Tommy Smith and Flynn Downes both made comebacks from injury as Ipswich Town’s Under-23s drew 2-2 with Bristol City at Portman Road last night.

Centre-back Smith was sidelined for the majority of last season following back surgery and suffered the set-back of a hamstring injury early in this campaign. This was his second U23 outing.

Teenage midfielder Downes impressed at the start of this campaign, but has missed the last three games (and been unavailable for England’s Under-19s) due to a thigh problem.

Both played the full 90 minutes last night, but there was no place in the squad for either Emyr Huws or Teddy Bishop suggesting the central midfield duo aren’t quite ready to return from their respective Achilles and groin problems.

Goals from Arnie Garita and Jake Andrews gave Bristol a two-goal advantage at the break, but Ben Folami reduced the arrears just before the hour after excellent work by Myles Kenlock and then Downes levelled the scores after Ben Morris had been denied.

Town had a flurry of chances in the closing stages but City survived to take a share of the spoils.

There is still no news on how bad the hamstring injury is that saw midfielder Tom Adeyemi withdraw from the Town team prior to the recent 3-1 home defeat to Bristol City.

TOWN U23s: M Crowe; Connolly, Woolfenden, T Smith, Kenlock; Rowe (D Crowe 90), Downes, McLoughlin (cpt), McKendry (Patterson 75); Morris, Folami. Unused: Daniels, Hayes, Marshall.