Jonathan Douglas and Daryl Murphy put Blues in front in either half but Wolves equalised twice via James Henry and Benik Afobe in a 2-2 draw at Portman Road. Douglas opened the scoring in the 16th minute, Henry levelled seven minutes before the break, prior to Murphy regaining Town’s lead on 54, but Afobe hit back with a header 15 minutes from time.

Boss Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side against his old club with central defender Christophe Berra facing his former side.

For Wolves, one-time Town loanee Jordan Graham was handed his debut wide on the left of midfield.

Prior to kick-off there was an immaculately observed minute’s silence for former Blues keeper Márton Fülöp, who died aged 32 just over a week ago following a long battle with cancer, and the victims of the Paris attacks.

Cole Skuse struck the game’s first shot of the game well over in the second minute after good work down the left involving Freddie Sears.

There was a scare for the Blues a minute later when Wolves striker Benik Afobe was first to Dominic Iorfa’s ball over the top but stumbled as he took it down and Tommy Smith got back to challenge before Dean Gerken claimed.

Wolves threatened again in the 10th minute when Iorfa made a powerful run into the area but Berra got across to block his shot. The loose ball fell to Graham on the left of the area and Gerken grabbed his effort after a deflection.

James Henry picked up the game’s first yellow card a minute later for a foul on Jonas Knudsen on the Blues’ left but the freekick came to nothing and Wolves broke, Graham sending over a dangerous low cross which Skuse did very well to divert over ahead of Jack Price.

Despite the visitors having had the better of the early chances, the Blues went in front on 16.

A move which started in the centre circle ended with Sears feeding Knudsen on the overlap to his left. The Dane sent over a low cross which Daryl Murphy allowed to pass behind him to Jonathan Douglas, who deftly curled into the corner of the net with the outside of his right boot. It was the Irishman’s second goal in two games and his first at Portman Road.

Brett Pitman wasn’t far away from making it 2-0 on 18 when he blocked Carl Ikeme’s kick and the ball looped a feet feet wide of goal.

As the clock ticked over to 21 Portman Road burst into applause in tribute to Fülöp - 21 was his Town squad number - with the Sir Bobby Robson Stand chanting ‘One Márton Fülöp’.

Having got their noses in front the Blues were looking the more threatening side and on 26 Pitman was inches away from making it 2-0 when he headed Sears’s cross from the left just past Ikeme’s left post.

Pitman went even closer on 32, albeit unintentionally, when a cross from deep on the right looped over Ikeme and bounced off the top of the bar and over.

Three minutes later, a sweeping Town move ended with Sears playing a low ball across the six-yard box from the right but no one was able to add the final touch. Soon after, the former Colchester striker scuffed an effort from distance wide.

The Blues had been well on top having taken the lead but seven minutes before the break the visitors got back on terms.

Graham sent over a corner from the left to the far post, on-loan Newcastle man Mike Williamson stabbed back across the area and James Henry - a Town target during Paul Jewell’s time in charge - turned home from a couple of feet.

Three minutes before the break Smith headed Kevin Bru’s right-sided corner powerfully goalwards but straight at Ikeme. As the half moved into its final scheduled minute, skipper Luke Chambers headed a cross from the left but also to the keeper.

Town will feel they ought to have been ahead at the break after an impressive first half performance.

Having gone in front via a well-worked goal the Blues played some of their best football of the season, keeping possession confidently, passing the ball fluently and carving out one or two chances to increase their lead.

The Wolves equaliser came very much against the run of play and was a very poor goal to concede from a Town perspective.

Six minutes after the restart Murphy hit the first shot of the second half from the edge of the box, the ball deflecting wide for a corner.

Town regained their lead in the 54th minute. Skuse played in Pitman on the right of the area and, as keeper Ikeme came off his line expecting the former Bournemouth man to go for goal, he slid the ball over him but across to Murphy, who nodded in his fourth goal of the season from close range.

Ikeme - in the side as a replacement for the injured Emiliano Martinez - suffered an knock in attempting to get back into his ground but after treatment was OK to carry on.

After Graham had shot over from a promising position on the left of the area, Wolves switched Dave Edwards for Adam Le Fondre on 65 with the visitors.

