David McGoldrick netted a brilliant low drive deep in injury time to grab Town a last-gasp 2-2 draw against bottom club Rotherham United at Portman Road. Freddie Sears had put the Blues in front in the third minute but man of the match Danny Ward equalised four minutes later, then put the visitors in front three minutes after the break. Town rarely looked like getting back on terms in a lacklustre second half until McGoldrick’s late strike.

McGoldrick, Teddy Bishop, Cole Skuse and Myles Kenlock all returned to what was an unusually attacking Town starting line-up.

McGoldrick, who was making his first start since the opening day of the season, formed a a front two with Sears, while Bishop came back into the middle of midfield with Skuse, who was back after missing out at Newcastle with a toe injury.

Kenlock was handed his first appearance of the season at left-back in place of Jonas Knudsen, who suffered a back injury at Newcastle.

Conor Grant dropped to the bench, alongside ex-Millers striker Leon Best, and there was no place in the 18 for Jonathan Douglas.

Rotherham included former Town keeper Lewis Price among their subs, along with their new signing, veteran Nigerian international striker Peter Odemwingie.

The Blues started brightly with Sears and Tom Lawrence, playing wide on the left, both having early crosses blocked.

And in only the third minute Town went in front. Lawrence appeared to rather scuff his freekick in from the right but Sears reacted quickly to the miscue and turned the ball past Millers’ keeper Lee Camp at the near post to claim his second goal in three games following his long goal drought.

But the Blues’ lead lasted only four minutes. Centre-half Adam Webster cleared Joe Newell’s corner from the right to 18-yard line, Jon Taylor beat Bishop in the air and headed it back into edge of the six-yard box, and Danny Ward turned home his seventh goal of the season from close range.

On 10 Town keeper Bialkowski came off his line quickly to punch away from Dexter Blackstock as the former Forest striker chased a header from halfway down the middle. Blackstock required treatment having collided with Bialkowski but was eventually OK to carry on.

Blues strike pair Sears and McGoldrick combined to create an opportunity on 21, the former West Ham man eventually cutting the ball back from the right but behind the Irish international. Kenlock ran in from deep on the left and smashed a shot against a defender.

Town were starting to get on top and for a spell the visitors found themselves pinned back in their half following a corner on the left won by Lawrence, with the Blues passing the ball around with what has recently been uncharacteristic confidence.

However, it was Rotherham who created the next serious chance, a loose ball falling to scorer Ward in the box and Webster doing well to block his shot.

McGoldrick threatened for the first time on 26, the striker heading over from Lawrence’s freekick on the right with the on-loan Leicester man starting to find his range with his set pieces.

On 32 Will Vaulks shot wide off a Town defender after a long throw from the right had been cleared to the edge of the box.

A minute later, Bishop, who had had a quiet half up to that point, skipped his way past a number of Rotherham players and rode a couple of tackles as he broke into the area from the left but scraped his shot wide.

In the 35th minute the visitors were forced to swap ex-Colchester man Greg Halford, who had picked up a knock, for Dominic Ball.

Kenlock, who was enjoying an impressive first half, wasn’t too far away from putting the Blues back in front on 36 when he forced Camp to scramble away his far post header from Grant Ward’s looping cross from the right.

McGoldrick and Sears interchanged again in the 38th minute on the Town left, the latter eventually cutting the ball into the area but a defender cleared before it reached his strike partner.

In injury time Berra was caught in the head by a Rotherham boot following a Town corner but referee Darren Bond waved away the Blues’ penalty appeals. The loose ball fell to Webster but his snapshot flew out for a throw on the far side.

The final whistle was greeted by scattered applause from the home support, who will have been pleased with an enterprising first-half display from their side.

Having claimed the early lead Town will have been disappointed to concede the equaliser almost immediately with set pieces Rotherham’s main threat throughout the period.

The Blues had kept the ball better than has often been the case recently and passed it around confidently in spells with Sears and McGoldrick combining well on a number of occasions.

However, aside from Kenlock’s header, Millers keeper Camp hadn’t been forced into making many saves with the visitors’ backline defending with greater solidity than has often been the case this season.

The second half got off to the worst possible start for Town with Rotherham taking the lead in only the 48th minute.

Webster and Berra got in one another’s way as Vaulks’s long throw came into the area from the right and Danny Ward turned a volley past Bialkowski, the striker’s eighth goal of the campaign.

A minute later, as Town looked to get back in the match, Grant Ward volleyed over from not far outside the area after a Lawrence corner had been cleared.

There was another scare for the Blues from a Rotherham long throw, this time from the left, in the 56th minute when Vaulks’s ball into the area avoided everyone until it reached Richard Wood beyond the far post but the Millers’ skipper shot wide.

