Ipswich Town 0-0 Birmingham City - Half-Time
Saturday, 1st Apr 2017 16:02

Town’s game against Birmingham City at Portman Road remains 0-0 at half-time.

Brett Pitman, Freddie Sears and Jonathan Douglas all returned to the Blues starting line-up with top scorer Tom Lawrence and midfielder Emyr Huws both missing out.

Toumani Diagouraga dropped to the bench, while Tommy Smith, who only arrived back from New Zealand duty yesterday afternoon, was also left out of the 18.

Town switched to a 4-4-2 diamond with Bartosz Bialkowski in goal, Jordan Spence and Jonas Knudsen the full-backs and skipper Luke Chambers and Christophe Berra the central defenders

In midfield Cole Skuse sat deep with Douglas and Grant Ward ahead of him in narrow roles to the left and right respectively, with David McGoldrick behind strikers Sears and Pitman.

Birmingham were the first to threaten in the seventh minute, Lukas Jutkiewicz playing a ball through to the breaking David Davis but Bialkowski came off his line quickly to claim.

The Blues were unable to create an opening in a scruffy early spell with the visitors having most of the ball. In the 14th minute Craig Gardner sent over a freekick from the left which grazed Berra’s head before Bialkowski caught on his line.

Town threatened for the first time in the 16th minute when, after good work from Douglas, Sears and Knudsen, a bouncing ball dropped to McGoldrick in the area but his shot was too close to Birmingham keeper Tomasz Kuszczak.

The Blues were starting to get on top and two minutes later Sears found space at a tight angle on the left but his shot was blocked by Ryan Shotton.

Town briefly began to put the Midlanders under pressure and on 22 Spence cut in from the right but scuffed his shot wide.

There was a scare for the visitors in the 32nd minute when McGoldrick caught Krystian Bielik in possession on the Town left but his low cross was too close to Kuszczak, who claimed at a stretch.

A minute later Jutkiewicz sent a dangerous ball across the Blues box from the right but Davis arrived too late to add a final touch.

The Blues went closer to opening the scoring moments later, a loose ball falling to Sears on the right of the box after McGoldrick had fed Knudsen on the right. The former Colchester man’s shot rippled the net having struck a defender but having gone the wrong side of the post.

Town continued to take the game to the visitors and on 38 Sears crossed from the right and Knudsen’s flicked header very obviously caught Maikel Kieftenbeld’s hand, however from so close a penalty award would have been harsh.

On 41 Jutkiewicz looped a header over at the far post, then just before half-time Skuse was forced off having undergone treatment on the field after Davis had arrived late and caught him in the face after the Bristolian had nodded the ball to a team-mate. Kevin Bru took over. The rest of a not hugely enthralling half passed without further incident.

Birmingham had started the stronger but the Blues had gradually got themselves on top but without being able to create too many opportunities, although McGoldrick and Sears had both gone close to scoring what could prove to be a vital goal in Town’s season.

Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Chambers (c), Berra, Knudsen, Skuse (Bru 45), Douglas, Ward, Sears, McGoldrick, Pitman. Subs: Gerken, Taylor, Rowe, Diagouraga, Samuel.

Birmingham: Kuszczak, Nsue, Grounds, Robinson (c), Shotton, Kieftenbeld, Tesche, Gardner, Jutkiewicz, Davis, Bielik. Subs: Legzdins, Gleeson, Donaldson, Adams, Frei, Dacres-Cogley, Keita. Referee: Andy Madley (West Yorkshire).

Photo: TWTD

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