Tommy Miller's second-half penalty earned Ipswich a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
Miller breaks City Ground hearts
Tommy Miller's second-half penalty earned Ipswich a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
A point denied Forest a much-needed success as they look to navigate their way off the foot of the Championship table.
Garath McCleary had given the Reds a half-time lead, but Miller's spot-kick cancelled out the home side's advantage six minutes after the interval.
McCleary lashed home an angled drive from the edge of the area in the 31st minute to temporarily alleviate the pressure on under-fire Forest boss Colin Calderwood.
But after a commanding first half, Forest's fine work was undone in the 51st minute as on loan Paul Anderson felled Alan Quinn in the area and Miller stepped up to stroke home.
The introduction of Lewis McGugan for Andy Cole gave Forest added impetus but despite a period of late pressure, they were unable to find a winner as both sides shared the spoils.
The home side had the ball in the back of the net as early as the second minute but the linesman raised his flag to rule out McCleary's follow-up to Julian Bennett's mis-hit.
Assured
Ipswich took time to settle but began to play the ball around assuredly midway through the first half and almost took the lead in spectacular fashion when Jonathan Walters' 30-yard piledriver cannoned back off the crossbar 18 minutes in.
But the game finally got the goal it desperately needed in the 31st minute.
After a high-paced counter-attack, Ipswich goalkeeper Richard Wright had to be at his best to tip Anderson's drive around the post for a corner.
But when the set-piece came in, the ball broke to McCleary and the Forest forward smashed home the loose ball from 20 yards.
Rock-bottom Forest were searching for only their second Championship victory of the season and their first win since they beat Watford 3-2 in August.
Under-pressure Calderwood made just one change from the side which lost 2-1 at QPR on Saturday as he gave goalkeeper Lee Camp his debut.
But Ipswich were back on level terms six minutes after the interval.
Guilty
Anderson, the on loan Liverpool winger, was the guilty party for Forest as he up-ended Tractor Boys midfielder Quinn in the 51st minute and referee Graham Laws had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Miller stepped up to send debutant Camp the wrong way and give the visitors the equaliser.
But the goal seemed to invigorate Calderwood's Forest and the introduction of weekend goalscorer McGugan added a new dimension to their attacking play.
McGugan's incisive corner wreaked havoc in the Ipswich six-yard box and required a last-ditch clearance by Richard Naylor to take the ball off the toe of the oncoming Joel Lynch.
Forest's set-pieces were causing the visitors all sorts of problems and Chris Cohen's 74th-minute corner found centre-back Wes Morgan whose header drifted inches wide.
The home crowd urged their side forward, sensing their second win of the Championship campaign but they found Ipswich goalkeeper Richard Wright in fine form as he thwarted Nathan Tyson.
