Collin Quaner’s first Blues goal gave Town a fifth minute lead but Molla Wague equalised for Nottingham Forest on 31 as Paul Lambert’s side recorded their sixth 1-1 draw in seven games. Quaner stabbed in an Edwards cross to put Town ahead but Wague scrambled home from a corner as Forest had the better of the first half. However, the Blues were dominant after the break but were unable to turn their superiority into their fourth win of the season.

Boss Lambert again made five changes with Cole Skuse, Matthew Pennington, James Bree, Teddy Bishop and Quaner all back in the team.

Toto Nsiala, Kayden Jackson, Andre Dozzell and Trevoh Chalobah dropped to the bench, while Josh Emmanuel was left out of the 18.

The Blues lined-up in their familiar 4-3-3 system with Alan Judge and Gwion Edwards either side of lone central striker Quaner. Keeper Dean Gerken was back among the subs having been ill last week.

Forest, with their assistant manager Roy Keane making his first return to Portman Road since his time as Town boss, made three changes with Jack Robinson, Molla Wague, making his first start for the Tricky Trees, and former Blue Daryl Murphy coming into the team.

Joao Carvalho, Karim Ansarifard and Alexander Milosevic all dropped to the bench. Former Blues loanee Jack Colback skippered.

At a blustery Portman Road Town went ahead with the game’s first serious attack in the fifth minute via a well-worked goal down the right.

Bishop fed Bree, who played the ball into the path of Edwards breaking ahead of him. The Welshman crossed low and Quaner turned his first Blues goal through Forest keeper Costel Pantilimon’s legs from a few feet out.

The goal inevitably led to chants of ‘Keano, what’s the score?’ from the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

On 13 Murphy flicked a header well wide for Forest from Joe Lolley’s cross from the right following a corner with the visitors taking the game to the Blues, who in turn were looking a threat on the break.

In the 20th minute Ben Osborn was sent away down the left by Murphy and crossed low. Ex-Town loanee Colback worked himself an opportunity to shoot but Pennington slid in superbly to block. Two minutes later, Lolley found himself space but scuffed his effort through to Bartosz Bialkowski.

Eight minutes later good play on the right led to Bree sending over another dangerous cross but behind Quaner and with no one waiting behind him.

Right on the half hour Forest levelled. Lolley’s corner from the right was scruffily bundled over the line at the near post by Wague having hit Jon Nolan as it had come into the box.

Skuse blazed over for the Blues from distance in the 32nd minute, then Murphy flicked a header straight at Bialkowski with the visitors having most of the ball and keeping Town in penned back in their own half for the most part.

Murphy looped a header over in the 41st minute from a Lolley freekick on the left before the Blues were forced into a change with Skuse, who had suffered a couple of knocks, replaced by Chalobah.

Just as the game went into two minutes of injury time, Forest thought they’d gone ahead. From a freekick on the right, Bialkowski saved from Yohan Benaloune, but the ball fell to Murphy at the far post and the Irishman squeezed the ball home, however, with the flag having been raised, wrongly video evidence suggests.

That fortunate escape was the last action of a half which had started very brightly for the Blues with Quaner netting his first goal for the club from a very well-worked move.

However, from there Forest had been in control with Bialkowski the only keeper forced into action and the equaliser - albeit a scruffy goal from a set piece Town will feel they should have kept out - was little surprise when it came. Had Murphy’s goal counted it wouldn’t have flattered the visitors.

Three minutes after the restart Nolan headed straight at Pantilimon after Bree had crossed following a patient Blues build-up down the right.

Town began the half positively, enjoying more of the ball than they had before the break. On 51 a cleverly-worked freekick almost saw Chambers play in Quaner but a defender’s toe intervened.

A minute later Chalobah was inches away from Town’s goal of the season smashing a volley from the edge of the box only just wide.

The Blues, with Judge increasingly involved following an unusually quiet first half from the Irishman, continued to take the game to the visitors and were much improved from the first half. On 57 Edwards burst down the right and whipped over a dangerous cross.

Quaner made way for Jackson in the 59th minute with Town still on top and Forest by now the ones rarely breaking into the opposition half of the field.

