Ipswich Town 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0IPSWICH Town had to settle for a Championship point in front of the Sky Sport live television cameras at Portman Road this evening.

Ipswich Town 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0

IPSWICH Town had to settle for a Championship point in front of the Sky Sport live television cameras at Portman Road this evening.

The Blues, who have now gone six games undefeated, were unable to create a goal that would have lifted them up a place in the table.

They had the majority of the chances that came along with Lee Grant making a couple of half decent saves in the Owls goal, but the visitors were well worth their point and were the strongest team in the latter stages.

While Town manager Roy Keane has done well to improve his team's defensive record much work has still to be done to give them a potent goal threat.

It was not a classic by any means and a frustrating evening for Town fans against a side who were there to be beaten.

Ipswich made two changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Reading in their last game a fortnight ago. Garvan as hinted by manager Keane yesterday came in for his first involvement with the senior side since the 2-0 defeat at West Brom on August 22.

The 21-year-old started in midfield where he was joined by Martin who was given a surprise recall after three matches when he was not in the final 18. Out went Quinn and Stead.

Bruce and Delaney kept their places at the heart of the home defence with a fit-again McAuley on the bench where he was joined by Trotter among others - with the youngster believed to be interesting Scunthorpe with a view to an impending loan move.

Wednesday had gone four games without a win, and they were without ex-Town midfielder Miller, who suffered a torn hamstring in training last week.

Martin began the game just behind lone striker Priskin with Walters on the right and Edwards on the left of midfield as Keane searched for an improved goal output.

In the fourth minute, Leadbitter won possession and put Priskin through into space. But the finish was poor with the �1.7million striker only half-hitting his half chance.

Leadbitter's low angled ninth minute free-kick almost found a way into the net at the near seconds before Delaney tried am ambitious effort from just inside the Owls half that went well over.

It was mainly Town in a low key encounter, but in the 21st minute the visitors carved out a chance for Johnson with Begovic collecting a right-footed 10-yard drive into his arms.

In the 30th minute Town got a slice of luck when the ball struck Delaney's left hand in the penalty area. Referee D'Urso was either badly placed or deemed it was accidental, but it was a fortunate moment for the Blues. Within seconds, Martin tried his luck from 22-yards and Grant made an acrobatic save diving to his right.

Tudgay had a free shot from 17 yards in the 33rd minute following a long kick forward by Grant. Begovic was able to beat the ball away then watching as a follow-up effort from Varney went three yards wide.

Rain started to come down in the 41st minute when Town made an incisive move down their right that ended with Grant grabbing a Walters cross. A minute later Edwards fired wildly over when well placed following a cross from the right by Rosenior.

Martin was now on the left of midfield and Walters in the middle further forward as Town began the second period with a bit of a flourish with Leadbitter firing just wide soon after his precise free-kick caused confusion in the visiting defence.

It was raining much harder now with little evidence that Ipswich were going to win this game with the experiment of recalling Martin being summed up by his early withdrawal. Bruce took a knock minutes before he was replaced by McAuley.

Grant, who had been virtually unemployed pushed away a Garvan effort in the 63rd minute as Town stepped a gear with Garvan's neat lay-off to Walters seconds later deserving more than a mis-hit close range left-footed shot.

Neat play by Garvan and Priskin in the 69th minute saw Quinn go racing through against his former club. Grant saved well from the resultant shot, and from the corner that followed the ball got caught in the wind with Grant unable to hold on in the six-yard box and Wednesday somehow surviving a goalmouth scramble.

Within seconds of coming on Stead forced a good save out of Grant, with Priskin netting after being fed by Edwards from the rebound, but being rightly flagged for offside.

It became ragged after that with Wednesday looking the more likely side to net in the later stages.

Teams

Ipswich Town: Begovic; Rosenior, Bruce (sub McAuley 56 mins), Delaney, D Wright; Walters (Stead 75), Leadbitter, Garvan, Edwards; Martin (Quinn 56), Priskin. Substitutes: R Wright, Peters, Trotter, Wickham.

Sheffield Wednesday: Grant; Simek, Hinds, Buxton, Spurr; Gray, O'Connor, Potter; Johnson (Clarke 60), Tudgay, Varney. Substitutes: O'Donnell, Purse, McAllister, Jeffers, Esajas, Beevers.

Referee: Mr A D'Urso (Essex)

Attendance: 19,636

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Website marks - and stats

MARKS.

Ipswich Town: Begovic 7; Rosenior 6, Bruce 7, Delaney 7, D Wright 7; Edwards 6, Leadbitter 7, Garvan 7, Martin 5; Walters 5, Priskin 5..

Sheffield Wednesday: Grant 8; Simek 6, Hinds 7, Buxton 6, Spurr 7; Gray 7, O'Connor 6, Potter 7; Johnson 5, Tudgay 6, Varney 6.

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STATS

Ipswich Town

Goal: none

Bookings: none

Attempts on target: 6

Attempts off target: 4

Woodwork: none

Corners: 5

Free-kicks conceded (including offside): 16.

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Sheffield Wednesday

Goal: none

Bookings: Simek 8, Hinds 14, Buxton 25

Attempts on goal: 3

Attempts off target: 5

Woodwork: none

Corners: 3

Free-kicks conceded (including offside): 18.