Championship match report: Ipswich Town 0-0 Watford

The Blues dominated the first half of the game, hitting the post before forcing a good save from Daniel Bachmann. They failed to maintain their intensity after the break, and despite a late surge, the Hornets held on to take a point from their trip to Portman Road.

Ipswich started fast. Nathan Broadhead’s quick turn opened up the space for Kayden Jackson, who picked up a through ball before firing a shot straight at Edo Kayembe inside the opening 15 seconds of the game.

George Edmundson returned to the starting lineup to face the Hornets (Image: Ross Halls)

There was a bit of a cagey feel to the game, with Town knowing what they had to do to fully take advantage of results elsewhere. Watford’s quality on the ball was clear for all to see, but getting into the right areas was a challenge for them. Their best chance of the early stages came in the eighth minute, when Yaser Asprilla fired wide from distance after spotting Vaclav Hladky off his line.

The Blues remained patient, and it almost paid off in the 15th minute as a quick pass down the right played Omari Hutchinson into the right side of the box, but he was just dispossessed before he could take aim.

At that point, Watford began to sit really deep. Quick link-up play around the edge of the area saw Harry Clarke find Kieffer Moore following a driving run, and while the striker was able to set up Nathan Broadhead to take aim, his low shot was held by Bachmann.

Nathan Broadhead was Town's biggest threat in the first half (Image: Steve Waller)

Ipswich continued to grow in confidence, targeting the right flank as Hornets’ left wing-back Jamal Lewis left a huge gap behind him for Jackson to attack. The attacker had a great opportunity just before the half-hour mark, crossing low for Moore, who fired a first-time shot wide of the post.

When the visitors did threaten, it came when they were playing out from the back. Yaser Asprilla looked to capitalise on a slip-up around 10 minutes before half time, crossing into the box for Vakoun Bayo, who was beaten to the ball by Vaclav Hladky.

Broadhead stepped up in the final minutes before the break. He tested Bachmann again in the 35th minute, curling an effort into the gloves of the Austrian international after pushing through the middle. Two minutes later, his low strike from just outside the box trickled past the goalkeeper before clipping the post. The hosts were really knocking on the door.

Jack Taylor fired a shot straight at Broadhead just before half time (Image: Stephen Waller)

Jack Taylor was involved soon after, smacking Broadhead with a strike from the left, before Moore forced Bachmann into a superb save from point-blank range, heading Clarke’s cross straight at the shot-stopper a couple of minutes before half time.

The start of the second half looked like the opposite of the first. Watford had clearly benefited from the break as they started to dominate possession and find more space. They didn't create a great deal, but Asprilla was able to force Hladky into a save with a curling effort from outside the box.

Ipswich, on the other hand, looked best on the counter, although Bachmann was able to capitalise on poor deliveries into the box to stop their attacks.

The visitors grew in confidence after the restart (Image: Stephen Waller)

A triple change revitalised the hosts. Hutchinson moved to the right as Conor Chaplin, Jeremy Sarmiento and Massimo Luongo came on for Kayden Jackson, Nathan Broadhead and Jack Taylor. They helped to wrestle the momentum back in their side's favour, but chances were few and far between.

The introduction of Ali Al-Hamadi also helped Town in the final stages, giving them a different option in the final third. As the clock ticked towards full-time, they continued to turn the screw. The Iraq international came close as his close-range shot deflected out for a corner with around three minutes to play.

They pushed everyone forward as four minutes of stoppage time was announced, but it wasn't to be. In fact, Kayembe had a glorious chance to win the game for the visitors as he took aim from distance with Hladky off the lane. The goalkeeper got back just in time to claw it away in the dying seconds.

With Leicester City losing 0-0 Millwall and Leeds United drawing at home to Sunderland, not a lot has changed in the promotion race. Town's fate is still in their own hands.

Town XI: 4-2-3-1: Hladky; Clarke, Edmundson, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Taylor (Luongo 64'); Jackson (Chaplin 64'), Hutchinson, Broadhead (Sarmiento 64'); Moore (Al-Hamadi 71')

Watford XI: 3-4-3: Bachmann; Porteous, Pollock, Hoedt; Andrews, Kayembe, Dele-Bashiru, Lewis; Bayo (Dennis 86'), Asprilla (Ince 90+3'), Chakvetadze (Kone 70')

Attendance: 28,589