The Blues fell behind in a tough first half, with Patson Daka popping up to fire a low shot into the back of the net from a free-kick to open the scoring.
Town improved after the break, although they still found it hard to create clear-cut chances to test the Foxes’ goalkeeper. Sindre Walle Egeli fired home to equalise, but a winner proved elusive for the hosts.
Leif Davis returned to Ipswich’s starting XI (Image: Steve Waller)
TEAM NEWS
Kieran McKenna made five changes to the team that beat Hull City in midweek, reverting to the same side that toppled Swansea City last weekend.
Christian Walton started in goal, playing behind a back line of Darnell Furlong, Dara O’Shea, Cedric Kipre and Leif Davis.
Azor Matusiwa continued in midfield, partnering Dan Neil, with Wes Burns, Marcelino Nunez and Anis Mehmeti supporting lone striker Ivan Azon.
Town XI: 4-2-3-1: Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, Cedric, Davis; Matusiwa, Neil (Clarke 60′); Burns (Walle Egeli 69′), Nunez (Taylor 84′), Mehmeti (Akpom 84′); Azon (Hirst 69′)
Leicester XI: 4-2-3-1: Stolarczyk; Pereira (Choudhury 83′), Okoli, Nelson, Thomas; Winks, Skipp; Fatawu (Aribo 90′), De Cordova-Reid (Mukasa 71′), Mavididi (James 70′); Daka (Ayew 83′)
The Blues faded after a strong start to the game (Image: Steve Waller)
FAST TO FLAT
Ipswich hunted for an early goal, probing inside the opening two minutes of the game. Davis’ pass to Neil allowed the Sunderland loanee to flick it on first time, where Mehmeti made the run into the box before being dispossessed by Caleb Okoli, who cleared the ball off Neil for a goal kick.
But two lapses of concentration gave Leicester hope. The first saw Furlong miss a pass back to him, with Town eventually recovering as Patson Daka failed to chase it down. Then, it the fifth minute, Oliver Skipp pounced as Neil’s loose touch let him down in midfield, winning a corner with a powerful strike that Walton pushed wide. Ipswich cleared the danger.
It became a bit of a theme. Stephy Mavididi – scorer for the Foxes when the two teams met at Portman Road in their last Championship campaign – weaved through into the final third, but his tame shot bobbled wide of the post with seven minutes on the clock.
Sloppiness in Town’s play was a real issue. Leicester didn’t press with intensity, but the Blues created their own problems while playing out from the back.
A frustrating, stop-start period led to a good Ipswich chance in the 29th minute as Mehmeti switched play out to the right, where Burns was able to deliver a cross from the right that ended up at the feet of Matusiwa, who curled a deflected left-footed shot out of play for a corner.
Nunez delivered onto the head of O’Shea, but he fired down and into the post, with the ball flicking out of play.
Town fell behind as Patson Daka fired home from a free-kick (Image: Steve Waller)
MADE TO PAY
Town started to turn the screw, with Mehmeti orchestrating much of their play in the final third. Opening space to really test Leicester ‘keeper Jakub Stolarczyk proved tricky, however. O’Shea’s dipping long-range shot ended up in the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand rather than the back of the net in the 32nd minute.
Yet it was Leicester who found the opener with 39 minutes on the clock. A soft foul from Matusiwa on Daka gave Thomas the chance to fire a free-kick into the box from the left flank.
Kipre missed his header, allowing Daka to swipe a low shot into the bottom corner in clinical fashion to give his side the lead.
The response should have come four minutes later. Burns breezed past Mavididi and Thomas down the right before crossing high for Mehmeti, who took a touch before firing an underwhelming shot into the gloves of Stolarczyk.
Referee John Busby became an unpopular figure among the home fans (Image: Steve Waller)
MORE FRUSTRATION
Ipswich hoped to start the second half like they did the first. Burns’ cross-field pass picked out Davis in the box, allowing him to head up and into the air. Stolarczyk came out to grab the ball but changed his mind last minute, allowing Azon to charge in, although he couldn’t hit the target.
The Spaniard was involved again in the 48th minute, running into the box after brushing past Okoli. The Leicester defender barged him down in the box, but referee John Busby – an incredibly unpopular figure among Town fans at this point – said there wasn’t enough contact.
That trend continued as Ipswich heaved pressure on the Foxes’ box. Davis was able to slot Mehmeti in on a tight angle to the goal, where the attacker tried to turn before being pushed to the ground by Harry Winks in the 56th minute. Once again, nothing was given.
While Town were able assert their dominance with a positive passage of play, they found it tough when entering Leicester’s penalty area. A good spell came to an end around the hour-mark when Nunez fired wide from range.
McKenna sensed that the visitors could tire and made an attacking change. Jack Clarke replaced Neil but played out wide, with Mehmeti moving into the no.10 role and Nunez dropping deep to partner Matusiwa.
More changes followed in the 69th minute – George Hirst and Sindre Walle Egeli for Azon and Burns.
Walle Egeli equalised with his fourth goal of the campaign (Image: Ross Halls)
SINDRE STRIKES BACK
It felt like Ipswich needed something to fall for them, and that’s exactly what happened in the 76th minute.
A looping cross from Clarke was half cleared by Ben Nelson, with Furlong heading the ball into the path of Mehmeti, who forced Stolarczyk into a good save, but one that saw it bounce out to Walle Egeli.
The Norwegian steadied himself before firing into the net off Stolarczyk’s gloves, beating him at the near post to equalise with 76 minutes on the clock.
That got Ipswich fans right behind their team as the search for a winner started, but there wasn’t much time, and Leicester’s threat on the counter had to be taken into consideration.
Two chances came just before five minutes of stoppage time was announced. Substitute Chuba Akpom was unable to scramble the ball home from Town’s first corner, before O’Shea headed over the crossbar from the second.
Akpom came close again in the 92nd minute, taking aim from Davis cross, with his shot deflecting out off Nelson for a corner. Leicester cleared.
There was one last bit of drama at the death. A deep cross was aimed towards Kipre, who was caught by Hamza Choudhury inside the box. The defender was irate, picking up a booking as a scuffle ensued after the full-time whistle.
Town drop to fourth behind Millwall, but with a game in hand.
Attendance: 28,704