At the other end, Grant Ward went well wide after Lawrence had brought the ball deep into the Rotherham half.

The goal had given the visitors confidence, however, and they were having most of the ball, while Vaulks’s long throws continued to cause problems.

McGoldrick rode a couple of tackles and shot over on 63 with the Blues still to really get going after the break.

Two minutes later, Ward crossed from the Town right, McGoldrick flicked on but Lawrence’s header was easy for Camp to claim.

Moments later, Town made two changes, Ward and Bishop making way for Leon Best and Jonny Williams with Sears moving to wide left and Lawrence to the right.

On 71 Williams crossed from the left towards Best but the ball was headed clear to McGoldrick, but the striker curled his shot well over.

With the Sir Bobby Robson Stand vocally complaining about Town’s style of football in no uncertain terms - “Mick McCarthy, your football is s–t” - Luke Varney took over from Kenlock, who will have been very happy with his display.

Rotherham looked to be seeing out four minutes of injury time until McGoldrick’s dramatic equaliser.

Webster crossed from the left, a defender headed the ball out to McGoldrick, who smashed a low drive through a crowd of players and past his old Forest team-mate Camp. The Rotherham players, who thought they had claimed their first away win of the season, collapsed to the floor.

There wasn’t time for any further action before referee Bond ended the game. Despite the late goal there were still boos on the final whistle and further frustrated chants aimed at manager McCarthy.

The Blues failed to capitalise on their early lead, giving away the first of two set-piece goals soon afterwards, and while they were on top and played well in spells in the first half, they created few chances.

Town struggled to get going in the second half after conceding Rotherham’s second goal so early on. They huffed and puffed but never created a clear-cut opportunity until McGoldrick - who looked out on his feet by that stage - hammered home his goal.

Despite the late equaliser, a home draw with the division’s bottom side - Rotherham had lost their last seven games, had lost all seven of their away games and were eight points from safety - is huge disappointment for Town and added to fans’ frustrations with manager McCarthy, as was evident from the chants from the terraces.

The point moves the Blues up to 15th in the table with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday, who lost 2-0 at Derby today, next week.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Webster, Berra, Kenlock (Varney 84), Skuse, Lawrence, Bishop (Williams 66), G Ward (Best 66), Sears, McGoldrick. Unused: Gerken, Emmanuel, Bru, Grant.

Rotherham: Camp, Fisher (Odemwingie 80), Fry, Wood (c), Mattock, Taylor, Halford (Ball 35), Vaulks, Newell, D Ward, Blackstock. Unused: Price, Kelly, Forde, Forster-Caskey, Brown. Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire). Attendance: 15,247 (Rotherham: 205).

Photo: TWTD

dirtydingusmagee added 23:20 - Oct 29 how the hell can people go along to a match and stay positive with things as they are,If the manager cant get a team up that are prepared to play for the clubs pride and their own, a few thousand fans who have just forked out and are there on a cold miserable winters day watching a gutless performance cant really be expected to lift them . Give us a break Pencil pete, The writing is on the wall, has been for a while,i stopped going to matches just before end of last season because of the way things were going and i could see it getting worse, i said at start of season we would be in bottom four at Christmas,i still feel same, If the fifteen thousand that attended today want to sing good luck to them,but dont blame them if they choose to go to a Karaoke pub on a Saturday to do it .

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norfolkbluey added 23:45 - Oct 29 I feel so sorry for our fans. Game after game it's the same old story. I just don't understand the club's decline. Nobody at the top appears capable of grasping what is going wrong or how to put things right. How can such a rich and talented person like Mr Evans remain so passive and disinterested in what is happening to his baby. This after all has been going on for such a long time. After 55 years a supporter I am seriously beginning to lose the will to be interested.

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milliem added 00:11 - Oct 30 All these Budgies on here pretending to be Town supporters. The fact is your team got stuffed 5-0. Norwich are a joke team who will never the league or indeed anything. If I was a halfwit like Blueboy1981, Battyblue etc I'd probably post on Cumonthebarclays pretending to be a Norwich fan but I've got more class than that.
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Bluefox added 00:12 - Oct 30 Don't get along regularly these days but did again today. Very disappointing how things are slipping backwards although there were some sparks there from McGoldrick and Williams when he came on. Chambers had the worst game I have seen him have but I think Skuse is big problem in a game like today when sides need breaking down. Gives nothing going forwards and just doesn't get on the ball enough for a continuity player. Bishop and then Williams were looking for the ball off the back four - hardly ever Skuse. McCarthy has to find more midfield creativity if he is to stay on... Can't believe some people are calling for karl Robinson to replace McCarthy. I did see MK Dons play under him a couple of times against Colchester Utd. A big (McCarthy style) side that were very effective in League One but were completely out classed in the Championship.

