Town recorded their third successive home draw after their game against Huddersfield ended goalless. David McGoldrick came closest to breaking the deadlock for the Blues in stoppage time, forcing a superb instinctive save from Terriers keeper Jed Steer, while Nahki Wells had the best chance for the visitors - who had sub James Vaughan red-carded in injury time - in the first half when Christophe Berra hooked his effort off the line.

Town boss Mick McCarthy made three changes from the team which lost 2-0 at Blackburn a fortnight ago with left winger Tommy Oar handed his full league debut.

The Australian international, who was making his first appearance at Portman Road, came in for Larsen Touré, who dropped to the bench, with Ryan Fraser, who missed the game at Ewood Park with an ankle problem, sidelined for two months with a knee injury.

Jonas Knudsen, who was ill at Blackburn, returned at left-back with Jonny Parr also amongst the subs. Up front, Brett Pitman replaced Daryl Murphy alongside Freddie Sears.

Town started brightly, Oar sending in a second minute cross which Pitman was only able to flick on towards Luke Chambers but Huddersfield left-back Jason Davidson cleared ahead of the Blues skipper.

Two minutes later, Ishmael Miller turned Tommy Smith on halfway after Maitland-Niles had lost possession and broke away into the area on the left but Berra got across to block his shot.

Play quickly moved to the other end and Oar whipped over a low cross from the left which Terriers skipper Mark Hudson cut out ahead of Sears.

With Oar off the field receiving treatment for a nose bleed after an early clash with Huddersfield keeper Steer, Miller again escaped down the visitors’ left flank on nine but rather wasted the opportunity by scraping a poor effort across the face of goal and wide.

The Terriers continued to have the better of it with the Blues giving possession away too easily with the ball rarely sticking up front.

There was an escape on 10 when Knudsen slipped allowing Sean Scannell to get away from him on the right but keeper Dean Gerken easily claimed his cross.

A minute later Chambers got his name in referee Andy Davies’s book for a trip on Harry Bunn with Huddersfield breaking following a Town attack.

Maitland-Niles hit a shot against a Huddersfield defender on the edge of the area on 26, Town’s first strike of the afternoon, albeit one of little consequence.

However, the Blues were starting to see more of the ball but without particularly threatening, while the home crowd were becoming increasingly frustrated by some of referee Davies’s decisions.

On the half hour a contentiously freekick awarded against Maitland-Niles almost led to Huddersfield taking the lead. Miller flicked on a header and Wells, who scored three times in the two games against Town last season, lifted the ball over the advancing Gerken but Berra did superbly to get back to hook off the line.

Cole Skuse showed an impressive turn of pace to get back to muscle Scannell off the ball in the 34th minute having initially slipped, the Terriers again having broken quickly with Town short of numbers at the back. Shortly afterwards the Blues midfielder mis-hit an effort from distance which trickled through to Steer.

Three minutes later, Dean Whitehead, a Town target during his former Sunderland boss Roy Keane’s time in charge at Portman Road, was booked for a foul on Sears on halfway.

With the half in its final five minutes, Oar whipped in two dangerous freekicks from the right which Martin Crainie and then keeper Steer cleared. The Terriers also managed to deal with the latest in a number of Knudsen long throws, albeit at the third attempt.

The game remained goalless at the break with Huddersfield having gone closest to opening the scoring with the Wells chance that Berra hacked off the line.

The visitors had presented the greater threat throughout the half, particularly on the break, with Terriers keeper Steer having had a very quiet first half.

Oar’s first appearance at Portman Road lasted only 45 minutes with David McGoldrick replacing the Australian, who had found it hard to get into the game, at the start of the second half with Sears moving to the left.

McGoldrick hit a low effort through to Steer in the 54th minute after Maitland-Niles had laid the ball off to him but the Huddersfield keeper was again untroubled. Four minutes later Smith was booked for a foul on Miller on the halfway line.

Huddersfield put the Blues under pressure as the game moved towards the hour mark but were unable to create a serious chance. Then on 61 McGoldrick shot well over from distance. A minute later, Douglas was booked for a foul on Bunn.

