Ipswich Town 0-0 Watford: Hornets prevent Tractor Boys going top of Championship

Ipswich missed the chance to return to the top of the Championship as they were held to a goalless draw by Watford at Portman Road.

Nathan Broadhead hit the inside of the post while Kieffer Moore was superbly denied by Hornets keeper Daniel Bachmann and fired another good chance wide.

Watford improved vastly after the break and almost won it at the end but are now five games unbeaten under interim boss Tom Cleverley.

Having seen leaders Leicester and Leeds both fail to score the previous night, Ipswich began positively, although it took 18 minutes before Bachmann was called into action, diving to his right to stop Broadhead’s low drive from the edge of the area after a neat flick from Moore.

Cameron Burgess blocked a Vakoun Bayo effort at the other end before Moore’s near-post effort flashed the wrong side of the upright from Kayden Jackson’s inviting ball from the right.

Jamal Lewis’ looping cross was plucked from beneath his crossbar by Ipswich keeper Vaclav Hladky just after the half-hour mark just before Broadhead fired a low shot from the left of the area across Bachmann but saw his effort come back off the inside of the post and roll across the goalline.

Broadhead couldn’t get out of the way of Jack Taylor’s effort after some more attractive build-up play from the hosts while Bachmann dived to his left to clutch Sam Morsy’s bouncing drive from 25 yards and produced a flying save to claw out Moore’s towering header from Harry Clarke’s far-post cross on 43 minutes.

After the break Watford were far more impressive at the back, though Bachmann had to keep Broadhead’s cross from looping in at one end while Hladky just about blocked a stinging 20-yard strike from Yaser Asprilla just before the hour at the other.

Mattie Pollock denied Omari Hutchinson with a fine block while Lewis saw an angled drive from the left parried by Hladky with 14 minutes remaining.

Massimo Luongo had a shot charged down and fellow-sub Ali Al-Hamadi’s shot deflected wide as Ipswich piled on late pressure but Hladky needed to be alert to prevent Edo Kayembe’s speculative strike from halfway catching him out in stoppage time.

It was just the second time Ipswich have failed to score at home this season – the other being a stalemate against QPR in December – though the point did ensure they have still not lost back-to-back league games under McKenna, the last time coming in November 2021 under Paul Cook.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

“Of course it’s frustrating that we weren’t able to get the goal we wanted that would have made it a really good night.

“Lots of it was a really good performance, the first half we played well, we controlled the game, we had two or three big moments that on another night, fine margins, they go in – the first goal was always going to be key.

“It was a good performance and much more like us coming off the back of Saturday [defeat by Norwich]. We take the point and they all add up at the end of the season. Another clean sheet is a positive. We are defending well. It’s unlike us not to score but credit to the opponent.”

Watford interim manager Tom Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio:

“I am incredibly proud of the group. To come into a job when the season looked a bit dead in the water and you’re staring down the barrel of a tough run of fixtures, and to respond to that challenge like we have – I am really proud.

“We have had high demands in training they have passed that challenge, and then we have asked them to give everything for the club on the pitch and they have done it yet again.

“Three clean sheets in five is a solid foundation moving forward. We are setting small markers down with draws against Leeds, away at West Brom, now away at Ipswich. Now we want to put a big one down with a win away at Southampton on Saturday.”