Free-kicks from Nathan Broadhead and Leif Davis either side of half-time saw Town come from 2-0m behind to draw 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road. Conor Chaplin missed a 19th-minute penalty for the Blues before Michael Smith and George Byers netted on 27 and 34 to give the Owls, who went into the match top of League One, a commanding lead but Broadhead’s brilliant free-kick in the 43rd minute and Davis’s deflected strike six minutes after the restart claimed a point for the Blues, who subsequently looked the more likely to grab a winner.

Town boss Kieran McKenna made four changes from the team which drew 1-1 at Cambridge United last week.

Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess returned at the back for Richard Keogh and George Edmundson, who dropped out of the squad, while Cameron Humphreys started in midfield for the injured Lee Evans.

George Hirst was the central striker against the club where he started his career and where his father David was a legend in the eighties and nineties with Freddie Ladapo on the bench.

Wes Burns was fit enough to start wide on the right having been a doubt ahead of the game.

Town’s other former Wednesday man, midfielder Massimo Luongo, missed out on a place in the 18 having been another concern going into the match.

The Owls made one change from the team which beat Plymouth 1-0 last week with goalscorer Callum Paterson injured and Akin Famewo coming into the side. Former Town loanees David Stockdale and Tyreeq Bakinson were on the Owls’ bench.

The Blues struck the game’s first shot in the eighth minute, Broadhead cutting back from the left towards Chaplin but a defender just did enough as the Blues’ 15-goal top scorer shot to take the sting out of his effort which bounced harmlessly through to Owls keeper Cameron Dawson.

The visitors created their first chance two minutes later, Smith smashing well over the bar after chesting down Byers’s pass.

Town continued to see most of the ball and as the game past the quarter-hour mark the Blues won two corners in quick succession.

And from the second, the Blues were awarded a penalty. As the ball was played short, Burns was sent to the floor by Marvin Johnson and the linesman waved his flag frantically to indicate a foul. Referee Geoff Eltringham discussed the matter with his assistant at length before pointing to the spot but didn't show a card as they were unable to identify which player had thrown the elbow.

Chaplin was charged with taking the kick - Hirst having tried to grab the ball before the referee had even confirmed the award - hit it down the middle and the keeper saved with his trailing feet as dived to his left.

Town were to rue the miss eight minutes later when Wednesday took the lead. Following a quickly-taken free-kick on the left, Josh Windass was played into space down the flank with the Blues sleeping. The former Rangers man crossed and Smith glanced a deftly-guided header over and across Christian Walton into the top corner of the net.

Seven minutes after the first goal, the Owls made it 2-0. After Will Vaulks had been booked for time-wasting ahead of a free-kick on halfway, skipper Barry Bannan looped the ball into the box and as Davis and Windass challenged in the air, it fell loose to Byers on the edge of the area from where he hit a low shot past Walton and into the corner of the net.

Wednesday were almost handed a third in the 36th minute, Woolfenden gifting possession to Smith midway inside the Town half with Walton advanced from his goal. Fortunately for the Blues, the former Rotherham striker took the ball too wide and eventually Vaulks struck a low shot from the edge of the box which was straight at Walton.

The Blues’ support’s frustration with that incident, how the game had progressed and their team’s increasingly scrappy display was made clear, as it was when a number of subsequent passes went astray.

However, in the 42nd minute, the Blues pulled a goal back. Humphreys was tripped as he burst towards the area and Broadhead sent a powerful shot over the wall and into the top corner of the net to Dawson’s right.

The recent signing from Everton’s first goal for the club completely changed the mood around Portman Road and the previously deflated home fans roared their side on as the half entered its final minutes, Hirst breaking into the area on the right before hitting a shot against a defender.

Moments later, Burns was correctly penalised for a foul on Flint as a cross came over from the left and reached Hirst at the far post, the striker scuffing wide in any case.

Town ended the half in the ascendency with their fans continuing to give them their backing.

Up until Broadhead’s goal - and it’s difficult to recall a better Town free-kick since the days of Martijn Reuser - it had been something of a nightmare half for the Blues.

Town had started to look threatening when they were awarded the penalty but as so often this season the Blues failed to make the most of an opportunity with Chaplin’s spot-kick a poor one.

Wednesday, who had shown no threat up until that point, then went in front via Smith’s excellent header, although Blues boss McKenna will have been less than impressed with the lax defending following the quick free-kick.

Town defended similarly poorly to allow the Owls to go two in front and at that stage the game looked all over with Wednesday having a chance to make it three.

However, Broadhead’s goal changed the atmosphere around the game with the impetus with the Blues as the half-time whistle blew.

