Spirited Ipswich Town secured a point at home to Derby this evening thanks to Jon Nolan’s equaliser, just minutes after his introduction.
Former Ipswich loanee Tom Lawrence had put the Rams ahead after just two minutes but, just as they did after slipping behind to Norwich on Sunday, the Blues responded well and played their way into the game.
Led by a young midfield core of Teddy Bishop, Flynn Downes and Trevoh Chalobah, later supplemented by substitute Andre Dozzell, the Blues moved the ball well and brought Alan Judge into the game in attacking areas.
Will Keane and Collin Quaner led the line well and gave the Blues a base to work from and, from a charging run by the latter, the Blues got their reward as the German squared the ball off for Nolan who drove the ball home.
There was to be no winner but it was the Blues who were asking questions before the full-time whistle blew and the performance was applauded from all four sides of Portman Road as the Blues left the pitch.
The point and results on Tuesday night mean the gap to safety is now 10 points, with 14 games remaining. Next up is Saturday’s visit of Stoke.
Lambert made four changes to his side for the visit of the Rams, with both Luke Chambers and Cole Skuse missing due to injury, along with recent ACL victim Freddie Sears.
Myles Kenlock, Downes, Bishop and Quaner came into the side, with Nolan the other to drop out, but the new-look Blues found themselves behind after less than two minutes once again.
It was a familiar face who did the damage as, after the hosts invited pressure as they looked to play out from the back, Lawrence was presented with the ball with time and space on the edge of the box. His shot lacked conviction but flicked off the back of Jonas Knudsen meaning captain-for-the-night Bartosz Bialkowski could only push the ball into the net.
Just as they did at Norwich on Saturday, the Blues responded well and the young midfield of Bishop, Downes and Chalobah played the ball around nicely and probed at the Derby defence whenever on the ball.
It didn’t result in chances, with Quaner’s lashed effort over the top the best Ipswich could muster, but the Blues were the better side heading into the break as they were applauded off by the home crowd.
They were on their feet within 10 minutes of the second period starting as the Blues found a deserved leveller.
Nolan had replaced Downes, who hobbled back to the dressing room after being removed from action, and after a driving run from Quaner the former Shrewsbury midfielder made a late run to the edge of the box where he let fly with a low drive which found the bottom corner.
The Blues could sense an opportunity and so nearly took the lead when Knudsen’s right-footed effort was headed off the line from a well-placed Duane Holmes.
Chalobah was the next to take aim as his effort from outside the box flew wide as pressure began to build, before two Judge corners caused trouble as Pennington and then Keane’s worked efforts towards goal.
There was late danger as Bialkowski had to be at his best to deny Richard Keogh and David Nugent’s header from a Waghorn corner came back off the bar, but the Blues held out.
Ipswich Town: Bialkowski; Bree, Pennington, Knudsen, Kenlock; Chalobah, Downes (Nolan 53), Bishop (Dozzell 68), Judge; Quaner (Harrison 75), Keane
Subs: Gerken, Nsiala, Edwards, Jackson,
Derby County: Roos; Bogle, Tomori, Keogh, Malone; Johnson, King (Bennett 72), Holmes (Bryson 72), Wilson (Nugent 62), Lawrence, Waghorn
Subs: Ravas, Wisdom, Cole, Huddlestone,
Attendance: 18,604 (926 Derby fans)
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