A minute later Skuse won the ball midway inside the Wolves half before finding Sears, who exchanged passes with Pitman, but the return was just too strong for the one-time West Ham trainee.

Town continued to look the more dangerous side, Murphy sending over another cross from the left on 68 but again beyond his team-mates. Soon after Bru was switched for Ainsley Maitland-Niles, the Mauritius international receiving warm applause as he left the field.

Graham looped a freekick from a dangerous position on the right over in the 71st minute with the visitors beginning to have more of the ball in the Town half.

And in the 75th minute they got back on terms. Le Fondre sent over a cross from the right and Afobe planted an unchallenged header past Gerken from a five yards.

The visitors, who had started to get more into the game before the goal although without looking too much of a threat, went close again a minute after scoring, Le Fondre just failing to reach Henry’s cross from the right.

Maitland-Niles went close to making it 3-2 on 79, the on-loan Arsenal man flicking a header from Sears’s cross just wide. At the other end, Henry shot well over after good work on the edge of the box from Le Fondre.

As the game moved into its final scheduled 10 minutes Wolves were looking much more dangerous than earlier in the game. On 82 Le Fondre hit a shot straight at Gerken.

Two minutes later, Sears and Murphy carved out a chance for Douglas inside the area but Ikeme plucked the Irishman’s shot out of the air.

Kevin McDonald blazed over in the 87th minute with the visitors creating most of the better late chances. Two minutes later, Ikeme did well to punch away Sears’s cross ahead of Murphy and Chambers.

As the game moved into four minutes of injury time Skuse saw a powerful effort blocked, then Douglas hit a strike which deflected through to Ikeme.

In injury time Chambers was yellow-carded for a foul on Ojo, then Le Fondre was joined him in the book for a cynical trip on Sears as Town broke. Town were unable to make anything of the freekick and soon after referee Gavin Ward blew his final whistle.

Town will feel they have dropped two points having been on top and comfortable twice in the game before conceding two bad goals.

Having put in one of their best performances of the season in the first half, the Blues weren’t quite so impressive after the break, however, once Pitman had superbly created Murphy’s goal they should have gone on to claim all three points but allowed the game to drift and Wolves to get back on terms for a second time.

Town remain 10th in the table - now only three points off the play-offs - ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Charlton, who climbed to fifth-bottom after a 1-0 away win at Birmingham.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Bru (Maitland-Niles 69), Douglas, Sears, Murphy. Pitman. Unused: Bialkowski, Malarczyk, Parr, Coke, Oar, Touré.

Wolves: Ikeme, Iorfa, Batth (c), Williamson, Golbourne, McDonald, Price, Henry, Edwards (Le Fondre 65), Graham (Ojo 78), Afobe. Unused: Flatt, Doherty, Coady, Byrne, Holt. Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey). Att: 19,227 (Wolves: 996).

Photo: Action Images

ArnieM added 21:56 - Nov 21 So, would people consider Town turned up today, or not? I have no stats to offer to substantiate my post other than 2 soft or badly conceeded goals, yet again, and a failure to put the game to bed long before we gifted the two equalisers!
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Keaneish added 23:09 - Nov 21 Warktheline - the context of my point was with regard to us being deemed a long ball side and some players not being perceived as 'comfortable' on the ball resultant in them going long. I don't buy the theory that we need to have a right and a left footer for a better balanced central defence. At this level players are competent with both feet. Cahill and Terry are both right footed and they've arguably been the best defensive partnership in recent years. Regardless though. The point was that we're not a long ball side and that these are the least comfortable players on the ball being that they're centre backs. Would Chambers distribution be better at centre back? Probably not but in truth. ArnieM - have you really come on here to gloat at us not winning today? How can you argue we never turned up? We played some good stuff and took the lead twice. Mindless pessimistic rhetoric once more. Today was a good performance other than some soft defensive lapses and the last four performances in a row have been comendable. Should have won. We didn't. That's Championship football.