Three minutes after the restart, Morsy won a free-kick on the right. The ball was sent to the far post but Burgess just couldn’t reach it while battling with a defender.

The Blues were beginning the second half very brightly and in the 49th minute, Davis sent a dangerous ball across the area from the left but with no one there to add the final touch.

A minute later, Chaplin was tripped as he broke towards the area on the right, Byers picking up a yellow card as a result.

And from the free-kick, the Blues levelled. Davis smashed a shot which looked to be going beyond the far post but it clipped Byers on the way through and flew into the top corner to put the Blues back on terms, a position which had looked wholly unlikely in the minutes after the visitors’ second goal.

Having equalised, Town went looking for a third goal. On 55, Chaplin struck a remarkable volley back over his shoulder from the edge of the area after a corner had been cleared which he was unlucky to see fly straight to Dawson.

Six minutes later, Chaplin again sent the ball into Dawson’s arms, this time the diminutive forward having headed towards goal unchallenged from a Davis corner on the left.

On 65, Burns was played in on the right of the area and sent over a powerfully hit low cross which was cleared. Moments later, Hirst laid off to Chaplin on the edge of the box but the former Pompey man’s shot was blocked.

The Blues were dominating with the Owls unable to get out of their half. A minute later, Dawson claimed a Chaplin cross, Iorfa almost having clumsily felled the Town man as he broke towards the byline.

Town made a double change in the 69th minute, Ladapo and Marcus Harness replacing Hirst and Chaplin. Five minutes later, Wednesday swapped Windass for Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

Blues chances had become rarer but in the 75th minute Clarke unleashed a shot from well out on the right which landed on the roof of the net.

A minute later, the Owls threatened for the first time since the break. Flint was found unmarked on the right of the area from a free-kick. The 6ft 6in tall centre-half’s nod back from a tight angle was blocked but the ball ran back to him and he smashed a shot over the bar. It was a lucky escape for the Blues.

With 11 minutes remaining, Town switched Burns and Broadhead, who had been undergoing treatment on the pitch, for Kayden Jackson and Sone Aluko. Jackson quickly sent across two low balls from the right which were cut out.

On 86, the Blues replaced Davis with Greg Leigh, then two minutes later the Owls brought on Dennis Adeniran for Bannan.

The Blues found themselves under some pressure for the first time since the break as the game moved into five minutes of injury time with long throws coming in from both flanks which Town successfully defended.

After a long throw had been knocked back out to him, Clarke looped over a ball from the right which reached Ladapo but the striker scuffed his shot wide.

Humphreys saw a cross nodded away before referee Eltringham brought an entertaining game to a close.

While Town went into the game after the three points, from the position they found themselves in after 34 minutes, a 2-2 draw can’t be seen as anything other than a positive result, the game having followed a similar pattern to the game at Hillsborough earlier in the season when Wednesday came from two down to draw.

Having missed the penalty and after going behind, as at Cambridge last week, the Blues fell apart somewhat after conceding and gave away another poor goal.

Broadhead’s brilliant goal dragged Town back into it and in the second half, after Davis had levelled, there was only one team which looked likely to win it with all bar one of the chances created by the Blues.

The result sees Town stay third, now level on points with Bolton, who moved up to fourth following their 5-0 win at Peterborough, while Derby slip after losing 3-2 at Wycombe.

Wednesday are now second, still six points ahead of the Blues, two points behind Plymouth, who return to the top following their 3-1 victory over Portsmouth.

Town are back in action again when they travel to take on Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Ground on Tuesday.

Town: Walton, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns (Jackson 79), Humphreys, Morsy (c), Davis (Leigh 86), Chaplin (Harness 69), Broadhead (Aluko 79), Hirst (Ladapo 69). Unused: Hladky, Donacien, Leigh.

Sheffield Wednesday: Dawson, Palmer, Vaulks, Iorfa, Bannan (c) (Adeniran 88), Windass (Dele-Bashiru 74), Byers, Famewo, Johnson, Smith, Flint. Unused: Stockdale, Brown, Bakinson, Shipston, Fusire. Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham). Att: 29,072 (Wednesday: 2,148).

