LEE Bowyer believes Ipswich Town have turned a genuine corner following yesterday’s solid 1-1 draw at big-spending Leicester City.

The veteran midfielder opened the scoring, with the visitors then looking likely to hold out for a third successive win until a soft penalty – given for handball against Jason Scotland – gave Paul Gallagher the chance to net a 68th-minute equaliser.

“If you weigh up the whole game then a point is probably fair, but without the penalty I don’t think they would have scored,” said Bowyer.

“They had a lot of possession, but I thought we were solid and they weren’t really hurting us.

“The recent (seven-game) losing run is gone – it’s in the past now. We’ve won two and drawn one.

“I think we are looking a lot more solid, we are creating a lot more chances and are certainly going into games believing we can win.”

Michael Chopra had seen a penalty well saved by home keeper Kasper Schmeichel in the opening minute of the game too, with Bowyer insisting that the referee’s failure to dismiss Paul Konchesky was a major turning-point.

“He should have been sent off,” said the midfielder. “The referee said he (Lee Martin) was going away from goal, but his touch wasn’t even that far out of his feet and he’s on the penalty spot. I just can’t see how it’s not a red card.”

Blues boss Paul Jewell disagreed, adding: “I don’t think the player should have got sent off, although I find it difficult that he didn’t get a yellow and we had a couple of yellow cards.

“But I am not here to talk about the referees – I thought our performance was excellent.”

And that’s one thing Bowyer did agree with his boss about, saying: “We are definitely happy with the way we played.

“We’ve been to Middlesbrough, Cardiff, West Ham and now Leicester and could have won at all four.”

Meanwhile, Jewell confirmed that Keith Andrews came off with a hamstring injury just before half-time. The midfielder is set to have a scan today, but it looks likely that the problem will keep him out of the final two games of his loan spell from Blackburn.

Town go to in-form Reading on New Year’s Eve (Saturday) and then host struggling Nottingham Forest two days later.