A superb Stephy Mavididi strike had set City up for a sixth straight victory that would have taken them nine points clear at the top of the table in their fight to return to the Premier League. But with time ticking, Sam Morsy’s injury-time effort deflected off City bodies to draw the Tractor Boys level.

City had defended brilliantly to that point to protect Mads Hermansen’s goal and looked like keeping another clean sheet. But in truth, they didn’t have the control they usually do in the second half, and eventually succumbed to the pressure.

City’s tweaked defence were put under pressure during a nervy opening five minutes, but they soon found their feet and were the better side in the first period. Wilfred Ndidi headed over as City pushed, but there were more chances for them if they could get their touch and final pass right in the final third.

 

They did just that midway through the half. Patson Daka, starting for a fifth straight game, used the dummy runs to spin his man and spread the ball to Mavididi in space, the in-form winger setting himself before curling a beautiful effort into the far corner from the edge of the box. It was his fifth goal in five outings, and makes him City’s top scorer.

There were chances for a second too. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Ndidi were both stopped by excellent last-ditch tackles as they sprinted into the box for a one-on-one with Vaclav Hladky, but Daka did get his shot away after being teed up by Mavididi, the Zambian kept out by the Ipswich goalkeeper’s midriff.

There was a flurry of chances for both sides in a lively start to the second half as Cameron Burgess headed a corner just over, and then Abdul Fatawu, dropping in at full-back regularly, throwing himself in the way of Leif Davis’s shot. The Ghanaian was then up the other end to acrobatically volley into the ground and over.

The game calmed down, but only briefly, and when the final 25 minutes arrived, Ipswich really started to put the pressure on, with the noise levels ramping up. Mads Hermansen was required to parry away a Conor Chaplin drive.

But City were still a threat on the counter, only their final pass lacking in the search of chances for a second. Also missing was the referee’s whistle when Dewsbury-Hall was blatantly knocked over by Burgess as he raced on to Mavididi’s pass.

Into five minutes of added time and Faes was needed to block Freddie Ladapo’s goalbound shot, a rare close-range effort from Ipswich. It would not be the final chance though, with Morsy hitting an effort goalwards, a double deflection wrong-footing Hermansen and earning Ipswich a precious point. City have to make do with a draw.

Mads Hermansen: City kept Ipswich at arm’s length for much of the game, so the saves he had came from long-range efforts. There was one fine stop to parry away Chaplin’s effort in the second half though before he was beaten by the deflection. With his feet, there were few too many short or wayward passes that could have led to more danger. 6

Ricardo Pereira: His link-up play was terrific at times, the Portuguese always knowing the right pass to make. When the time came to keep it simple and play it backwards to calm the game down, he did just that. 7

Conor Coady: Under pressure when Ipswich pressed in the first half, he looked really uncomfortable, and not like a player suited to Maresca’s game at all. But he did play a fine pass into Daka for the goal, and then read play well to intercept Ipswich’s long clearances and keep City on the front foot. 7