Josh Coburn earned what may show to be a priceless level with a second-half equaliser as Millwall recorded a 1-1 Championship draw towards promotion-rivals Ipswich at Portman Highway.
The Tractor Boys took the lead late within the first half by Jack Clarke with guests responding early within the second interval by Coburn for a share of the spoils.
The end result stored the 2 groups in third and fourth respectively, two factors behind second-placed Middlesbrough, who drew 0-0 at Blackburn, however with Ipswich having a sport in hand.
Clarke weaved his means by the centre of the pitch within the third minute and fed Ben Johnson on the left, whose fierce cross into the penalty space failed to search out an Ipswich attacker.
Moments later, on-loan Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil went near opening the scoring with a shot which skimmed previous Millwall goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
On the different finish, Christian Walton needed to parry away an opportunity from Camiel Neghli because the Lions countered down the left.
The ball needed to be cleared off the Millwall purpose line within the ninth minute as City received a free-kick down the left the place Johnson delivered a cross and Darnell Furlong made good contact with the ball however visiting captain Jake Cooper was in a position to clear.
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Jack Clarke discovered house on the sting of the Millwall penalty space and drilled a low shot previous Anthony Patterson.
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Camiel Neghli produced an exquisite cross into the Ipswich space and Josh Coburn hammered house a leveller from shut vary.
Ipswich have been having the lion’s share of possession and Patterson fumbled the ball following a long-range effort from Johnson however there was no house menace to observe up the rebound.
The Lions shot stopper was known as into motion moments later when an acrobatic effort from Ivan Azon was unbelievably tipped huge following one other cross from Johnson throughout a pulsating opening half-hour.
However main scorer Clarke gave the Tractor Boys a deserved opening purpose within the forty first minute. He picked up the ball simply outdoors the penalty space from Azor Matusiwa and weaved his means right into a taking pictures place, firing low and laborious previous a despairing and unsighted Patterson from 25 yards.
Millwall loved an ideal begin to the second half once they equalised by Coburn within the fiftieth minute.
Neghli muscled Furlong off the ball, his cross evaded Ipswich defender Jacob Greaves and allowed the Millwall striker to fireside house from shut vary.
The ball was at the back of the Ipswich web once more however referee Michael Salisbury dominated that City goalkeeper Walton was fouled on the purpose line by Coburn.
Furlong powered a header simply previous the put up from a nook and from one other set-piece Neil’s shot from the sting of the penalty space took a deflection, which carried the ball simply previous the put up.
Millwall struck the crossbar late on by substitute Mihailo Ivanovic – following a goalmouth scramble – because the guests sought the successful purpose however the two sides settled for some extent apiece.
The managers
Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna:
“In reality I thought we should win the game and I’m disappointed we didn’t win the game.
“I believed (our) first-half efficiency was glorious and I am actually, actually happy with that, each facet of it other than in all probability the final execution to go and be two or three nil up at half-time as a result of I feel our stage of dominance and the overall efficiency was ok for that.
“A little bit disappointed that we didn’t open up more of a margin.
“Dissatisfied that we did not go and kill the sport off within the second half as a result of they got here out and put two up entrance and went man-to-man and locked on and we had a lot house to interrupt by.
“When they do that we know they are a big threat and are always going to be capable of scoring a goal.
“They’re at all times going to be a menace placing balls into the field and on set-plays and we’re upset with ourselves that we did not go and execute higher on our transition moments and the moments after we broke the stress to go and get the second or third purpose and actually put the sport to mattress.”
Millwall’s Alex Neil:
“Ipswich have been the higher staff first half and I did not assume that we obtained a foothold into the sport. I believed we have been a bit panicky, we did not transfer the ball properly.
“We pressed the way we normally press but to be fair to them, I knew they were going to work on a lot of rotations to try and free up that spare player in the middle and they found them more often than not.
“The one factor I’ll say is that they rating the purpose and (goalkeeper) Pat (Anthony Patterson) has just one different good save, aside from that I did not assume there have been a great deal of probabilities but when anyone was going to attain it was going to be them not us.
“I wasn’t best pleased at half-time. They played better and we needed to do something to get back into the game.
“I feel the (Ipswich) purpose was the catalyst.
“I think if it was 0-0, I don’t know what I would have done at that point but I think when they score, we need to do something to get back into the game and we went double aggressive on it and we went one-on-one on the pitch.”
