Ipswich 1-1 Birmingham: Town miss the chance to return to the top two

Ipswich failed to return to the Championship top two as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Birmingham.

The match was settled following a first-half goal apiece as Brett Pitman's penalty cancelled out David Cotterill's opener for the visitors.

Ipswich should have turned one point into three but Luke Chambers, Daryl Murphy and man of the match Ainsley Maitland-Niles were all guilty of spurning great chances in the second half.

Pitman had already tested Tomasz Kuszczak from distance before the hosts hit the post twice inside the first seven minutes.

First Blues midfielder Maikel Kieftenbeld got his head to an Ipswich corner but inadvertently hit the outside of his own post before home striker Freddie Sears fired a shot which shaved the woodwork after good work from Maitland-Niles.

The away side had to wait until the 14th minute for their first meaningful chance, Andrew Shinnie playing in left-back Jonathan Grounds but his shot was well parried by Dean Gerken.

And it was the visitors who took a surprise lead halfway through the first half when Shinnie took advantage of a slip from Christophe Berra to play in Cotterill, whose near-post drive was too powerful for Gerken.

Ipswich clawed their way back into the game after a slightly fortuitous penalty decision.

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A lung-busting run from Maitland-Niles, which started in his own half, ended with him being brought down by Jonathan Spector on the goal line and Pitman made no mistake from 12 yards.

Cotterill then went close to adding his and Birmingham's second with a dipping free-kick which Gerken just about pushed away from the sodden surface.

Ipswich almost took the lead early in the second half when Sears' shot was cleared off the line by sub Paul Caddis after great trickery from Pitman.

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Chambers poked a corner wide before Ipswich missed an even better chance when Maitland-Niles sliced a fantastic chance well wide from eight yards out.

With eight minutes remaining, last season's top scorer Murphy could have opened his account for the season but headed over a golden chance from Ryan Fraser's corner.

Ipswich should have wrapped the points up and they were almost made to pay when a clever free-kick from Cotterill saw Stephen Gleeson curl a shot just wide from the edge of the area.

Instead, there was still time for the home side to go close once again when subs David McGoldrick and Murphy swapped passes with the former zipping a shot just wide of the far post.

Birmingham boss Gary Rowett hit out at referee Keith Stroud over the controversial penalty incident.

He told Sky Sports: "If no one appeals for it, if the balls goes through to [goalkeeper] Tomasz Kuszczak, they are both sliding in, then why would you give it?

"You would just use common sense and not give it because it is just too controversial to do that and I think everyone would agree that it wasn't a penalty."

Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy disagreed with his counterpart, however, but only on closer inspection.

"I did think it was a strange decision when I first saw it, but looking at it after the game I think the referee has got it right," he said.