There was late heartbreak for Ipswich Town at Hillsborough, as the Blues let a two-goal lead slip before eventually drawing 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday.

It was all looking good for the Blues when former Ipswich loanee Dominic Iorfa turned the ball into his own net to double a lead which the visitors had taken early, when Kayden Jackson finished superbly after just four minutes.

But there was a sting to come as Wednesday battled back, with George Byers reducing the deficit to one as he smashed home after a free-kick was taken short, before Michael Smith escaped his man in the box to head home as the hosts applied pressure down the right side. The former Rotherham striker appeared to be a yard offside when putting the ball in the net.

Ipswich were able to ride out the storm which came in six minutes of stoppage time but will be disappointed to leave Hillsborough with only a point, when it looked as though all three could have been on the agenda.

Both sides played their part in front of a 26,000-strong crowd, with Town making use of the width afforded to them by Jackson and Wes Burns as they looked to hit their hosts on the break, while Wednesday tried to play through the middle of the pitch but weren’t able to trouble Christian Walton before ultimately scoring their first goal.

It was a fascinating encounter between two of League One’s leading lights, with Ipswich remaining unbeaten at the top of the table on goal difference, after second-placed Portsmouth drew 2-2 with Plymouth Argyle in third.

McKenna made three changes to the side which beat Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night, with George Edmundson the man given the nod at the heart of defence in place of injury-victim Cameron Burgess.

Two unexpected changes came in the forward line, where Tyreece John-Jules and Jackson came in for Marcus Harness and Freddie Ladapo, who both dropped to the bench.

Just like at Portman Road on Tuesday night, both sides and the supporters packed inside Hillsborough paid tribute to Her Majesty The Queen, with a minute’s silence and a rendition of the National Anthem.

Then down to business in a game which burst into life, with an opening four minutes packed with action which ultimately saw the Blues take the lead.

First, skipper Sam Morsy had a shot blocked inside the penalty area before, with Walton out of position, Barry Bannan landed on a loose clearance and took the opportunity to shoot from inside his own half. Thankfully for Town, a shot which looked destined for the net took a hard bounce beyond the penalty spot and jumped up and over the top of the vacant Ipswich goal.

It was a hearts in mouths moment but, soon enough Ipswich were ahead. Edmundson made it, as he charged through the heart of the Wednesday midfield and defence from inside his own half, before the ball eventually landed at the feet of Jackson off a Wednesday leg. The forward, playing from the left side with John-Jules through the middle, picked his spot and buried it into the back of the Wednesday net at pace.

With the Hillsborough crowd quickly on edge, the hosts set about finding their way back into the game and began to apply pressure down the right-hand side, with balls in behind both Davis and Jackson causing problems for which Morsy and Wes Burns needed to intervene to remove danger.

Ipswich were hitting the diagonal ball whenever they could, looking to use the width and pace provided by Jackson and Burns, but it was the hosts who enjoyed the better of possession and creating the better openings. They pushed and prodded at the Town defence without ever overly testing Christian Walton, before the Blues went in at half-time a goal up.

Lee Evans threatened after the break, with a shot from range which was spilled and then recovered by David Stockdale in the Wednesday goal, before McKenna’s first change saw Davis withdrawn and Greg Leigh introduced, after the starting left-back had picked up a booking.

Wednesday’s first change saw Lee Gregory brought on for Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, as the hosts went to two up top, but it was the visiting side who were next to threaten as a clever touch from John-Jules freed Jackson. Sadly, though, the forward could only turn over the top from inside the box, under pressure from Michael Ihiekwe.

The hosts were without a shot on target, as the game reached 65 minutes, and that trend continued when Windass shot wildly off target from the edge of the box and into the Kop.

McKenna then introduced Freddie Ladapo and Marcus Harness, in place of John-Jules and Chaplin, with Ipswich almost instantly doubling their advantage.

With the home crowd incensed by a decision they felt had gone against them, Jackson scampered away down the left and flashed a ball across the box which Harness was able to clean up and lay back to Burns, who played a deep cross which Jackson attacked, pressuring Iorfa to turn into his own net with his shins.

Play was halted in the aftermath of the second goal, as Wednesday fans began heading to the exit, at a time when a number of objects were thrown into the pitch from the home sections of Hillsborough.

Those Wednesday fans who remained were given encouragement when, on 75 minutes, Byers was on hand to slam home a Marvin Johnson cross from a short Bannan corner, reducing the deficit with 15 minutes remaining.

They were level by the time stoppage time arrived, thanks to Smith’s header from a Reece James cross as Ipswich legs tired, but the visitors were able to hang on and leave with a point.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (4-2-3-1): Stockdale, Palmer, Iorfa (Mighten 71), Ihiekwe, James; Byers, Bannan (cpt); Dele-Bashiru (Gregory 57), Windass, Johnson; Smith.

Subs: Dawson, Vaulks, Bakinson, Wilks, Paterson.

Booked: Bannan (25), James (79), Windass (82).

IPSWICH TOWN (4-2-1-3): Walton; Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Davis (Leigh 55); Morsy (cpt), Evans; Chaplin (Harness 68); Burns, John-Jules (Ladapo 68), Jackson (Keogh 81).

Subs: Hladky, Ball, Ahadme.

Booked: Woolfenden (44), Davis (53), Leigh (62), Burns (74), Morsy (76), Harness (81).

Referee: Peter Wright.

Attendance: 26,281.