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BrettenhamBlue added 00:29 - Oct 30 Milliem How do you always seem to know so much about Norwich? That's what I find strange... Poor result, but could have been worse. I feel Mcgoldrick has rescued Mick by scoring that late equaliser. Anyone who keeps on saying "we are excellent" and "we are doing great" are clearly living in a deluded dream. We are in deep trouble. Only positive thing about it is there are about 12 teams in the same position. We should aim for a 0-0 at Wednesday, every point now is critical.

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ITFCRealist added 00:31 - Oct 30 You said it was a must win game. All I can hope is that's what your boss told you. You did not win. I hope you go back up Norff with you tail between your legs. FCKIN EMBARRASMENT.
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paris_mitchell_in_oz added 01:24 - Oct 30 I listened to the game online. I have NEVER EVER groaned in disappointment when we've scored a goal. I was hoping for a defeat in the hope that MM would be shown the door. Dark days at PR.
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Minneapolis_ITFC added 01:55 - Oct 30 There's probably a great line of discussion you could add to today's score but I think I'll save myself considerable time and effort by keeping things short and to the point. For the attention of Mick McCarthy, team manager of Ipswich Town Football Club. #1 Obtain resignation form #2 Obtain pen #3 Put pen to form #4 Add signature to form #5 Hand in to someone at the club with more authority than yourself #6 Clear desk #7 Make for nearest exit from the stadium #8 Go through exit, do not look back It really is that simple

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GiveusaWave added 02:10 - Oct 30 Going to try to be objective about this; Good things about the game: Nice to see 2 goals having not watched us score in 18 matches. First goal going in was a huge relief. Good to see Mcgoldrick on the score sheet. Apart from one mistake Bialkowski was awesome, and Webster put in a good shift. Bad things about the game: Bad defending. Lack of control in the match and felt like we were playing away. We made Rotherham look like a class team. Didn't deserve to draw. Rotherham didn't look like a team at the bottom of the league. We lack a target man. Obviously upset about the state of our team, but trying to stay objective.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 05:26 - Oct 30 Pencilpete makes some good points. Some of you really do need to actually read what people say before replying. Pp stated that Mick did [at least to quite a large extent] put out the kind team [on paper] that many of us have been calling for. He also said he wasn't a fan of Mick. [Any problems so far?] I also personally don't think that booing the team is particularly productive, but I fully accept that long-suffering supporters who pay their money have every right to do so. I made the trip from Sweden and saw a very mediocre game. Maybe another manager with a different attitude could get more out of our attacking line-up. Or maybe they're just not good enough. I also want my club back, but with our current owner, I'm not sure it's possible. In the meantime, I celebrate last ditch equalisers scored by ITFC.

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GiveusaWave added 06:12 - Oct 30 Steve-ITFC-Sweden also makes some good points. Jeering at our own players performances isn't going to improve them and is obviously making them much more nervous about making a mistake. I know Douglas wasn't at the Rotherham game but it's also clear h lacks confidence and hounding him on Twitter and other social media isn't going to improve his game. Like it or not, we find ourselves in a difficult spot now. Games against Sheffield Wed, Forest and QPR coming up and we are only 4 points from the relegation zone.

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BlueMachines added 06:59 - Oct 30 The worrying thing for me is it wasn't a bad starting 11. Not many of us would've picked much different except for RB. Yet the football was still poor.
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Kirtonspanner added 07:11 - Oct 30 Nothing will change! Sadly we are loosing are great club and there's nothing we can do about it!! Gutted.
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warktheline added 07:24 - Oct 30 Pencilpete, please enlighten me, how do I produce a paragraph full of positivity and conclude with wanting our negative manager out? Just because McCarthy has started fielding 'footballers' ( that's what we all wanted, so don't blame Mick ) it still requires a MANAGER to enforce HIS philosophy upon how the team operates on the field of play! Thus ( what negative dribble ) in my opinion McCarthy's mindset on 'stop the opponents from playing ' will always 'shine through ' regards of personnel in starting 11. I conclude, a change of management may help!!!!!

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NorwichBlue138 added 07:43 - Oct 30 People waiting for attendances to get sub-15k in the hope that'll be enough to get rid of MM? Might take a while. Pretty sure most clubs count season ticket holders in the attendance even when they don't turn up, so even though ST numbers are down on last year, still probably a minimum of 12,500/13,000 "in attendance" even if PR was completely empty! Stevenage cup game shows what people really think - 6,500 was it? ME not willing to spend, and not going to be helped by falling gate revenue. Got to make it cheaper and more exciting football. Even when we were winning last year we were "winning ugly". Need to get shot of MM before January, or spend the Mings, Cresswell and Murphy cash on some real quality. Teams in our division splashing £5m on a player fairly regularly, and we're just pleased it's not a loanee!!

