Barnsley ended their run of six straight away defeats in the Championship this year by earning a point at Ipswich Town this evening.
The home side went ahead in the first half when Daryl Murphy headed in a corner before Barnsley substitute Jim O'Brien levelled the match with a controlled finish after half time.
Here, Sports Mole casts its eye over the 90 minutes at Portman Road.
Match statistics:
Ipswich:
Shots 14
On target 3
Possession 48%
Corners 6
Fouls 8
Barnsley:
Shots 14
On target 3
Possession 52%
Corners 7
Fouls 11
Was the result fair?
Only just. Ipswich were by far the better team from minutes 15 to 45 but in the second half Barnsley outplayed the home side and fully deserved the point. They ended up having the better chances to win the match as well.
Ipswich's performance
Manager Mick McCarthy is sure to reflect on this as the worst home performance of the season. His men had previous won four of their six games in Suffolk but tonight failed to ignite. Top scorer David McGoldrick was quiet all night while their brightest spark down the left, Cresswell, will now be sidelined after a red card after the final whistle for foul and abusive language.
Barnsley's performance
David Flitcroft, on the other hand, will no doubt be over the moon with his side's display. They had lost all six on the road this season but were the side who looked more like nicking a winner in the second half. A point takes them closer to escaping the drop zone and with a home game against Doncaster coming up, things are looking better for Barnsley.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Jean-Yves M'voto: O'Brien may well earn the majority of plaudits for his goalscoring display but he also missed a late sitter that would have won the game. M'Voto was solid all night at the back and for the most part dealt with the Ipswich duo of McGoldrick and Murphy.
Biggest gaffe
As mentioned just above, O'Brien missed a simple chance late in the game that would have capped a memorable display from the bench.
Referee performance
Andy D'Urso had a quiet night but it is not clear yet why he sent off Cresswell quite a while after the final whistle. Details will no doubt unfold over the weekend.
What next?
Ipswich: Next up for the Blues is a trip to Blackpool in eight days' time.
Barnsley: The Tykes, meanwhile, return to Oakwell where they host Doncaster Rovers.
Pascal Lemesre