Murphy replaced Pitman on 68, while for the Terriers Mustapha Carayol took over from Scannell, who had suffered a knock a few minutes earlier.

The Blues number nine made an immediate impact, feeding Sears, who hit a powerful low effort which forced Steer into his first proper save of the afternoon.

There was controversy moments later when Huddersfield keeper Steer kicked the ball out of play as one of his team-mates was injured. As he did so the player got up and Chambers, much to the annoyance of the visiting players, took the throw quickly to Maitland-Niles.

The on-loan Arsenal man crossed towards McGoldrick and Murphy but the offside flag was raised.

Joel Lynch headed Carayol’s corner over, then at the other end Douglas nodded a Maitland-Niles’s freekick over at the far post.

Town were having most of the ball as the game moved into its final 10 minutes but still without creating many significant openings.

On 81 McGoldrick cut a low cross back from he byline on the right to Douglas, who was tripped, the loose ball falling to Murphy, whose effort was stopped brilliantly by Steer.

However, it was all academic with the linesman indicating that the ball had gone out as McGoldrick crossed.

Huddersfield went close in the 84th minute when Davidson's freekick from the left fell to Emyr Huws on the edge of the box. Gerken saved his shot, but the loose ball fell to Terriers sub Vaughan. His effort looked set to be saved by Gerken until it was turned over by Lynch. With four minutes remaining Touré replaced Maitland-Niles.

Town continued to push, Skuse seeing a shot blocked after a Chambers cross from the right was blocked.

The Blues had a great chance to win it in injury time. Knudsen’s long throw from the right was cleared to Touré. The Guinean international’s shot took two deflections and fell to McGoldrick eight yards out but Steer instinctively stuck out a leg to divert it wide.

Huddersfield were reduced to 10 men in the closing stages when Vaughan needlessly threw the ball in Knudsen’s face as the pair argued over a throw. Referee Davies had no hesitation in brandishing his red card.

The former Canary’s dismissal was the final action of Town’s third home draw on the trot with the Blues now having gone four games at Portman Road since their last win, against Burnley on August 18th. Their most recent previous 0-0 draw was against Bolton at Portman Road in January.

Having been very much second best in the first half Town, who kept their third clean sheet of the season, were better after the break but without ever dominating or creating many openings.

The Blues improved after the introductions of McGoldrick and particularly Murphy and probably should have claimed all three points when the former Nottingham Forest man had his chance late on.

However, aside from that opportunity, Douglas’s header over was perhaps Town’s only other serious chance of the half and the visitors, who recorded their first clean sheet of the season, also might have won it via Vaughan’s rebound from Huws’s late shot.

Town, who have now won just once in seven league games, are up to 10th ahead of back-to-back away trips to Hull City on Tuesday and Forest next Saturday.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Skuse, Douglas, Maitland-Niles (Touré 85), Oar (McGoldrick 46), Pitman (Murphy 68), Sears. Unused: Bialkowski, Malarczyk, Parr, Bru.

Huddersfield: Steer, Davidson, Cranie, Hudson (c), Lynch, Huws, Whitehead, Scannell (Carayol 68), Bunn, Wells, Miller (Vaughan 73). Unused: Murphy, Smith, Paterson, Dempsey, Billing. Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire). Att: 17,937 (Huddersfield: 395).