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 07:44 - Oct 30 BlueMachine: Agreed. That was one of my points.
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sidtheswan added 08:18 - Oct 30 MM another poor crowd you're costing us money . Very determined Rotherham side who deserved at least a point but with all the possession we were so pedestrian. You can see the difference with Williams when he came on how he stepped up a gear . Realistically one of the main problems is still central midfield where there is still a lack of attacking threat . Whoever partners Skuse we never look like scoring. We have 3 decent number 10's in Didz Joniesta and Freddie . Lawrence is excellent as are Bart Webster and Berra and with a RB an attacking midfielder we would be a lot higher up. I think a new manager would help as MM's tactics have become stale and he always plays his favourites and he is not capable of change. A fresh approach would boost everything including the crowds. PS how much for Danny Ward? He was excellent.

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Hegansheroes added 08:41 - Oct 30 A very few idiotic comments on here such as pencilpete's. Is he MM's PR man.. Haven't seen Currie10 crawling up to MM either. I was soooooo disappointed when MM got the job & felt it was a desperate move 4 years back. MM achieved Championship safety & that is it really, OK aa lack lustre attempt at the play offs but apart from that it has been consistently diabolical. There are good players at the club but MM's tactics are the crux of the matter. I listened to Mick Mills after the match & he was almost advocating that the players now take a stance against MM even saying it is down to Chambers to take issue with MM. Chambers will never do this as he would risk upsetting the buffoon. I get the impression McCarthy rules by f& some good players have leftdue to this. Tommy Oar for example whilst donkeys keep playing, don't need to say who. Probably all yes men. Time for wholesale change. Evans is never at a match & has no interest in ftball & that coms a friend of mine who knows Evans well.

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grumpyoldman added 08:43 - Oct 30 Milliem how can you spot a Norwich fan? Are they the ones calling for a change of manger, who with different ethos and playing style may be able to take us up the league or are they the ones who want to stick with the manager who seems in my opinion to be stuck in his ways, who appears unable to comprehend that playing the same way with basically the same players will not change the outcome and is taking this club in the wrong direction. Please enlighten me so I can join you in outing the budgies! Supporter of over fifty years of the blues, before you cast aspersions!

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markytitfc added 08:58 - Oct 30 I believe the team we put out today, excluding the excuse of a footballer in the right back position, is capable of automatic promotion from the championship. Unfortunately the manager is not! MICK MCARTHY SAVE YOURSELF WHILE YOU STILL HAVE A TINY TINY AMOUNT OF DIGNITY LEFT AND XXXK OFF!
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woohoo added 09:05 - Oct 30 The side that MM put out looked quite capable of beating Rotheram - and, at half-time, I think most of the crowd would have been pretty happy with the performance - aside from another sloppy goal being conceded. I'm afraid that Chambers is a liability and is not vocal enough with the team to be captain. I can quite understand why many people are calling for MM to be sacked. But, as I've said before, be careful what you wish for - ME does not have a great track-record when it comes to appointing managers..... ....or spending his money... ...or showing respect for the fans..

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martin587 added 09:36 - Oct 30 Steve ITFC Sweden . You make a good point saying"another manager with a different attitude " could and should get better out of our squad.This is what we have all been saying for a long time.I think we have a few good quality players at the club being stiffeled by the Managers tactics and unless things change the club will only suffer more.
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blueboy1981 added 11:17 - Oct 30 milliem ........ ever heard what is said about 'self praise' ? - if not, please learn. You may be better for it.
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camblue added 11:50 - Oct 30 Always satisfying when a goal is scored in time added on for a teams time wasting.
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geminimustang added 12:31 - Oct 30 Now we have a contributor telling us his mate's a steward and the 15k attendance was only 11K.God give me strength!!Would the club pay the VAT on tickets for 4k people they knew weren't there.What gives ITFC the belief their team is top 6 and underperforming?I would argue they're bottom 6 and overperforming and that's where the true problem lies.MM doesn't need to go,he needs investment so he can play more free flowing football.The money received for transfers hasn't been invested in players,at best it stays in the bank to ensure the club stays afloat.ITFC should be honest and say mid-table is where they're happy to stay and that isn't MM's fault.Sow's ear,silk purse can't be done.Bring in new investors,spend on players,give MM the last 12 months of his contract to sort it out or don't offer a new contract.Fair? I think so.

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