IPSWICH Town had to settle for a Coca-Cola Championship point against Swansea City at Portman Road this afternoon.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town had to settle for a Coca-Cola Championship point against Swansea City at Portman Road this afternoon.

It was another disappointing Blues display, and they were fortunate to gain a draw against a forward-thinking and accomplished Swansea outfit.

Pablo Counago gave Ipswich a 43rd minute lead with a splendid goal, but this was rare memorable moment in another dull and disappointing Town afternoon.

Ferrie Bodde equalised in the 48th minute and Jordi Gomez put the visitors ahead in the 69th minute with a goal where Richard Wright was beaten at his near post.

Counago netted a second for Town in the 81st minute with Swansea appealing for offside.

Town made one change from the side that lost 2-1 at Charlton in their last game a fortnight ago. Counago came in to play up front beside Stead, with Walters dropping back to the right side of midfield. Miller, fit again after suffering a hip problem at The Valley, dropped to the bench.

There was no place in the final 16 for either Haynes or Shumulikoski, while Bruce recovered from a midweek injury to take his place on the bench.

Swansea had top rated striker Scotland on the bench after his exertions with Trinidad over the previous ten days. Midfielder Orlandi was unfit - with Bodde taking his place and Pintado playing up front in place of Scotland.

The visitors played with three players up front, which was going to make it an open contest.

Inside 12 seconds Stead fired across goal with his left foot from 20-yards - with De Vries only able to stand and watch.

In the fourth minute the raiding Volz shot from the same spot, and De Vries had to dive full length to his right to tip the ball away for a corner.

Three minutes later R Wright and Naylor had a major misunderstanding, and Pintado toe-poked wide of a vacant goal.

It was end to end at the stage. And when McAuley headed a Town ninth minute corner goalwards, Counago attempted to flick the ball on, but only managed to glide the ball over the bar.

It was all quiet until the 28th minute when Town were dragged all over the place at the back. D Wright put in a vital challenge, but the ball was still alive and Gomez had only R Wright to beat from ten yards. The keeper saved with his knees.

Town were playing like strangers and their fans were getting frustrated with their lack of rhythm and cohesion.

A goal looked more likely in the sunshine at Town's end, but in the 43rd minute COUNAGO netted a splendid individual goal that was out of context with the rest of their play.

Campo's long ball was controlled on the chest by the Spaniard, who took the ball wide beyond Painter and then fired an angled shot into the roof of the net beating De Vries at his near post.

This was Swansea's first league visit to Suffolk since the eighties although they were beaten by an Alan Lee penalty in the FA Cup in the 2006/07 campaign.

Swansea equalised in the 48th minute when they broke down the right flank. The referee ignored a linesman's flag as Rangel went round D Wright to cross low. BODDE drove a right foot shot low into the net from 12 yards.

Counago headed over after the ball had gone over the head of De Vries seconds after the substitutions of Campo and Stead, the latter's withdrawal leading to some boos from home supporters.

Swansea take the lead in the 69th minute. Garvan and D Wright fail to clear the ball, and GOMEZ tries his luck with a 17-yard angled shot that beats R Wright at the near post. In a season when Town's keeper has been responsible for a number of goals, this was another bad goal to concede.

Town levelled in the 81st minute when Miller's low shot after a corner had been half cleared found COUNAGO who tucked the ball neatly into the net as the visitors appealed for offside.

Teams:

Ipswich Town: R Wright, Volz, McAuley, Naylor, D Wright; Walters, Norris, Campo (sub Miller 60), Quinn (Lisbie 74); Stead (Garvan 60), Counago. Subs: Supple, Bruce.

Swansea: De Vries; Rangel, Monk, Williams, Painter; Britton, Bodde, Pratley (Tudur-Jones 78); Gomez, Pinado (Scotland 71), Gower (Butler 83). Subs: Tate, Brandy.

Referee: Mr J Moss (West Yorkshire)

Attendance: 20,026.