Photo: Action Images

alfromcol added 18:50 - Oct 17 MM said in his post match interview on Radio Suffolk that Douglas was "brilliant" and his reaction to the crowd calling for DM and Bru “I'll just tell you that the more they shout probably the less chance they're going to come on,” SAYS IT ALL!!!
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Penguinblue added 18:51 - Oct 17 MM. It is time to go.
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bazzer59 added 18:53 - Oct 17 I think it is time for MM to move on,to play the same back 4 big mistake ,no creative midfield player,cmon Mcarthy move over lets get a forward thinking manger Bye
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airliner added 18:58 - Oct 17 Very sad we are mid table at best. Mm tactics are so dinosaur like . We need some creativity , Douglas not the answer. It's time for a change of manager I feel, he's had enough time now , or the owner needs to give mm some proper money to bring in quality players . Too many freebies and loans here !
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H1960 added 19:06 - Oct 17 Utter rubbish the worst game i have seen for years, we have been enduring this crap for too long now, McCarthy has taken us as far as he can, safe from relegation but unable to take us to the next level. The football we are watching is typically the man (remember how dull his teams were at Wolves and Sunderland?) I never bothered to watch a live game if either of those teams were on as I knew I would end up asleep inside 10 minutes! A fresh approach is required as genuinely believe we have a strong squad capable of achieving success if used properly, Parr at RB, Smith on left side of central defence, Chambers on right, out of form Berra dropped, Bru to provide some desperately needed creativity in midfield with the ineffective Douglas dropped with Sears and McG up top, pick players on form and go their proper positions keep the ball on the deck (the game is called football) than see what happens I rest my case

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H1960 added 19:07 - Oct 17 Utter rubbish the worst game i have seen for years, we have been enduring this crap for too long now, McCarthy has taken us as far as he can, safe from relegation but unable to take us to the next level. The football we are watching is typically the man (remember how dull his teams were at Wolves and Sunderland?) I never bothered to watch a live game if either of those teams were on as I knew I would end up asleep inside 10 minutes! A fresh approach is required as genuinely believe we have a strong squad capable of achieving success if used properly, Parr at RB, Smith on left side of central defence, Chambers on right, out of form Berra dropped, Bru to provide some desperately needed creativity in midfield with the ineffective Douglas dropped with Sears and McG up top, pick players on form and go their proper positions keep the ball on the deck (the game is called football) than see what happens I rest my case

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Hegansheroes added 19:19 - Oct 17 When MM was appointed I was totally opposed to it knowing the sort of football all his teams played. I was slated by a lot of people here, now everyone seems to agree with me. MM did the job of turning things around from PJ@s days & got us to the play offs. Thank God we didn't get promoted because we would have been the whipping boys in the Premiership probably having been on the end of some serious thrashings.

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runaround added 19:45 - Oct 17 Not good enough again. I've been very supportive of Mick but this picking of woefully out of form players as they are his favourites is becoming a major problem. The defence are error stricken & unable to move forward with the ball & resort to punts whilst Skuse & Douglas are similarly unable to run forward with the ball. Opposition teams have worked us out & the wingers & forwards are left isolated from the rest of the team. We are too predictable & no constant changing of the forward line makes no difference. He needs to change the personnel elsewhere in the team & change tactics too. Today's game was awful, Huddersfield came with the intention of falling over to win free kicks to break up the game and we let that happen far too easily. Officials were poor too but that's normal & not the issue.

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Walk_the_Wark added 19:46 - Oct 17 So finally people are beginning to say what a few of us have known all along...!!
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Cakeman added 19:49 - Oct 17 How is it possible we receive £8m from Mings sale and end up with a poorer team than what we had last season? Is it Mick being stubborn or Marcus not really backing Mick? Whatever the truth is we need a drastic change of Manager and/or Owner. Yes I know it is easier said than done but this dross cannot continue. These are not heat of moment comments but thought out. Each game I look forward to including lunch and banter with family and friends but the last few weeks I have come away from the ground really fed up. Now we also appear to have a well respected Manager who is not interested one jot in the supporters opinions. I notice the attendances are starting to fall again and no wonder. I would say the current set of players have no desire either. Chambers aside who is a great leader but poor player at the moment. Bring back Varney (when fit) because at least he had a heart for the club! I know the Hunt brothers had their critics but again they had heart which is more than can be said for our untouchables namely Berra, Smith and the two Ronnies in midfield aka Skuse and Douglas. As for McCarthy he is too proud to admit when he is wrong and boy is he wrong just now!

