Spirited performance sees Michael Duff's side head back to South Yorkshire with a deserved draw from Portman Road.

The home side had started the brighter of the two teams, being close to finding themselves through on goal on a couple of occasions, but Brad Collins remained unworked in the opening exchanges.

Our best opportunities were pot-shots from distance, with both Luke Thomas and Luca Connell seeing efforts flash wide of goal. 

Wes Burns was causing problems for the Reds defence, and in the 26^th minute he drove forward with the ball and was fouled. Up stepped former Reds forward, Conor Chaplin.

From the resulting free-kick, just right of centre, 25 yards out, the diminutive striker curled a delicious effort into the top corner of Collins’ goal to give the Tractor Boys the advantage.

However, the home side did not have that lead for long. The impressive Connell delivered a fantastic ball into the area with his left peg finding Jack Aitchison at the back stick. The Scot got down well, stooping somewhat and connected well with his head in the area, with the effort evading Christian Walton in the Ipswich goal and pegging the Reds back level in the 33^rd minute.

Barnsley’s leveller was the last notable action of the half, as the two sides headed into the tunnel with the scores even. However, Duff did lose both Jordan Helliwell and Josh Benson to injury in that first period. 

HALF-TIME: Ipswich 1-1 Barnsley

Shortly after the restart, the Reds nearly found themselves in front. Jordan Williams and sub Matty Wolfe both drove with the ball from the right touchline, after neat link-up, before the former dropped inside and found Callum Styles on the opposing flank. The Bury-born man ran onto the pass, into the box and fired an effort across goal, but it was palmed away by Christian Walton in the Ipswich net.

It was the Reds again who next came closest. Connell swung an in-swinging corner with pace which found skipper Mads Andersen in the area. The ball seemed to bounce off the Dane and narrowly went wide of the post.

Clarke Oduor almost found the net just seconds later, when he was played in on the right. The Kenyan carried the ball inside the area, and dinked an effort which painfully nestled in the top corner of the side-netting. It was so close. 

Despite this sustained Barnsley pressure, Ipswich retook the lead against the run of play. Burns, a menace throughout once again broke on the right-hand side, took the ball to the byline and squared for another ex-Red in Sam Morsy who latched onto the cross and side-footed home inside the area on 70 minutes.

It could have been three for Ipswich but a Marcus Harness goal was ruled out by a very busy referee, Stephen Martin, who went to his book on a few occasions in what was a very lively contest with no inch being conceded from either side.

Looking to find a response, the Reds persisted in their pressure despite the setback and got their reward. Another fantastic delivery from Connell found an unmarked Styles in the area and the Hungarian intermational powered a header home and deservedly brought the Reds back level.

The hosts began to take a grip of the game after Styles’ equaliser and the Reds began to take camp in their own half. 

The fourth official held up eight minutes on the clock as the Reds were digging in for a well-earned point at Portman Road. Collins was called into action in the dying minutes, after Kane Vincent-Young headed goalwards, but our number 40 pulled off a fantastic fingertip save to deny a late Ipswich winner.

More last-ditch heroics were needed in the final minute, as an Ipswich corner found Sone Aluko who volleyed towards goal, but Andersen cleared off the line and ensured the Reds left East Anglia with something to show for.

FULL-TIME: Ipswich 2-2 Barnsley

Collins, Helliwell (Oduor), Williams, Andersen, Kitching, Styles, Connell, Benson (Wolfe), Thomas, Cole (Norwood), Aitchison (Tedic).

Unused: Walton, McCarthy, Cundy.