Photo: Matchday Images

warktheline added 18:07 - Feb 11 Terrific character and fight back shown by the boys! Sheffield Wednesday's form over the last 15 games or so, has been remarkable….not that many shortsighted moaners here, could equate ! It's all to play for! Exciting times ahead…well it is for the ‘half full' mindsets!
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blueboy1981 added 18:18 - Feb 11 The Jokers are about again marking Posters, not Posts, down again !! Go and Play on your Playstations instead … !!!
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ernie added 18:23 - Feb 11 Suffolkboy: Nail on head. Great comment.
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Karlosfandangal added 18:24 - Feb 11 Next 5 are very winnable before Bolton…..5 wins a min now to get Town back in to the race.
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Stato added 18:32 - Feb 11 Selection of Hirst over Ladapo a joke
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Stato added 18:34 - Feb 11 Why is our leading goal scorer our most subbed player.
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algarvefan added 18:40 - Feb 11 Great game for the neutral, I don't however think that we have some divine right to win ever game or play well. When Smith was through on our goal and we should have gone 3-0 down I thought we would lost this game by a margin, but we didn't and the second half performance was much better without ever hitting top gear. I have been a town fam for nigh on 60 years and it has never bee 'easy' even in the Robson era. I d think however we are stll a work in progress since the gamechanger take over. We have a mostly young squad and manager and both are still learning. In times where everyone wants instant results, it doesn't always work that way, the take over has given us our football club back and I have been mightily impressed by the new owners and in McKenna. I honestly don't know if we will make promotion this year, either automatically or via the play offs. I do however know we are still in the mix in February for either promotion and nothing is yet decided, a run of wins can change anything, as can a loss of form. Either way I'm pleased wit what has happened at Town, today's draw is not a disaster, we need to keep going. Lets not get too depressed by this weekends draw!!!

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Bert added 18:42 - Feb 11 A point gained or two dropped will depend on your perspective and balance of thought. Mine is a glass half full but I want a full one from now on. Awful defending in the first 30 minutes but we were by far the better footballing side in the second. Not convinced the substitutions were all required as we were well on top but there is all to play and hope for subject to being a bit more street wise.

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WonTheCupin78 added 18:45 - Feb 11 Showed plenty of spirit in the second half. Going to need that kind of fight and drive if we end up in the play-offs (which looks increasingly likely). 8 points off the top and 9 points off 7th. Wouldn't have believed we'd be in this position 2 months ago. Would we have taken a play-off spot pre-season? I don't know. For those saying "5 winnable games ahead" have you looked at Wednesdays and Plymouths fixtures? They'll be thinking something similar.

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warktheline added 18:48 - Feb 11 As per blueboy starts with the insults!! That comeback must have ‘hurt' !
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Barty added 19:12 - Feb 11 Must win game that we didn't. Penalty miss crucial. Being the draw specialist will not get us automatic promotion. Still plenty to play for but plays off it will be I think.
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SoCalTownFan added 19:14 - Feb 11 I for one cant wait to go to Stevenage and Leyton Orient next year. Totally appropriate for a club like Ipswich, who 20 years ago were paying in Europe and going to Old Trafford, or 40 years ago were top 2 or 3 in the country. "Being positive" crossed over to being deluded, naive and settling for something less than the fans and owners deserve, about 3 months ago when it became clear "gelling" and a "new manager settling in" was actually a crap manager. Something needs to change. Like get a new Manager who can find a way to turn draws in to wins and not give away a goal in the 94th minute every other game

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AlanG296 added 19:24 - Feb 11 7 teams in 15 now that have left Portman Road without being beaten by Coach McKenna's team this season. Yes, you can't expect to win every game, but a strong home record is a basic for a team that aspires for top 2 position.
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wezley53 added 19:33 - Feb 11 A great game albeit the wrong result, should have been playing against 10 men but officials unable to identify offender, not clever. We desperately need an out and out center forward like Smith who scored a brilliant header and we would be top no doubt. You could see by the physical make up of Wednesday , a team of slender giants that they are ideal to get out of this crap league. All in all we played very well and must get a winning run together as of now.

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Reality_2021 added 19:41 - Feb 11 Anyone know what Chaplin's converted penalty rate is at Ipswich? Surely we have someone better at taking penalties.
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joyousblue added 19:43 - Feb 11 I think we should have a twtd premier fir genuine fans who get worried disapointed but still believe , and as for the moaners all twelve that minused me because they moan about my moan about them , that will be the second tier with no relagation though i still see robson wark getting relegated , and thats twtd 1 not like the premier those were the days premiere , no this is thise were the dimwits one

