The Sky Blues faced the Tractor Boys at the St. Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium for the second time in six days following the dramatic finale in the FA Cup after Callum O’Hare’s ninety-fourth minute equaliser.
From that fixture, City made two changes bringing in Saturday’s hero O’Hare alongside Amadou Bakayoko who replaced the outgoing Jordan Shipley and Liam Walsh.
Their opponents only made the solitary change, as Danny Rowe was replaced by Gwion Edwards as per Saturday afternoon.
City started the game the brighter team in the opening five minutes with a well-worked move finding Amadou Bakayoko with space in-front to charge into on the edge of the box.
Liam Kelly played a slick one-two with Callum O’Hare before finding the striker. Bakayoko took a touch to set himself, but a last-ditch challenge came in and cleared the danger.
The clearance then fell to Michael Rose who delivered a deep cross into the box. Max Biamou met the cross with his head and aimed the effort goal-ward, but his effort was blocked.
Half-chances came and went for both teams without either team seriously threatening their opposition, until the 24th minute.
Neat play down the right-hand side from the visitors set Gwion Edwards away. Edwards had acres of space and bags of time to make his choice, and he rifled a low cross across the face of the box into the path of the oncoming Alan Judge.
However, the ball was hit with a little too much power and eluded Judge at the far post who did not manage to get any ball, but did manage to get a lot of post in his efforts – he took a while to get back to his feet, but there was no harm done after his to do with the upright.
With 30 minutes on the clock, Will Keane rose the highest at the back post to meet Judge’s cross from the left and headed the Tractor Boys into the lead.
Four minutes later, Keane nearly doubled his and Town’s tally.
Luke Garbutt whipped in a corner from the right which Keane met with his head and crashed his effort into Marko Marosi’s right-hand post.
Town threatened the City goal again towards the end of the first half as a lofted ball from the right found its way to Luke Garbutt on the edge of the box.
The left-back took the chance on the volley and watched it bounce wide to Marosi’s left.
City had time to carve out a chance of their own though before the half-time whistle, as Zain Westbrooke took a quick freekick and lofted it in towards O’Hare who made a run in-behind the Town defence.
All the midfielder could do is head over Will Norris’ goal, though.
Minutes before the chance, Mark Robins was forced into making his first change as Dom Hyam was replaced by Jordan Shipley.
HALF-TIME: Sky Blues 0 – 1 Ipswich Town
The first chance of the second half fell the away of the Sky Blues as Shipley unleashed a rasping effort from 20 yards.
The midfielder picked up the ball in acres of space, had time to set himself and smashed his effort towards goal which Norris could only palm up into the air.
Biamou was aware to the rebound but couldn’t reach the loose ball in enough time as he fluffed the chance out for a goal kick.
After 10 minutes of the second half gone, the Sky Blues were emphatically back on level terms.
A wonderful through ball from Kelly found Biamou free on the right side of the Ipswich box. The striker took a touch to compose himself and drilled his effort low to the right of Norris and into the back of the net.
With just over 20 minutes left on the clock and the Sky Blues struck the crossbar through O’Hare.
Kelly was the provider once again and O’Hare took the chance first time, chipped it over Will Norris and saw his effort ricochet back off the bar and hacked away from danger.
The Sky Blues began building up a head of steam which saw a quick flurry of chances threaten the Ipswich goal – the best of the lot coming from a deep cross from Kelly which was headed wide of the far post from Biamou.
With five minutes to go, the Sky Blues had a guilt-edged chance to take the lead as Jamie Allen superbly picked out Kyle McFadzean from a right-sided corner.
McFadzean had a free header on the six-yard box but could only direct it into the hands of Norris.
Matt Godden came on to make his first appearance for the Sky Blues in just under two months following his knee injury, and had time to make an impact as he set Allen up on the edge of the box for a half-volley which crept agonisingly wide.
That was the last action of the game as the Sky Blues and the Tractor Boys drew their second game in six days 1-1 - there needs to be a winner, though, when they meet for the third time in 10 days in the FA Cup Second Round replay in three days time.
FULL-TIME: Sky Blues 1 – 1 Ipswich Town
Goals: Will Keane (31’), Max Biamou (56’)
Yellows: Gervane Kastaneer (59’ – off the pitch), Gwion Edwards (59’), Luke Woolfenden (76’)
Attendance: 8,085 (2,097 away)
Sky Blues XI: Marko Marosi (GK), Fankaty Dabo, Michael Rose, Kyle McFadzean, Dom Hyam (Jordan Shipley 43’), Sam McCallum, Liam Kelly (C), Zain Westbrooke (Jamie Allen 79’), Callum O’Hare, Amadou Bakayoko, Max Biamou (Matt Godden 90+3’)
Unused Subs: Ben Wilson (GK), Jordy Hiwula, Gervane Kastaneer, Declan Drysdale.
Ipswich Town XI: Will Norris (GK), Janoi Donacien, James Wilson, Gwion Edwards (Cole Skuse 67’), Jon Nolan, Alan Judge (Kayden Jackson 67’), Flynn Downes (C), Andre Dozzell, Luke Woolfenden, Luke Garbutt, Will Keane.
Unused Subs: Tomas Holy (GK), Idris El-Mizouni, Myles Kenlock, Armando Dobra, Anthony Georgiou