Sixth-placed Ipswich Town battled to a hard-earned point against fifth-top Burnley, at Turf Moor, this afternoon.

Despite the game being played at a frenetic pace, Burnley – the league’s top scorers at home - and Town the joint-top away scorers in the division, cancelled each other out.

Luke Hyam made his first start for Town in almost a year, Jonathan Douglas dropping out of the 18 in Ipswich’s only change, while Burnley were unchanged from their 4-0 home hammering of Bristol City last time out.

Ryan Fraser saw a rasping long range effort hit the side-netting in an end-to-end first half, while England squad goalkeeper Tom Heaton kept out a close-range Tommy Smith header and vicious shot to the near post from Freddie Sears.

The Clarets also had their chances, top-scorer Andre Gray missing a sitter from the edge of the box after being teed up by Michael Kightly and Ben Mee seeing a header from a corner disallowed after Town goalkeeper Dean Gerken was impeded.

Referee Peter Bankes hardly endeared himself to the home fans, giving Ipswich defenders Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith the benefit of the doubt on a couple of occasions when they tangled with Gray, when dangerous free-kicks could have been given.

The second half saw chances at a premium, with the returning Hyam having an effort blocked at the back post after he pounced on a deep corner from Kevin Bru, while Burnley’s Kightly flashed an effort wide of the far post after cutting inside Luke Chambers, just after Gerken had saved with his legs from Gray.

The last 25 minutes turned into a scrappy affair, the visitors putting their bodies on the line, preventing Sean Dyche’s men from grabbing a late winner, while always looking threatening on the flanks going forward.

Burnley: Heaton, Lowton, Mee, Keane, Ward, Kightly (Boyd, 70), Barton, Jones, Arfield (Taylor, 89), Gray (Hennings, 89) Vokes. Unused subs: Gilks, Duff, Ulvestad, Darikwa.

Ipswich: Gerken, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Hyam, Skuse, Fraser (Oar, 59), Sears, Bru (Pitman, 64), Murphy (Varney, 73). Unused subs: Bialkowski, Malarczyk, Parr, Maitland-Niles.

Referee: Peter Bankes

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