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USA added 19:49 - Feb 11 I have been ridiculed on the forum previously for these beliefs but I stand by them tonight. Morsy - everyone says he is too good for this league. I have yet to see it. Today for example he was lambasting all around him after Weds 2nd goal yet he watched Byers waltz past him and score. Often off the pace of the game, hence the reason he a card away from a 2 game ban. Which, if we had other fit centre midfielders would be a blessing. Yes he dictates the game tempo but again that's a problem because our game is too slow. Wednesday, in both games against us this season had spells of quality direct forward play and scored 4 goals in very short spaces of time. McKenna - The man is obsessed with giving players specific minutes. His substitutions are all so predictable. Cambridge was the first time I ever saw deviate from his plan, which is always change the front 3 after 65 minutes regardless of how we're playing. To me it seems there is nothing tactical to the manage the game we are in on the day or to adjust to opposition. It's like an alarm clock has gone off and therefore the changes need to be made. The subs almost never improve us. It's obvious McKenna has no plan b and at this level you need one. He is light years ahead of other recent managers but in my opinion needs to recognise that other tactics can work at this level. Maybe try 1 x No.1 and 2 up top now and then. Lincoln away we desperately needed that and it's so often the case. Rather than just down mark me, please let me know where I am wrong. Uppa Towen

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Lightningboy added 20:12 - Feb 11 Not our usual selves in that 1st half but much better after the break. Still think we waste far too much time faffing around knocking it sideways & backwards - the obsession with building out from the keeper is slowing our game down far too much & I get the feeling that Walton's dithering on the ball at times is unsettling the defenders in front of him - sometimes it takes an eternity to get the ball into the opposition's box. The next 5 are now must win - no more messing about.

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Linkboy13 added 20:12 - Feb 11 I can Never understand why Strikers don't take penalties when they are meant to be natural finishers. Ladapo for me is a better striker than Hirst . Ladapo's hold up play is far superior to Hirsts who for me runs around like a headless chicken. Considering Ladapo hasn't had a regular place in the team his goal scoring record is not bad. We looked very lightweight in midfield against the giants of Wednesday and Morsy worked his heart out and showed what a great professional he is . Been saying for a while that we need a dominant centre back with leadership qualities and this was evident in the first half with players looking at each other and in disaray. Morsy man of the match for me who inspired the comeback and always seemed to be in the thick of the action. I wouldn't have played both Chaplin and Humphreys against the physically of the Wednesday side. Having said all of this we should have won the game.

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dirtydingusmagee added 20:13 - Feb 11 Shame the penalty ''miss'' cost us points. But credit to team for not giving up. I HATE the new subs rule. i like and am fully behind KM for what he has achieved since his arrival, BUT i think his constant use of subs ''because i can '' is his Achilles heal . We play two halves with ''different teams'' week in week out , imo its killing us , Although we didnt lose i really dont think we can make the auto top two, its looking like a fight to the playoffs , and on current form we wont go through. The next few games winnable ? should be ,but things will need to improve ,we cant put a winning run together. It will be soul destroying if the top two hit a bad patch and we are still not performing . COYB lets take the bull by the horns ,

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adeblueboy added 20:19 - Feb 11 It would be interesting to see how we would do with a settled side or just a change or two. I am sure the other sides around us do not make as many changes as us. A very good squad we have but is it holding us back?
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Bomber added 20:19 - Feb 11 On a positive not there are not many teams that can come back from two nil down against Sheffield Wednesday which just proves the team can do it & match the best in this league. However, the defence does need sorting I don't know about anyone else but whenever there is a chance for the opposition to cross the ball into our box I feel myself getting nervous whether it's from a set piece or open play. Kieron needs to get a grip of this & I do still have confidence he is the man for us. 16 games to go if we get on a run we could still get automatic promotion but that run has to start now. COYB!!!!

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RobsonWark added 20:24 - Feb 11 Piss poor penalty from Chaplin. He is someone I would put my money on from 12 yards but he hit it straight down the middle at feet height. No mater what way the keeper dived he would have saved it.
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SickParrot added 20:26 - Feb 11 It was a good comeback to get a draw but what a hole we dug for ourselves. We were woeful for the first 40 minutes. Most of the players looked scared stiff, we hardly found a blue shirt with a pass and our defending was shocking. We did dominate the game after Smith failed to take his chance to score a decisive third but created very little from open play. Fortunately we were dangerous from set plays. Broadhurst's free kick was superb and I thought his performance was outstanding. I thought Hirst and Clarke had decent games but the rest of the starting 11 were average at best. When Broadhurst was subbed off we lost our main attacking threat. It's the playoffs at best for us this season and we are too fragile mentally to get promoted that way. If we're to get promoted next season we need to defend better (probably have to replace Woolfie and Edmundson who make far too many mistakes) and a midfielder who can pass the ball earlier and forwards instead of sideways.

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RobsonWark added 20:37 - Feb 11 joyousblue added 17:22 - Feb 11 "this was a good result ii think the newbies will slowly get better , not sure about hirst ," I bet you were one of those calling for us to sign Hirst - our 20 goal a season scorer and messiah despite us being the top scorers in the division!! Hirst has done f'all since he has signed.
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