Struggling Wolves pick up a point from dreary clash with Ipswich
Wolves claimed a deserved point in their fight for Sky Bet Championship survival after a turgid 0-0 draw at mid-table Ipswich.
It could have been so much more for Paul Lambert's men after both Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Ben Marshall were denied by the woodwork in the closing stages as Bartosz Bialkowski's goal led a charmed life in the second half.
But the chances were not in keeping with a match that will not live long in the memory for those inside a half-full Portman Road, which was filled with a smattering of boos at the final whistle.
Ipswich have now gone seven matches unbeaten, but six have been drawn with fans starting to question the tenure of Mick McCarthy.
A scrappy first 15 minutes saw action in either penalty area at a premium, Josh Emmanuel just failing to find a team-mate with a dangerous low cross that dissected Ipswich front duo Tom Lawrence and David McGoldrick.
Wolves' players were left screaming for a penalty when Jonas Knudsen's desperate attempts to stop Matt Doherty saw him handle the ball on the ground.
Referee Darren Deadman awarded a free-kick just outside the area but Romain Saiss' attempt sailed harmlessly over the bar.
A forgettable first half hour almost burst into life when Dave Edwards met Andreas Weimann's dangerous cross but his dangerous pull-back was brilliantly blocked by the sliding McGoldrick.
Ipswich's best moment came soon after when Lawrence turned Saiss but his low cross-shot was blocked on the line by Doherty.
On the cusp of half-time, Lawrence seized upon indecision in the away defence to tee up McGoldrick but his low shot was well held by Carl Ikeme.
Lawrence remained the biggest threat for Ipswich, twice causing Ikeme to be alert in tipping direct corners away from his own goal-line while, at the other end, a quick counter by Wolves ended with Marshall firing wide of the far post.
As the visitors edged possession and half-chances created, Ipswich fans were left to cheer ironically after McGoldrick had a half-hearted effort saved by Carl Ikeme.
Wolves went much closer in the 85th minute when Bodvarsson muscled his way through the Ipswich defence and his shot from an acute angle cannoned off a combination of the inside post and Bialkowski.
And Ipswich were again thankful for the woodwork when Marshall's dangerous free-kick hit the top of the crossbar.
Source : PA
Source: PA