Town came from behind to gain a deserved point from an entertaining 1-1 draw with West Ham at Upton Park. Malky Mackay seized on an error in the Town defence to put the Hammers ahead early on but the Blues struck back through Pablo Couñago in the second half.

Couñago's return to the starting line-up was the only change from the side which lost at Stoke. Shefki Kuqi dropped to the bench.

Teddy Sheringham came closest in the opening stages with a flicked near post header which went wide of Kelvin Davis's goal.

Not long after, Ian Westlake won the ball on the left before playing the ball into the box to Kevin Horlock who found Darren Bent in space but the striker's shot was blocked by Bywater. Bent got on to the rebound but Couñago couldn't prevent his cross to the far post from going out of play.

Defensive frailties cost Town dear at Stoke and led to the Hammers going in front on 12. A corner from the West Ham left fell to Luke Chadwick inside the area on the left, the former Manchester United man having lost his marker. His cross was headed in at the far post by ex-Canary Malky Mackay, making his home debut for his new club.

A minute after the home side's goal, Town came close to an equaliser. Jim Magilton crossed from the left but Darren Bent headed agonisingly wide.

Sheringham flicked another header wide before Nigel Reo-Coker forced Kelvin Davis into an excellent save low to his left. The former Wimbledon man's strike took a big deflection but the Upton Park big screen showed the ball was on its way into the net until the Town keeper intervened.

Just after the half hour, Ian Westlake was harshly booked when a corner struck him on the hand. From the freekick Mackay headed the ball wide.

Town were very close to going further behind the 33rd minute from a corner on the right. First Calum Davenport's header was stopped on the line by Pablo Couñago before Sheringham's rebound forced Kelvin Davis into a superb reflex save to his left.

The former Spurs man ought to have scored but a minute later he was handed another golden opportunity to score when Kelvin Davis fouled Carl Fletcher in the box, the former Bournemouth man having beaten the keeper to a ball over the top.

Sheringham rather arrogantly tossed the ball from hand to hand as he prepared to take his kick, before belting his kick well wide of Davis's post.

It was Davis's saves and Teddy Sheringham's uncharacteristic profligacy that the Blues had to thank that the game wasn't already out of sight.

Tommy Miller went close with a 20-yarder from Couñago's lay-back in the 36th minute, Town's best chance of the half's latter stages. The Spaniard picked up a yellow card just before the break for a foul on Matthew Etherington.

Town hadn't had their best half of the season and could have been two or even three goals down, although they had had more of the ball during the final third of the half.

The Blues would continue their improvement in the second period, and Darren Bent's early turn and shot wasn't too far over.

The England U21 striker chased a Tommy Miller pass over the top on 50, but couldn't get enough on the ball to trouble Bywater.

Town were getting closer and closer to an equaliser and a neat move on 56 saw them go nearer than at any earlier stage. Westlake and Couñago exchanged a one-two on the left, the midfielder crossing low to Darren Bent who laid the ball back to the Spaniard, Bywater doing well to save his low shot.

From the corner Town got back on terms. Couñago got on to the ball and somehow, with his back to goal, managed to turn the ball into the corner of the net for his second goal of the season, and his first away from home since the Blues' 2-1 victory on the same ground last Boxing Day.

The Hammers went unconvincingly after a second goal, Sheringham hitting a speculative effort wide on one of his less impressive afternoons and was replaced soon after.

Town came within an inch of going ahead in the 67th minute. A glorious Couñago ball down the right to Bent was taken inside by the youngster on the edge of the box, Bywater getting a fingertip to his shot and pushing it on to the bar.

On 75 Joe Royle replaced Couñago with Shefki Kuqi and skipper Jim Magilton with Tony Dinning, the Blues clearly happy with the scoreline.

Former Town loanee Marlon Harewood headed wide on 78 but the only scare for the Town backline in the closing stages was a Matthew Etherington cross which flashed across the penalty area.

A good point for Town after a first half in which the game could have been well beyond them. Kelvin Davis's saves were again an important factor although his impetuousness when coming off his line almost gave the Hammers a second goal and what would probably have been an unassailable lead.

A draw away at one of the sides certain to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season cannot be seen as anything other than a decent result, particularly with two home league games in the next 10 days.

Town: Davis, Diallo, Wilnis, Naylor, De Vos, Magilton (Dinning 75), Miller, Horlock, Westlake, Bent, Couñago (Kuqi 75).

Photo: Action Images

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