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BriggEnd added 19:52 - Oct 17 Talk The Talk Walk The Walk Mcarthy. Ive been a big fan of micks since he came here but im fast loosing patience now. Its all gone tits up since we drew man utd in the mickey mouse cup and dumbo deceided to put a week side out and fleece the traveling army who made the effort to travel that night i was one of them and im still angry after paying hard earned money to watch paint dry. Its coming back to haunt Mcarthy now saying Bristol City was his priority that week. We are still waiting !!!!!. Living up in Yorkshire i only attend games around me Tues night i will be at Hull City last weekend i was invited to old trafford to watch Leeds Rhinos its the best bit of live sport i have watched in years passion in droves and £40 on a ticket well spent. Rant over Tuesday night we await taking a book with me just in case !!!

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warktheline added 19:56 - Oct 17 Horses for courses, maybe this horse has run its race. Alfromco post is disturbing, it confirms McCarthy's ridiculous stubbornnness, no way to run a professional football club is it Mick, especially if you go and check our stats since the turn of the year! My way or the highway, what a joke..... The joke ultimately will be on you McCarthy, hilarious that, isn't it?.... Me thinks not! A bigger man knows when he's wrong, ARE YOU THAT MAN McCARTHY?

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StowTractorBoy added 19:57 - Oct 17 Sorry Hegans heroes but that is a strange comment to make i.e. 'thank God we didn't get promoted' Almost every poster on here would I am sure loved us to have been promoted otherwise what is the point in striving for it let alone the riches that come with it. I note you were opposed to MM being appointed but I firmly believe very few would have got us out of the terrible mess we were in and yes it is the past but nevertheless worth some gratification as we may still be in Division One now and you would really have something to get your teeth into. I can more than understand the frustrations of most on here and believe me after enduring the Blackburn fiasco where we were worse than today and then follow it up with another awful display I am bitterly disappointed. Mark me down if you wish but will the Club really dismiss a Manager with a Club 10th in the Division and 3 points off the play offs ? I totally agree that the fayre on offer at the moment is way below the standard we would like and it could get worse before it gets better but I am keeping the faith with the Manager at the moment and I believe MM and TC whom we all adored last season can turn it around. I may be wrong but God I hope not.

1

halsteadblue added 19:57 - Oct 17 Phil,please can you do a MM in or out poll.....After yet another shambolic performance today from a totally inept team and manager,the subsequent postings on here clearly shows that MM has lost the support of the majority of ITFC supporters.
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TimmyH added 20:11 - Oct 17 Another disappointing saturday passes and after seeing the starting line up I had a chuckle to myself, can't help feeling the International break made Mick's mind up to a degree to still keep his favourites in place considering they had an extra week's break (the majority). I'm not going to go on about certain players being in the starting 11 or players playing out of position as we've basically been going on about it for weeks and hardly nothing has changed. This might be the season which could break McCarthy, ok he has the argument he hasn't spent hardly anything on transfers but then again he never has but HAS got a greater quantity of freebie or cheap players in to strengthen the squad which are proving to be pretty average at present. He has to show greater flexibility with dropping out of form players because at present there are too many performing at lower standards than last season. Poor all round at present including the management, By the way where is Teddy Bishop at the moment, 3 weeks ago he was getting fitness back playing for the reserves but no sign of him today even on the bench? We desperately need him and Bru back in the midfield.

3

warktheline added 20:15 - Oct 17 .....Example: Burnley, adjusted to the Championship, immediately reinvested to strengthen, Andre Grey ring any bells to a few doubters!!! Results on the pitch. .....Contrast: Ipswich, failed to evolve, didn't reinvest to strengthen, Poor results on pitch. I stated 6 weeks ago Burnley were now real promotion candidates when they signed Gray, and that's the difference at present, they continually are looking forward, on the other hand, we aren't, and ultimately without doubt you stop, and then go backwards. McCarthy and Evans, over to you!