In the 63rd minute, the Blues almost scored a brilliant second goal. Bialkowski kicked long down the right for Judge, who bamboozled his man twice before sending in a superb cross for Nolan, who had made strong run into the six-yard box but somehow the former Shrewsbury man, who scored his first ever header at West Brom last week, nodded the ball just the wrong side of the post.

Moments later, Forest made a double with Carvalho and Matty Cash replacing Ryan Yates and Ben Osborn.

Town continued to press, Jackson hitting a low shot from 20 yards through to Pantilimon in the 71st minute.

The Blues were denied what would have been a brilliantly worked second goal in the 73rd minute. Judge pulled the ball back to Nolan, who smashed the ball home off the underside of the bar.

However, referee Stroud, never a popular official on his regular visits to Suffolk, pulled play back as he hadn’t blown his whistle, much to the annoyance of the Town players and fans.

Forest were next to go close, Bialkowski saving first from Cash and then from Murphy in the 76th minute. Soon after, Forest switched Pele for Karim Ansarifard.

But the Blues, who had been excellent since the break, were still presenting by far the greater threat. On 81 Chalobah sent Jackson away on the right but the ex-Accrington Stanley man’s shot from a tight angle was blocked by Pantilimon.

Jackson had an even better chance in the 83rd minute when Chalobah again played him in but once more the Blues striker was thwarted by the former Manchester City keeper.

Moments later, after Colback had been booked for a foul, Judge’s freekick from the right was sent just the wrong side of the post by Tendayi Darikwa with Forest by now pegged back in their own box with the Blues winning a succession of corners and freekicks.

Town were doing everything but scoring. On 86 Pantilimon found himself in no-man’s land when Bree sent a ball back into the area from deep but still somehow managed to paw Pennington’s header behind. A minute later, Chambers nodded Judge’s corner from the right wide.

The Blues continued what had been almost relentless pressure for most of the second half in three minutes of injury time in which Jackson had what looked a great shout for a penalty when he looked to be brought down by Wague as he tried to shoot following a Judge freekick.

Nsiala replaced Bishop for the final few seconds in which Judge’s 20-yard freekick was deflected wide off the wall.

Town did everything but score in a second half they dominated virtually from start to finish with Forest only threatening when Bialkowski made his double save. the performance after the break was if anything an even better display than at West Brom last week and certainly the best 45 minutes at home this season.

The Blues again had chances and Nolan will feel he ought to have been celebrating scoring a header for the second week running, while the midfielder was also extremely unlucky not to have scored with his strike following a freekick when referee Stroud - who was booed off by the Town support - took play back for the set piece to be taken again.

Stroud also once again involved himself in penalty controversy, as he did when Town were at Aston Villa in January, with Jackson appearing to have been fouled in the closing stages.

Overall, yet another positive performance against opposition with play-off aspirations but again one which wasn’t turned into three points, to some degree not entirely Town's fault in this instance given Stroud's refereeing, while Panilimon in the Forest goal was a safe pair of hands throughout.

The Blues, still 13 points plus goal difference from safety with just eight left to play, are next in action at Portman Road in a fortnight following the international break when Hull City make the trip to Suffolk.

Town: Bialkowski, Bree, Pennington, Chambers (c), Kenlock, Skuse (Chalobah 41), Nolan, Bishop (Nsiala 90), Judge, Edwards, Quaner (Jackson 59). Unused: Gerken, Knudsen, Dozzell, El Mizouni.

Nottingham Forest: Pantilimon, Darikwa, Benalouane, Wague, Robinson, Yates (Carvalho 64), Pele (Ansarifard 77), Colback (c), Lolley, Murphy, Osborn (Cash 64). Unused: Steele, Guedioura, Watson, Milosevic. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire). Att: 16,709 (Forest: 1,691).

Photo: TWTD

martin587 added 17:25 - Mar 16 Another exceptional performance from the lads,and yes I would say this is the best I have seen them play at home.Just a shame we cannot score more goals. Full marks to all the team and I feel very confident for the future whatever league we are in.(probably div1).
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blueboy1981 added 17:26 - Mar 16 Shame we cannot score two goals - we may just win a game...... one day.
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blueboy1981 added 17:32 - Mar 16 I personally think Stroud goes out of his way to be contentious - another poor example of the worst officialdom in the game, this season, I have honestly ever seen.
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ITFCsince73 added 17:33 - Mar 16 Good performance against an average Championship side. Same again next up. Please let this season end now if youngsters aren't going to get game time. I thought the Bristol game was our springboard forward. I'm still refusing to believe Chambo is here for another 2 years. His performances over the past 2 years have been by and large a shambles. You only have to look at the Championship table tonight to see that. Chambo leads us down, 3 wins all season shows no fight in leading us down. And rewarded with a new 2 year contract, as a show of our appreciation? This club is the blind leading the blind. All being run to the same shambolic agenda as previous years. We had the option on Chambo for next season. Who,s bright idea was it to commit the club to 2 years? High wages for very poor quality.

