Snapshot: Cardiff's play-off aspirations suffered a set-back as a controversial second-half equalizer denied City all three points at Portman Road. Gavin Rae had given the Bluebirds the lead on 37 minutes, getting on the end of an Aaron Ramsey cross before Jordan Rhodes leveled, bagging his first Ipswich goal to dent the top six hopes of all concerned.
Team News: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Peter Whittingham and Trevor Sinclair all started on the bench, which meant a handful of changes from the starting eleven that ran out at Wembley; Riccardo Scimeca and Aaron Ramsey started in the midfield while Steve Thompson deputised up-front. Kevin McNaughton's back injury meant a fit again Darcy Blake filled in at right-back but, while neither Paul Parry or Warren Feeney were fit enough to take any part.The Tractor Boys made two changes from the side that lost to Colchester on the weekend - Gavin Williams and Velice Sumuloikoski made way for Tommy Miller and Gary Roberts.
Chronological Report: Cardiff fans would have been concerned about the prospect of a Cup hangover following Sunday's exploits and the opening ten minutes seemed to confound those fears as Ipswich strangled the early possession.
One of City's Wembley heroes Roger Johnson very nearly gifted the home side a goal on the four minute mark when he gave away the ball inside his own half which allowed Owen Garvan to swing in a perfect ball from the right.
When both centre backs missed with intended clearance headers, the ball fell on the head of Alan Lee which seemed to take the former Bluebird by surprise and he couldn't direct his effort home. Cardiff were aiding their opponents no end with their slack passing and when a ball from Aaron Ramsey went astray it allowed Danny Haynes to break with blistering pace down the right, he spotted Tommy Miller in support and a ball intended for him played across the 6-yard box narrowly missed his outstretched right boot.
All that was merely a preamble to a glorious chance on seventeen minutes though; Alan Quinn's initial corner was headed out by Joe Ledley only to be immediately swung back in by the Irishman and Jason De Vos towered over everyone at the back post to power a header into the side netting. De Vos looked disappointed not to have scored and understandably so - however, credit must also fall to Gavin Rae who seemed to do just enough in the air to put the bog centre-back off.
City finally got a foothold in the game around the twenty minute mark and produced some of the free-flowing football more associated with the team. A quick turn Ramsey in midfield looked to have put him into space only for Castro Sito to clip his heels and halt his dangerous looking advance. Strangely Sito avoided a booking.
Ipswich poured forward again through the pace of Hayes and he played in Gary Roberts who 8-yards out looked in a great position to get a shot on target only for Darcy Blake to get across brilliantly and block the effort out for just a corner.
A Gavin Rae surge in the 27th minute then brought about the first booking of the match and very nearly brought about the open goal as a consequence. The Scotsman's great run got him in between two players before being pulled down just outside the area by Garvan. Ramsey stepped up to take the free-kick and rippled the roof of the net with a central effort from 20-yards out.
If Cardiff had tested their luck in the opening quarter they were seriously pushing it now. Lee shrugged off Tony Capaldi at the right of the box to put himself clean through on goal, his right-footed shot beat Peter Enckelman in the Cardiff goal but luckily missed the far post to keep the score at a stalemate. It was a chance very similar to that of Kayode Odejayi's on Sunday and with thankfully an identical result.
Aaron Ramsey really began to run the show for Cardiff in the midfield area and was therefore clattered twice in the space of as many minutes - firstly by Garvan who somehow avoided his second booking in quick succession and then by Sito who for the second time escaped a yellow for a cynical challenge.
The Ipswich players reluctance to allow Ramsey to dictate proceeding seemed profound minutes later when he slipped on the left of the box after well presented by Ledley, very nearly surrendered possession before recovering to turn away from a tackler or two and play a beautiful ball with the outside of his right foot directly across the face of goal. Waiting at the backs stick unmarked was Gavin Rae, who was composed to knock in the simplest of finishes.
Ipswich Town 0 - 1 CARDIFF CITY (GAVIN RAE 37mins)
The same two Bluebirds very nearly combined for a second City goal just before the half. An elegant flick by Ramsey on the edge of his won box allowed Cardiff to break forward from an Ipswich corner; a neat one-two with Rae allowed him to glide past a tackler upon the return pass before Alex Bruce got an important block in at the edge of the box with the young Welshman in full flow.