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happybeingblue added 20:16 - Oct 17 shocked to see so many anti mick posts on here lets all pause for breath a moment its only october after all,and he is basically putting together a team on a shoestring so patience is needed I think, no one has mentioned absence of tyrone mings which i do believe he was a big player for us last season despite criticism from others on here! anyway since when has this league ever been easy we should know we have been in it long enough ! i think ipswich fans are some of the most realistic and patient in the country and i think big mick deserves our backing at the moment!!

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essex57 added 20:24 - Oct 17 Can't see why there's lots of criticism for Gerks today I'm not his greatest fan but thought he had a good game . Also note that there's the usual critics of Smith I thought he was mom those two players earn't us the point. Knudsen fair first half good second agree don't know why we persist with long throw ins though. Mcgoldrick floated around and achieved nothing bar missing a sitter Don't know why he didn't sub Douglas for Brew Murphy is so badly underachieving and only encourages the long ball tactics.Sears floundered on the Wing .The rest were pretty average. Still think it's stupid asking for the management's head especially as those being put forward couldn't get success with millions that's why they are out of work. What lots of contributors don't take into consideration is how tight this league is we drew with Bristol City they beat forest reading were down the bottom half there now second keep the faith support the team and let's see how many points we can amass come April.

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Keaneish added 20:27 - Oct 17 What is it that makes a manager implode? Some kind of "God" like syndrome always thinking they're right and they can wield their power as they see fit. There is so much wrong at present it's plainly obvious for the entire stadium to see but in truth, we were having the same conversations last year. Look at the Bru situation today. Bru is out of contention at the mo yet we have three games in 7 days and with Hyam, Bishop and Coke all out, he's a shoe in to start one of those games given the age of Douglas right? So, with the Mick mantra of "win your home games and get a point away", why do we leave Bru on the bench for the easier home fixture and then look to use him away from home in more difficult matches when being more defensive is Micks preferred approach? Or does Mick think we'll need a fully sharp Bru to get anything at all out of Hull or Forest? Either way, something is rotten. Stop swapping the strikers! For decades now you hear pundits saying you need to give partnerships a run of game. If it's Pitman and Sears so be it but let them play. Not, "if you haven't scored or looked lively enough after 60 mins you're off" what a joke! This weirdly contradicts Micks dressing room mentality too. Two points of many but they all point to the same thing, an implosion. Call it vanity, call it stupidity but either way things are starting to rot the same way they did for Magilton and Jewell - Keane was desperate from day one.

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warktheline added 20:29 - Oct 17 Another thing I've picked up on is it all used to be about McCarthy and TC working together, but now it's all about McCarthy. Has it become a one man band, it appears so, with dire consequences!
2

BillBlue added 20:30 - Oct 17 Hegansheroes - me too. 43 downward ticks for my opinion! Now - those people who gave them to me have seen the light and are calling for this poor critters head, makes me laugh. HaHa!! Look how some of them slated Blueboy too, just for stating his opinion, an opinion with which I thoroughly agreed. I did assume this guy would have the ability to get us out of this Division (full stop) but changed my mind about that one in February.

1

Kirbmeister added 20:32 - Oct 17 I said at the start of the season we are mid-table, just like we would have been last season except for Murphy. Get ready for a long hard winter everyone.
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blueboy1981 added 20:58 - Oct 17 ......... the thing that really concerns me is that MM seems to have a total disregard for fans / supporters opinions - in fact I feel he is totally contentious, and will do the complete opposite to what is plainly obvious to most, and needs correcting. Are these the traits of a 'good manager' .... ?? - or the antics of someone who couldn't care less, and well enough off to be so. If this is the case - the sooner he goes the better - for the benefit of the Club, and all.

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blueboy1981 added 21:10 - Oct 17 ....... if the quote from alfromcol is factual - that proves the point in my last post. Surely, making a statement like that in most cases of employment, would constitute misconduct. If indeed correct, of course - which would then prove he has NO regard for the people who pays his wages - ULTIMATELY, although indirectly, US. Can't believe a responsible person/ manager could/would show such contempt.

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essex57 added 21:14 - Oct 17 Wark the line parachute money mean any thing to you
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