Sky Bet Championship: Ipswich and Wigan battle out draw at Portman Road

Ipswich lost ground on the Championship high-flyers after a dour 0-0 draw at home to lowly Wigan.

Malky Mackay's men, winless since Boxing Day, deserved their point as Ipswich's promotion push continued to stutter.

Chances were at a premium as neither side - both with so much to fight for at either end of the league - did little to earn all three points.

Both teams had early half chances following dangerous crosses in the box but neither Wigan's Marc-Antoine Fortune nor home midfielder Jay Tabb could direct headers goalwards.

Ipswich should have taken the lead after 13 minutes with Tabb was played in neatly by Tyrone Mings but shot just over from the angle with team-mates baying for a pass across goal.

In a tight, tense and often turgid first half, chances were at a premium. David McGoldrick's deflected drive was comfortably gathered by Wigan keeper Ali Al Habsi while an audacious effort from strike partner Noel Hunt flew wide.

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Two minutes before half-time, Tabb was again on the end of a cross, this time from Hunt, but his header lacked the sufficient power to beat Al Habsi.

It had been a poor 45 minutes and the start of the second half fared little better.

Wigan, eight points adrift of fourth-bottom Rotherham going into the match, were understandably happy to keep things tight and look to break when they could.

And Ipswich, without 18-goal leading scorer Daryl Murphy, were struggling to muster a real threat on Al Habsi's goal.

Shortly after the hour mark, Don Cowie's dangerous corner brushed the head of Wigan skipper James Perch and went just wide of the far post.

The visitors were shading it and Ipswich centre back Tommy Smith did well to head clear another fierce inswinging centre from Emyr Huws.

Finally, in the 72nd minute, Ipswich fashioned a chance as McGoldrick did well to hold off his marker but his header from Mings' cross was straight at Al Habsi.

Three minutes later McGoldrick turned provider as he got to the byline and pulled the ball back for sub Freddie Sears to sharply turn goalwards but straight at the relieved Wigan keeper.

At the other end, Town defender Christophe Berra had to be alert to divert the danger after James McClean had streaked clear of Luke Chambers down the left wing.

These were fleeting moments in a poor 90 minutes which saw neither side deserve to take home the spoils.