Match ends, Ipswich Town 1, Middlesbrough 1.
Ipswich Town missed the chance to go three points clear at the top of the Championship as they drew 1-1 at home to Middlesbrough.
Having dominated the early play Ipswich fell behind to Emmanuel Latte Lath's header, but Massimo Luongo volleyed in an equaliser 11 minutes later.
Jeremy Sarmiento hit the post for Town soon after the equaliser while Omari Hutchinson had a good effort early in the second half.
But Town had to be grateful to goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky as he made two superb saves in quick succession with 10 minutes to go.
The draw puts Ipswich one point clear at the top of the table with three games to play after Leeds United were beaten by Blackburn in Saturday's early kick-off while Leicester City lost 1-0 at Plymouth Argyle on Friday night.
The Tractor Boys have 89 points from 43 games, Leicester are second on 88 points from 42 matches while Leeds are on 87 points from 43 fixtures.
Conor Chaplin twice went close early on as Sarmiento looked dangerous, but it was Boro who took a surprise lead as Finn Azaz found Luke Ayling and his cross was met by Latte Lath to head in his fifth goal in five games.
But having seen Omari Hutchinson guide a shot just wide of the top corner Town were level when Leif Davis' corner found former Boro man Luongo at the far post and he blasted in off the crossbar to level the scores.
Ipswich could have gone ahead three minutes later when Sarmiento chipped Dieng after being played in by Chaplin, but his effort clipped the post while Ali Al-Hamadi's shot on the rebound was blocked.
Latte Lath had a good chance blocked by Lukas Engel just before the interval while Hutchinson had an effort stopped eight minutes after the restart having done well to beat his man.
But it was the goalkeepers who shone in the final quarter as both sides tried to get a winner - first Hladky did well to palm away a long-range Sam Greenwood strike while Seny Dieng denied Hutchison soon after.
But it was Ipswich's Czech goalkeeper who will go home with the plaudits as he produced a two magnificent saves with 10 minutes left.
First he was equal to Isiah Jones' point-blank effort before he somehow tipped over Matt Clarke's header from the resulting corner.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:
"I think we did enough today.
"I thought it was an excellent performance, I thought it was a terrific game with two good teams.
"I thought we were the better team on the day, but Middlesbrough are very good and they cause you problems.
"We had enough chances to win the game for sure, but we didn't.
"But it's another point on the board and they're all hard fought and hard won, especially at the end of a period like this."
Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"They're a good team and they made us work for it today.
"I thought the boys did ever so well, put in a hell of an effort and on a normal day a point coming here would be pretty good.
"Today we feel were looking to win games now, there's no hiding from that and we didn't manage to do it, but we were close.
"We came close, possibly should have won it in the end with the chances that we had, but nevertheless, we find ourselves here."
Line-ups
Ipswich
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 31Hladky
- 40TuanzebeSubstituted forBallat 89'minutes
- 6Woolfenden
- 15Burgess
- 3Davis
- 5Morsy
- 25LuongoBooked at 49minsSubstituted forTaylorat 77'minutes
- 20Hutchinson
- 10ChaplinSubstituted forTravisat 89'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 21SarmientoSubstituted forBroadheadat 59'minutes
- 16Al HamadiSubstituted forMooreat 59'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Walton
- 11Harness
- 12Ball
- 14Taylor
- 19Jackson
- 24Moore
- 28Travis
- 30Humphreys
- 33Broadhead
Middlesbrough
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Dieng
- 12AylingBooked at 90mins
- 3van den Berg
- 5Clarke
- 27Engel
- 16HowsonBooked at 57minsSubstituted forBarlaserat 86'minutes
- 28O'Brien
- 11Jones
- 20Azaz
- 18SilveraSubstituted forGreenwoodat 69'minutes
- 9Latte Lath
Substitutes
- 4Barlaser
- 14Gilbert
- 15Dijksteel
- 24Bangura
- 29Greenwood
- 32Jones
- 33Thomas
- 49McCabe
- 64Finch
- Referee:
- Sam Allison
- Attendance:
- 28,771
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home55%
- Away45%
- Shots
- Home21
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away5
- Corners
- Home6
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away6
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ipswich Town 1, Middlesbrough 1.
Post update
Dominic Ball (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Sam Greenwood (Middlesbrough).
Booking
Lewis Travis (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Lewis Travis (Ipswich Town).
Post update
Isaiah Jones (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Corner, Ipswich Town. Conceded by Matt Clarke.
Post update
Sam Morsy (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Emmanuel Latte Lath (Middlesbrough).
Substitution
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Lewis Travis replaces Conor Chaplin.
Substitution
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Dominic Ball replaces Axel Tuanzebe.
Post update
Offside, Ipswich Town. Luke Woolfenden is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Sam Morsy (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Leif Davis (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Rav van den Berg (Middlesbrough).
Post update
Attempt saved. Sam Morsy (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Nathan Broadhead.
Substitution
Substitution, Middlesbrough. Daniel Barlaser replaces Jonny Howson.
Post update
Foul by Kieffer Moore (Ipswich Town).
Comments
Join the conversation
I’ve no idea what’s going to happen next!
For all those decrying the way the top three have faltered - players are humans, they get tired, they frequently get knocks and performances inevitably drop off.
UTB
WE'VE GOT SUPER MICHAEL CARRICK
Still in our own hands with three to go. COYB.