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TimmyH added 17:37 - Mar 16 Quite a good second half from the boys but really can't get excited by a string of draws as all games are 'must wins' - performance wise like Tuesday fairly good but this has been the way in recent games without a win in a league where many clubs can beat each other on there day, sadly our day was weeks and weeks ago and when you look at outfits like Bolton and Rotherham who have twice the amount of victories it says it all about this season...the sooner it is over the better.

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runaround added 17:38 - Mar 16 An entertaining game & brilliant atmosphere. The windy conditions added to the entertainment as it was difficult to guess where any ball in the air would fall. We really should have won as we had the chances but we do lack goals unfortunately. Solve that & we will have a really good attacking side that can actually win matches. Keith Stroud was rubbish as always! We are going down but it's entertaining and enjoyable to watch which is a big plus after the last 3 years & I do feel things will improve

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blueboy1981 added 17:41 - Mar 16 ITFCsince73 ........... this is getting ridiculous - do you dream about Chambers ? - you're possessed. You're absolutely sure you shouldn't have been at Rotherham today ......... ??? You make it clear that you have no allegiance whatsoever to this Club with your post - and you say you care ??
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Suffolkboy added 17:41 - Mar 16 How many rememberedto take the Patience & Humour pills before the match , knowing full well that ‘Calamity Keith ‘ was on the trail again ? He really excels at getting things so wrong whenever he's out on stage in Suffolk : did he stay overnight somewhere before the game , and does the water upset his equilibrium ? Bad Luck Town ! COYB
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unknown100 added 17:53 - Mar 16 Couldn't ask for more from this team, going down with a lot of respect and dignity Ref ruined the game and a perfectly good goal Brie, kenlock, Nolan Pennington, judge, Jackson the list goes on, would love to somehow keep Pennington, chalobah (motm in my opinion) judge and Keane, think we would smash league 1 Great performance
16

floridaboy added 17:58 - Mar 16 ITFCsince73, a really good performance against a side 3 points from the play offs. Think you might struggle for a season ticket at Carrot Road next season!!!
11

EssexTractor added 17:59 - Mar 16 Given the abject manner in which we fell to the bottom of the League the performances in the last three matches have relatively been breathtaking. Breathtaking because despite not winning there has been ENTERTAINMENT...today's second half easily the most watchable this season. Nobody played badly , indeed most played well and some excellently. I have criticised Chambers but I understand Lamberts desire to retsin him as an experienced footballer in League One. He may not play every game but players have respect in him, Lambert holds him in height regard and if youngsters are significantly the force next season then they will still require older heads. Those who criticise him at this time are being unfair and actually rather silly, if they are supporters.

27

DifferentGravy added 18:01 - Mar 16 A good performance second half. Frustrating that we do this against Forest, Bristol C etc.....but not Reading. A few wins(including Reading) and it could so easily have been a different story. IFs and BUTs.................. BUT On the basis Lambert has been giving other players an opportunity, why not one of the young forwards up top(or at least on the bench). I do appreciate it hasnt been the most constructive of seasons to build confidence for Jackson. He runs and runs but doesnt seem to have the quality. He has a habit of standing on the ball and wont make the most of his main asset.....pace. The training team need to teach him how to run onto a ball, composure and not to pull out of challenges (which he does every single time) One game less.