Half-time: Ipswich Town 0 - 1 CARDIFF CITY
Ipswich substitute: Jordan Rhodes for Gary Roberts (45mins)
Much like the first-half Ipswich dominated the first ten minutes after the restart before City finally got some quality ball in the 55th minute through another penetrating run by Ramsey to the edge of the box. However, Bruce again blocked his strong effort. Scimeca tried his luck from distance with a speculative volley that ended up high and not so handsome with the fans behind the goal. Then, Ray smashed a long-range effort wide of the target.
Capaldi became the first Cardiff player to be booked after a late but innocent looking tackle on Danny Haynes - Haynes rolling around the turf, only stopping occasionally to check the referee was putting his hand in his pocket for the card.
Ipswich substitute: David Wright for Castro Sito (62mins)
Cardiff Substitute: Peter Whittingham for Tony Capaldi (62mins)
Cardiff substitute: Trevor Sinclair for Riccardo Scimeca (69mins)
A neat triangle of passing by Ledley, McPhail and Ramsey played Whittingham into space on the left with time to pick out a cross but, he couldn't clear the first man. When the ball got played wide to him again he squared the ball inside to Ramsey and his shot was blocked out for a corner which nothing came of.
On the 73rd minute Ipswich equalized against the run of play and in bizarre circumstances; a Garvan shot was blocked on the edge of the box and seemed to deflect into the path of Jordan Rhodes who slotted calmly past Enckelman.
The replacement striker looked to be standing at least 5-yards offside when he received the ball however with all of the Cardiff back-four protesting the linesman intervened to suggest a defender had the last touch and therefore the strike should stand.
IPSWICH TOWN 1 - 1 Cardiff City (Jordan Rhodes 73mins)
Ipswich substitute: Velice Sumuloikoski for Alan Quinn (78mins)
In the 81st minute Garvan came inches away from giving the home side the lead. He twisted past Rae and McPhail before whipping a shot across goal which fizzed just wide with Enckelman relegated to a bystander.
Cardiff substitute: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for Joe Ledley (82mins)
A bad sight for City fans came as Ledley limped off clutching his groin, forcing Dave Jones into an attacking change with Hasselbaink taking the field. As a result Aaron Ramsey reverted to left-back, his fourth different position of the evening after spells in the centre of midfield, wide on the right and up-front alongside Steve Thompson.
Hasselbaink's first touch almost carved a winner for the Bluebirds; he controlled on his chest and rolled a lay-off to Whittingham who smashed a 25-yard effort just wide with Stephen Bywater left standing.
Ipswich really piled on the pressure in the closing minutes and looked easily the most likely to snatch a winner; for the first time the ever-impressive Loovens failed to win a header and the knock-down fell to Garvan at the edge of the are whose shot took a slight deflection off Blake before Enckelman got down well to save.
On the ninety minute mark Ipswich did have the ball in the back of the net - however, this time it was ruled out. Haynes rattled a shot home from close-range only for it to be called back as Loovens had been man-handled in the area.
Injury time offered up an opportunity for either side to claim the three points; firstly Sinclair picked out Hasselbaink with a perfect cross from the right but the Dutchman could only direct his header right at Hasselbaink plus the linesman had already raised his flag for offside. Then at the other end a scramble in the box ended with the ball at Miller's feet who then side-footed through a sea of legs and Enckelman made a difficult save look very easy.
Full-time: Ipswich Town 1 - 1 CARDIFF CITY
Ipswich: Bywater, Simpson, De Vos, Bruce, Sito (Wright 62), Haynes, Garvan, Miller, Quinn (Sumulikoski 79), Roberts (Rhodes 46), Lee. Subs Not Used: Colgan, Williams. Booked: Garvan, Sito. Goals: Rhodes 73.
Cardiff: Enckelman, Blake, Johnson, Loovens, Capaldi (Whittingham 63), Ramsey, Rae, McPhail, Scimeca (Sinclair 69), Thompson, Ledley (Hasselbaink 83). Subs Not Used: Purse, Oakes. Booked: Capaldi. Goals: Rae 37.
Att: 20,311
Ref: Russell Booth