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Slambo added 23:51 - Nov 21 Genuinely thought i'd get some positive responses for my post. How naive. There's the modern football fan for you... Then again, I also got 2 down ticks for having the temerity to correct a typo I made in an earlier post. Don't know what to think anymore...
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GiveusaWave added 01:36 - Nov 22 Slambo Not much positivity on this site I'm afraid. Few too many posters who only look at the downside of every result. Maybe it links to unrealistic expectations at the start of the season, I don't know. Some posters thought we had a God-given right to be in the top 6 before we had even kicked a ball. I'm happy with 10th. We are still in shooting distance of 6th spot and we are well away from relegation. I think we have a solid mid-table squad and our present position suggests that is the case. We have a few young players coming through who show real potential and MM is building as best he can. We have limited resources, a limited budget and can't go out and spend 3-4 million pounds on players. Pittman and Sears both look good signings. Obviously, MM has signed some duds but thats the danger of the free-transfer market. Let us be thankful we are not in Bolton's position.

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warktheline added 08:27 - Nov 22 @keanish, the Chelsea pairing you highlight are a different class of player, thus your comparison doesn't stack up as far as I am concerned. You not buying into the idea of players having weaker sides takes my argument full circle, you are papering over cracks!
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Dissboyitfc added 08:43 - Nov 22 i cant understand people settling for second best! when mm arrived he removed carlos from right back saying, and i quote those words, " carlos is no right back" So why does he persist with chambers and smith playing out of position, decisions that are costing us games. I am not happy at holding the record for the longest serving term in the second tier of english football, a record i hasten to add is going to improve this year. Not happy at dropping all these games when in winning positions. Its not negativity, its peoples frustrations at the continued madness of playing square pegs in round holes.

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ChestnutSe added 08:45 - Nov 22 Good performance today. Think how much better it will be when we get Ryan and Teddy available as well.
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Dissboyitfc added 08:52 - Nov 22 i feel for chambers and smith, chambers was a decent enough right footed centre half.
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Dissboyitfc added 08:57 - Nov 22 Keanish you make the point, thats championship football, so very true! we dont hold the record for nothing, but sort out the unbalanced team especially defence and it would mean Premiership football! Shouldnt we all want the obvious sorted out so we can experience the top league again?
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Surco72 added 09:46 - Nov 22 Keanish. .. your point about the Chelsea pairing makes MM s decisions look even poorer as Mourinho has dropped both Cahill and Terry and other international defenders to try to find a solution to the teams defensive lapses ,MM plays the same 5 whatever week in week out hoping
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Elizabeth added 09:59 - Nov 22 Same old comments regarding defence ! MM will not change his mind who he plays where. I am puzzled why Bart is not in goal though ! Only he can give his reasons for that ! Lots of games to go and anything can happen in this crazy league ! Keep going lads !!
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Dissboyitfc added 10:07 - Nov 22 Elizabeth, same old comments about bart as well but as you say he wont change his mind, so dont question it. Me personally i will always question square pegs in rounds holes, its costing us goals. i would love to see the defence that play so well at old trafford given a go!
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blueboy1981 added 10:17 - Nov 22 ........ I'm happy with 10th' ...... what a statement to make ? Mind you, I'm not unduly surprised because sitting around me in the stand are a scattering of people who are only concerned about getting their Portman Road outing as part of their 'life' routine - and seriously wouldn't care, or possibly even know, what position we held in the table. I'm not joking. I suppose all clubs have them - but we seem to have our fair share for sure, of low expectancy support.

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essexboy added 10:24 - Nov 22 Why are so many of you just happy to settle for 6th place,that is just stupid.We have a far better squad than last season,and we would be in a far better position now if MM could just see the reason why because the reason being is players playing out of position.ie;Chambers,smith and the keeper should now be changed.Town played very well yesterday and once again lost out on stupid errors.

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Dissboyitfc added 10:28 - Nov 22 Well said essexboy, mind you the way are season is going 6th place even is going to be unrealistic if the errors continue.
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rachelsdad added 10:32 - Nov 22 entertaining game but two bad defensive errors again cost us the extra two points,Douglas Skuse and Sears all had good games but we have a goalkeeper who will not come off his line,two of the worst full backs in the league and a player in Bru who cannot pass the ball (to a blue shirt),he wasted every corner and free kick.on a positive we did play some good football at times,Douglas had one of his best games for Town and Sears looked dangerous.