3

senduntd added 18:03 - Mar 16 Pantomime referee.
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baxter7 added 18:05 - Mar 16 Well said itfcsince73 totally agree should never have got another 2 years
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ChrisFelix added 18:07 - Mar 16 Any coincidence that we performed better once Skuse left the pitch & was replaced by Chapel ah
4

runningout added 18:09 - Mar 16 We're unbeatable:-) Will have to be loads more clinical and have ability beyond the bang below average team we are!! In whatever competition or league we find ourselves in. Not just next year, but the future. It maybe a dream but you can't want half measured squad members
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Marinersnose added 18:15 - Mar 16 Wow what a fantastic game of football for any Ipswich Town fan. Today the crowd were again immense and a neutral would've thought we were vying for the playoffs such was our intensity in the second half. May very good performances today but for me the enforced substitution of Chalobah for Skuse really changed the game for Ipswich. He is now showing what a massive talent really is. Judge,Kenlock and Pennington also excellent. Some of the football was as good as I've seen at Ipswich for six or seven seasons, quick one touch patterns of play. We are still lacking a goal scorer however Nolan scored a top class goal which the appalling referee disallowed. That same referee missed a blatant late penalty as well. Harsh not to win this game but if this was a boxing bout the referee would've stopped the fight . 👍🏻👏🏻

21

DebsyAngel added 18:18 - Mar 16 An excellent match - every player did well. But it was once more spoilt by that Stroud. That goal should have stood but once more, it had to be made all about him. Just no luck scoring despite the amount of action around the box in the second half. Seems everything goes against us when we are bottom. Very promising signs for next season though.
12

TimmyH added 18:19 - Mar 16 @floridaboy - lets be honest between lets say 5/6th place and 16/17th place there are a lot of sides similar in quality (you just have to look at the amount of draws) - Preston are out of the play-off berths on goal difference a side that looked distinctly average (at best) until the last couple of months and are one of a number of 'average' sides that have gone on a run from towards the bottom rungs of the league (others include QPR, Hull and Bristol) - so making Forest out to be a good side isn't particularly accurate in my opinion. Shows you just how poor we've been if clubs of this ilk can go on winning runs and we've won 3 all season!

-5

RobsonWark added 18:19 - Mar 16 blueboy1981 I bet you have a shrine to Chambers in your bedroom with pictures of him plastered all over your wall and you worship him every night. Get real. Chambers is not fit to wear the shirt. Maybe go to Spec Savers?
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whosroundisitanyway added 18:22 - Mar 16 Marinersnose You said everything I wanted to say.
2

planetblue_2011 added 18:27 - Mar 16 Brilliant performance we are the unluckiest team ever. Then again we had Nolan's header a couple of Jackson efforts not going in the net, chambers & Chalobah efforts too. A goal wasn't given a pen at the end not given, what else can we do. Very entertaining football & it's what it's all about, league 1 watch out. Keep this team & squad of players we will be a force next season. We will score goals more than 1 a game. It's been an awful season but so many positives from last 3 games just unlucky. If we had a fit strike force it could of been different!!! COYB

10

therein61 added 18:28 - Mar 16 If only 4 or 5 of our recent 1-1 had been 2-1 wins then we would be in with a shout of possibly getting out of the mess, but however well we have played it has not been good enough as has the whole season we can all point fingers at individuals(and by god some are really culpable) we are going down collectively, and now we have to return collectively, and while I have had my opinion on certain players(to which I am entitled) as to their ineffective contributions all I want is to see the Town having some success before I am too old to make the 10 hour round trip for games at P.R

2

RobsonWark added 18:35 - Mar 16 I much prefer watching the entertaining football, since Lambert took over, even though we are going down. Sooooooooooooooo much better than that dross MM served up week in week out. I'd rather go down playing entertaining football than being mid-table with hoof the ball as far as you can up the pitch type football and players putting in a "shift". Just means they are running round like headless chickens!

19

TractorBoy1935 added 18:38 - Mar 16 Thoroughly impressed with our performance today, we played some really great football and every town player put in 100%. Glad to see Colin get his first Ipswich goal, hope to see plenty more before the season ends. Bree, Pennington and Chambo were excellent at the back, Chalobah it thought was outstanding and thought his attempt at goal found the net which didn't but happy of how he played. Nolan, Edwards and Jackson showed signs of things to come. I thought Mr Stroud was absolutely atrocious today, he took way to long to blow the whistle for judge's freekick which resulted in a goal, and that the re-take wasn't exciting. Overall the officials officiating sums up our season in terms of not getting the luck from them.Its safe to assume that our impending relegation to League One isn't based on poor performances but poor referring decisions. We will continue to fight to the end, play our hearts out and come back even stronger. Ipswich Till We Die !!!!

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