Ipswich 0-0 QPR: Drab draw at Portman Road

Ipswich and QPR produced a drab Boxing Day match as they fought out the first goalless draw of the season at Portman Road.

There were chances at either end but neither side could capitalise as the 0-0 outcome signified the mediocre festive fare served up to 18,696 spectators. QPR had midfielder Josh Scowen sent off in the closing stages as they returned to London with a point.

Opportunities came and went untaken, from the moment in the fifth minute when a snap shot by David McGoldrick from just inside the QPR penalty area was smartly saved down to his left by Alex Smithies.

Six minutes later a surging forward run by QPR midfielder Massimo Luongo led to him feeding the ball to Idrissa Sylla whose shot was deflected wide by Ipswich defender Dominic Iorfa.

Then another positive step out of midfield, this time by QPR's Luke Freeman, led to him passing to Jordan Cousins whose goal-bound shot was cleared for a corner by home skipper Luke Chambers.

In the 32nd minute a long-range shot from McGoldrick had Smithies scrambling to cover his goal as the ball sailed narrowly wide of the right-hand upright.

In the 57th minute, Adam Webster's pass from inside his own half to McGoldrick saw the forward head goalwards but his shot went harmlessly wide.

Then nine minutes later a break down the right by QPR's Pawel Wszolek led to him crossing into the Ipswich penalty area, only for the ball to evade Sylla.

Scowen was shown the red card in the 86th minute for fouling Grant Ward just outside the penalty area, his second bookable offence. But rather than teeing up a late winner, that outcome led to substitute Bersant Celina sending his free-kick narrowly over the bar.

The managers

Mick McCarthy: "I have no complaints about the scoreline. I have complaints about how we played, I'm not really happy with that, but it's a point, I'll take it."

Ian Holloway: "It was quite an exciting 0-0. There were a few incidents but we have got to take some of the chances.

"I was delighted that we held ourselves together and managed to create them and think it will come with the people that I have got.

"I feel we will get used to each other as we have had a lot of injuries to the back lads. It's been an absolute hideous time for us. As an away performance, to only get one point out of that I am a little bit disappointed to be honest."

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