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essex57 added 10:35 - Nov 22 I find it strange how you get more posters when we throw away a game than when we win I am sick of all the square pegs nonsense football is not an exact science I'm sure MM doesn't select the team to upset the supporters he picks the best combination he's got.To keep on about the keepers is dross nobody's got the crystal ball that will tell you Bart would of saved that shot Finally not enough consideration is made to how our midfield has been ripped apart by injuries.

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Dissboyitfc added 10:37 - Nov 22 And another thing people keep comparing us to teams like bolton and say " be thankful" i am thankful for MM coming in and steadying the club, did a great job on that. But i dont want to look at teams in decline and feel grateful, i want us to to be the : PRIDE OF ANGLIA" again. Something all supporters should want, to feel really proud of our great club mixing it with the top guns again.

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Cloddyseedbed added 10:42 - Nov 22 Well you lot can go on all you like about continued improvement, defense kicking long being excepted, players out of position but that's ok. I for one want us to be a well balanced football playing team that get up the league and stay there on merit. Not one that struggles, stutters, plays safe, accepts 1 point when 3 should have been taken. If we do win is it because we deserve it overall. Not normally, it's because we've been lucky to hang on. We have the strikers to score goals but we don't have the defense to stop them being scored against us. The midfield is being used also to protect the defense and not to connect the defense to the attack, although it was a bit better yesterday. But then midfield has players that are out of position. Bru needs to be in the middle to create, not wide on the right. Anyway midfield is bypassed most of the time and players encouraged to push in to narrow the width of play. Why oh why did we or have we wingers on our books as if and when they do play that is not the role they are given?

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Dissboyitfc added 10:50 - Nov 22 essex57 but the defence hasnt been ripped apart by injuries has it? its the same old back 5. chambers would not be a first choice right back at any other championship side.
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blueboy1981 added 10:56 - Nov 22 ........ essex57 ............ please don't keep looking for excuses - even you should be way past that point. And if you think playing square pegs in round holes will have the desired effect LONG TERM (which is what it has been with us) ........ I would suggest you add a Football Encyclopedia to your Xmas list. It's more of an exact science than playing 'player's out of position' or 'square pegs in round holes' - EVER will be. But NOT rocket science - as we all know.

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peewee added 11:10 - Nov 22 nothing will change until mick stops picking his favs over the best choice. im still dont think gerken is the 1st choice keeper . I still think bart was the difference last season between play offs and mid table. This was the same as loachwhen he lost his place to gerken.
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Dissboyitfc added 11:18 - Nov 22 Blueboy1981.. exactly... love that quote, " its not rocket science" its a simple game in essence, the point is to score more and concede less, surely everyone on here will agree with that? And i am sure also everyone will agree with this, to achieve said objectives you play everyone to there strengths. With big squads these days, the days of utility players at this level are a thing of the past, players like Micky Stockwell ( saw him play in every position even goal) and tommy parkin for example. But theses days it really is a case of every position being filled by a specialist to be successful, its painfull watching smith kicking with his right foot, i like tommy, but he is a total lefty.

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TimmyH added 11:57 - Nov 22 By the way I believe we hold the record in the Football League for being in the same division the longest not just the Championship - the word 'stagnant' comes to mind. So far everything I've seen says we will be in this division come next August.
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ArnieM added 12:37 - Nov 22 Keaneish, I dont see my asking a question is gloating. I was asking for people's views!! You appear not to havd noticed that I also went on to state the same observations you did. Two soft goals, again, cost us yet again, but unlike the usual scapegoating by many on here, aimed as usual, at Gerkin, the guilty party for those soft goals, was Mr Smith, (MM's and notably, the fans "favourite"). I was at the game, singing through most of the game wiling them on to win. I agree with you, it was the best we have played for a while. Some lovely interplay between Pitamn, Sears, and Douglas IMO...and some periods of hoofball, which took the gloss off it for me personally. Town will IMO be mid table unless he buys some decent defenders, or at least play Parr, our natural RB or LB, and perhaps tries the Polish lad in partenership with Berra. Smith? Id have dropped him ages ago.

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