Depleted Ipswich Town side held to goalless draw by relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers

A depleted Ipswich Town side saw their winless run extended in a frustrating goalless home draw with relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers as the curtain came down on 2023 at Portman Road.

With Southampton winning 2-1 at home to Plymouth Argyle in the 6pm kick-off, it saw the gap to third place cut to three points while Sky Bet Championship leaders Leicester City extended their advantage to eight points.

It was a fourth game without a win for Town who huffed and puffed without being able to really create much in the way of clear-cut chances while the visitors saw a Steve Cook header roll across the line after hitting the inside of the post in the first half.

The second half had been delayed by 20 minutes following a medical emergency being dealt with in the lower Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.

Kieran McKenna initially made seven changes with five enforced from Boxing Day’s 1-1 home draw with leaders Leicester City three days ago.

With Sam Morsy serving a suspension, Massimo Luongo returned to the starting line-up with the captain’s armband while Freddie Ladapo came in up front for the injured George Hirst.

Leif Davis (calf) and Wes Burns (illness) both failed fitness tests with Cameron Humphreys starting at left-back and Omari Hutchinson down the right-hand side of the attack.

Harry Clarke was only fit enough for the bench with Brandon Williams starting at right-back while Dominic Ball and Nathan Broadhead went in ahead of Jack Taylor and Marcus Harness.

However, Broadhead pulled up in the warm-up meaning Harness did come back in – reducing it to six changes - with Elkan Baggott named as an emergency substitute.

There was a place on the bench for 18-year-old striker Gerrard Buabo, the former Bury Town loanee having only previously featured in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy at senior level.

Marti Cifuentes’ third bottom side showed five changes from a 2-0 Boxing Day loss at Millwall, which had been a third defeat on the spin..

Osman Kakay, Jimmy Dunne, Ziyad Larkeche, Paul Smyth and Lydon Dykes all dropped to the bench for Steve Cook, Chris Willock, Elijah Dixon-Bonner, Reggie Cannon and Sinclair Armstong.

There was also a return to Portman Road for homegrown midfielder Andre Dozzell.

The visitors were first to threaten with Armstrong’s run inside the second minute ending with Vaclav Hladky blocking at his near post at the expense of a corner.

Ladapo was threaded through by Conor Chaplin in the sixth minute but turned back into traffic before his shot was deflected away with Harness sending the loose ball into the arms of former Town loanee Asmir Begovic.

Three minutes later Ladapo was put clear by Harness before seeing his angled shot turned over the bar by Begoivc’s foot. Chaplin hit a first time effort from Humphreys’ low corner that was straight at the keeper.

With Town beginning to look more comfortable after a nervy opening, they were not troubled again until the 20th minute when Armstrong was played in down the side of the area with Hladky turning his effort round the post.

Applause broke out around Portman Road in the 22nd minute in tribute to staunch supporter Ben Moore who lost his battle with cancer aged 22.

The visitors were seeing more of the ball and in the 31st minute they came within a lick of paint of taking the lead. Cook saw his glancing header from a corner come back off the inside of the far post before Hladky and his defence managed to scramble it clear while Ilias Chair soon sent a curling effort over the bar.

Up the other end Begovic came to the rescue for the Hoops a few minutes later when he pushed Hutchinson’s near-post effort from Chaplin’s knock-down over his bar.

A dangerous corner from Hutchinson was headed away by Reggie Cannon from inside the near post as the Blues looked to turn the screw.

But the half-time whistle sounded with an evenly poised game still goalless with a much-changed Town side having been unable to get into any real attacking rhythm.

The start of the second half was delayed by 20 minutes due to a medical emergency in the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand which eventually saw a supporter taken via a stretcher down the tunnel to warm applause.

The players re-emerged for a six-minute warm-up before the second period eventually got re-started at 9:12pm with QPR bringing on Paul Smyth for Chris Willock.

Hladky raced out of his area in the 51st minute as Armstrong ran down the right and missed his tackle but the sriker had taken a heavy touch with the ball going out for a goal-kick.

Town’s first attack of the half saw Humphreys whip in a delightful cross from deep with Ladapo heading wide of the left-hand post from near the edge of the area.

Just ahead of the hour mark Armstrong broke into the left side of the Town area before Williams blocked off his shot.

Humphreys found Harness in the area in the 61st minute with his low angled shot saved by the legs of Begovic.

McKenna turned to his bench three minutes later with a triple change as Clarke, Kayden Jackson and Taylor replaced Williams, Ladapo and Ball.

There was another round of applause for Moore as the game entered the 22nd minute of the second half.

There was controversy in the 68th minute as Woolfenden fell heavy on Smyth down the side of the area. The referee seemed to acknowledge the foul and wave play on for the advantage with the narrow-angled effort which followed blocked behind.

From the resultant corner Chair found substitute Lyndon Dykes but he steered his shot past the post.

Town were huffing and puffing up the other end without being able to break through the Hoops’ compact lines.

Hutchinson did manage to get the crowd on their feet with a run down the right before his cross went straight into the arms of Begovic.

The QPR keeper was booked for time-wasting having laboured over a free kick in the 84th minute.

Hladky was soon in the thick of the action at the other end, touching behind a Dozzell effort from outside the area that looked to be heading wide before pushing out a dangerous Ryan Kolli corner from under his bar.

Buabo came on for his league debut in the 88th minute for Harness while Sone Aluko also replaced Omari Hutchinson.

A neat flick by Aluko released Jackson down the right now but his cross-shot was straight at Begovic.

Eight minutes additional time were signalled with the crowd soon leading the calls for a Town penalty as Humphreys was knocked over in a shoulder barge with Smyth, but the referee pointed for a goal kick.

Woolfenden clipped the ball into the area for Chaplin in the 96th minute but it bounced up and hit his arm.

There was a handball call up the other end against Jackson from Reggie Cannon’s deep cross but the referee was unmoved.

A last-gasp deep free kick for Town for Luongo pump the ball into the box with Aluko skying the second phase effort that fell into his path outside the area just ahead of the final whistle sounding.

Meanwhile, the club released a statement following the final whistle which read: “Ipswich Town Football Club can confirm a medical emergency occurred in the lower tier of the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand, during half-time of this evening’s game with Queens Park Rangers at Portman Road.

“Our thoughts are firmly with the family and friends of the supporter, with the Club offering full support to all those affected.

“There will be no further comment at this time.”

Town return to action on New Year’s Day at Stoke City (3pm).

Ipswich: Hladky, Woolfenden, Ladapo (Jackson 64’), Chaplin, Ball (Taylor 64’), Burgess, Williams (Clarke 64’), Hutchinson (Aluko 88’), Luongo (cpt), Humphreys, Harness (Buabo 88’).

Unused subs: Walton (gk), Edmundson, Baggott, Tuanzebe.

Booked: Chaplin (35’), Woolfenden (52’), Harness (87’).

QPR: Begovic (cpt), Cook (Dunne 71'), Clarke-Salter, Willock (Smyth 46’), Field, Chair (Larkeche 78’), Dozzell, Dixon-Bonner (Dykes 64’), Cannon, Paal, Armstrong (Kolli 78’).

Unused subs: Archer (gk), Kakay, Drewe, Adomah.

Booked: Begovic (83’).

Attendance: 29,100 (1,678 away fans)

SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Cameron Humphreys. Had big boots to fill with Leif Davis injured but stepped into the full-back role and did not look out of place, providing some great crosses as the game went on.