4-5-1 formation and allowed Forest to dictate the game to us. We were one pacesd from back to front Why we put everyone back at free kicks and corners I do not know as there is just utter confusion. Put at least 2 up the pitch , who will be marked by at least 3 and then give defenders space to defend. Again,a blessing in disguise was Skuse getting injured although it took more than 10 mins too long to make that decision as Skuse could hardly get himself off the floor I would question why the motm on Tuesday is dropped and come on and gives another motm performance. Chalobah was again fantastic, winning headers, tackles, expansive passes and shots at goal. Controlled a far more experience midfield battle. Good performances again from Kenlock, Judge Pennington Nolan and Bree with Bart again back to somewhere near his best. I must admit i am still confused as to why we insist on playing one up top as we never have enough bodies in the box. I think we deserved far more than what we got and if we can keep one or two of the stars in Chalobah and Judge then we may well have a chance next season. Despite our position the entertainment has been 200% better than anything Mick served up and honestly I would not swap back !!! This is what we all hoped for when Paul Hurst took over and it is his players in Edwards, Nolan, Chalobah, Jackson that are now coming to the fore proving themselves rather than the old guard of Spence, Knudsen, Skuse, Sears, Ward etc... Roll on next season...COYB !!!

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TimmyH added 19:50 - Mar 16 Shame - agree ITFC73 - there seems to be a wave of optimism sweeping this thread currently after some reasonable performances of late and thinking we're going to take League one by storm next season (hopefully which will come true). Realism rarely strikes the most ardent of supporters other than looking at a table of the league. I wonder if anybody has contributed the performances to the psychological aspect of almost being relegated and the weight taken off the players shoulders?...which will soon go back on them the start of next season (mental side plays a big part in all sports).

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ITFCsince73 added 19:53 - Mar 16 We've only won 3 games all season, as we creep towards the end of March. That is a total disgrace, there's no other words or way of putting it. There has and continues to be no fight. Yes agree performances have improved, but by god they had to. The whole club feels a much better place, again there was no choice, otherwise we would have finished the season playing in front of 7000. This all doesn't change the fact the last 8 must wins have all been failures. Finishing the season with a draw in every game will Please the majority it seems. Signing Chambo for 2 years is the wrong decision. It's the wrong playing decision the club could of made. After Tuesday I was hoping the club would have been pulling up trees to keep Judge. But it turns out all effort was going into keeping the calamity. The club leader of our worst ever season.

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Cakeman added 19:55 - Mar 16 What an entertaining game that was! We had more excitement in 90 minutes today than we had for all of last season. Great effort lads, fully deserved a win and keep playing like that the fans will come flooding back as long as our owner is realistic with his prices. Only down side was another mystifying incompetent performance from Keith ‘ I like being the worst ref in England' Stroud. What an absolute disgrace of an official he is. I am glad he is not a dentist as he would probably fill the patients nostrils instead of their teeth!

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Michael101 added 19:57 - Mar 16 About chamber's new contract,if we had a oppsion a one more year why give him a 2year contract at his time of life??. Don't get me wrong a old head in a group of youngsters is not a bad thing .But do we need him for 2years,unless there's a job on the bench waiting for him.
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Carberry added 20:07 - Mar 16 Blueboy, you really need to get back in your box. Stop abusing people on here because they have a different opinion to you. You keep coming up with this garbage about buying the club if you want to express another view, that's unrivalled delusion. Maybe you are the 5th columnist - stirring up trouble. And by the way, easy on the exclamation marks and try to get all your thoughts into one post, there's a good lad.

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blueboy1981 added 20:10 - Mar 16 ....... told you he was obsessed - can't get the word Chambers out of his head. Sad life some lead. Move on for your own wellbeing, as well as the Clubs.
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ITFCsince73 added 20:11 - Mar 16 Michael. All due respect. Can we expect Chambo, to not be captain. Can we expect Chambo to sit on the bench. Both definitely no. Chambo doesn't do, being out the 11. Let's just hope he has more success leading the team next season. Because clearly the leadership this season has been.....look at the league table to see that obvious answer.
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ITFCsince73 added 20:12 - Mar 16 Happy clapper Blueboy jog on.
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blueboy1981 added 20:20 - Mar 16 Carberry - thanks but no thanks, if abusing 'people on here' is giving an honest opinion then I suggest you acquire a better understanding of the word before posting. I'll say again, and make NO apologies for saying - Criticism of the Owner, and the way he runs the Club - is easy. Coming up with an alternative ownership is where you go no further. Simply - because there is no current alternative, unless you are the very first to have one. NO EVANS equals NO IPSWICH TOWN FC. Hope you under stand that - and not too many words for you .... !!

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blueboy1981 added 20:23 - Mar 16 Right now this Club could well do without the critics - they will eventually be the ultimate downfall.
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essextractorboy93 added 20:29 - Mar 16 Excellent performance today in the second half, felt we were flat in the first and you could feel that around the stadium but my god in the second half we were absolutely brilliant, probably the best we have played all season. So much to be positive about, just missing that killer instinct in front of goal but the most encouraging thing is we are now creating lots of chances which we couldn't say earlier in the season. Jackson was lively when he came on and his chances weren't easy. Stroud was a joke, every week he is making mistakes, see what he did in Middlesbrough Preston in midweek? Mistake after mistake

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Dissboyitfc added 20:37 - Mar 16 What an enjoyable game that was! The wins will come if we continue playing like this. The season may well be decided for us now but I want us off bottom spot, we are not the worst side in any shape or form. We continue to dominate teams with some lovely football, so pleasing to watch at times although frustrating we can't score and when we do we have the officials against us! Slowly we are getting our team back, this is so much better than the dross of recent seasons, I do feel entertained and that's not something I felt very often under the Dino!

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ITFCsince73 added 20:40 - Mar 16 I've never criticised Evans, called him a tight arse on occasion... Ultimately it's the playing staff....whoever that may or may not be, they are the only people who can effect progress as a club going forward. And you know who, wasn't the way to go. Of course that is just my opinion. Evans can spend his money how he sees fit, just like me, you or anyone else.
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RobsonWark added 20:43 - Mar 16 ITFCsince73 "There isn't many who consistently post sensible, honest, unbiased comments. Who clearly only have the club at heart", I DO have the club at heart...that's why I want Chambers OUT. You must be a Canary ITFCsince73...why else would you want to ruin our club supporting Chambers in the team?
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Michael101 added 20:43 - Mar 16 Itfc73 sorry I r make my point very clear,when I said on the bee i mean in a coaching capacity.
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Carberry added 20:44 - Mar 16 Blueboy at the moment EVANS equals NO IPSWICH TOWN FC, have you noticed the downward spiral we are on? And if you can't see when you are abusing people I suggest you get some help as soon as possible. I'm seriously worried about you.
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