West Brom 1 Ipswich 1 - Report and pictures

Darren Moore apologised for the 4-0 defeat to Leeds in his programme notes, but this performance against a team plastered to the bottom of the table was arguably more alarming.

At least Leeds were good. Against a more clinical side, the Baggies would have easily lost this.

Bartosz Bialkowski was in inspired form in the Ipswich goal, and kept out Jacob Murphy and Dwight Gayle superbly, but an incredibly jittery performance by an injury-ravaged back-line with too many mistakes did little to convince supporters and boos greeted the final whistle.

Stefan Johansen gave Albion the perfect start in somewhat fortuitous circumstances when his free-kick was deflected in after four minutes.

But Jon Nolan's equaliser with a free header three minutes after half-time was nothing less than Paul Lambert's team deserved.

Moore made the changes many were crying out for, ditching his 4-3-3 formation in favour of a 3-4-3 and playing Dwight Gayle centrally.

But this was another inadequate draw at The Hawthorns, where the Baggies have now won just once in their last nine league outings.

The fact it came against an Ipswich Town side 12 points from safety on the same weekend all the top three won removes any slim possibility Albion could trouble the top two this season.

Based on this showing, they have 10 games left to cling onto their play-off place.

Darren Moore fielded a much-changed side. Kyle Bartley joined Craig Dawson and Tosin Adarabioyo in defence, while Matt Phillips and Conor Townsend played wing-backs

Jacob Murphy and hillips returned to the line-up to provide some much-needed pace after a pedestrian performance, and there was the pleasing sight of Gayle in the middle.

That decision to play Gayle centrally paid off almost immediately when he was upended by Jonas Knudsen on the edge of the box.

Albion have given away so many early goals at home recently, but four minutes in they got off to the perfect start, when Stefan Johansen's free-kick deflected in.

Gayle and Johansen stood over the ball, but it was the midfielder who whipped it towards the far corner.

It hit an Ipswich chest and roleld slowly into the opposite corner he was aiming at, cruelly wrongfooting Bartosz Bialkowski.

Albion still had their customary lapse of concentration at the back early on, and when Adarabioyo was guilty of overplaying it, Ipswich fashioned a chance for Gwion Edwards that Dawson blocked.

There were too many gaps at the base of midfield early one, and if Ipswich had more creative quality, they might have punished the Baggies.

Jacob Murphy forced Bialkowski into save low down to his left after bursting away down the left hand side, and then midway through the half, Albion had a strong penalty appeal turned down.

When the ball was pulled back to Gayle, it was a robust challenge from Alan Judge that cleaned him out, but the Ipswich mangot enough of the ball to please referee Andy Woolmer.

The visitors had their chances, but too many of their shots were flying over the bar.

Albion looked too casual at the back, and on the half-hour mark Colin Quaner forced Johnstone into a good save with his feet after beating the offside trap with alarming ease.

But the visitors looked soft-centred, and ten minutes before the break, Albion finally opened them up with a nice passing move that ended with Gayle finding the side netting.

Murphy forced Bialkowski into another low save after Gayle chested Johansen's cross into his path, but the Baggies were still taking too many chances at the back.

The Tractor Boys had a penalty appeal on the stroke of half-time waved away when Cole Skuse's shot hit Craig Dawson's arm from point-blank range, but it would have been harsh and Woolmer said no.

Three minutes after the break and Ipswich drew level with a simple goal. When James Bree clipped a first-time cross into the middle, nobody picked up Jon Nolan, and he placed a header into the bottom corner. It had been coming.

Albion responded when Jay Rodriguez found Gayle one-on-one with Bree, but the striker blazed over with his left foot after working an inch of space.

Moore switched to a back four in order to push Phillips forward and into a more central role, and he had a shot blocked after a neat one-two with Gayle.

But then Phillips was replaced by 19-year-old Jonathan Leko, who immediately won a corner that nearly led to a goal.

When Gayle prodded goalwards from three yards out, The Hawthorns was expecting the net to ripple, but somehow Bialkowski got an arm to his shot and kept it out.

James Morrison came on with 20 minutes to go as Moore searched for a winner.

But Ipswich looked just as likely, and 10 minutes to go, Kayden Jackson forced Johnstone into a save after some more clumsy defending.

Tosin Adarabioyo was forced off through injury with five minutes to go, forcing Moore to bring Sam Field on at centre-back.

But as the final whistle neared, it was Ipswich who threatened more, with Albion making mistake after mistake at the back.

Those that were left at the end greeted the final whistle with boos. This was supposed to be a banker, the win that would kick-start a late surge to worry the top two.

But the only people worried by that performance will be Albion fans. The Baggies are looking over their shoulders instead.

Key moments

04 GOAL ALBION - Johansen's free-kick deflects past Bialkowski and into the bottom corner.

22 Penalty appeal for Albion when Judge flies through Gayle in the box but he gets some of the ball and referee Andy Woolmer says no.

33 Quaner forces Johnstone into a good save with his feet after beating the offside trap.

43 Bialkowski pulls off a smart save to deny Murphy after Gayle chests the ball down to him.

45 Ipswich have a penalty appeal waved away after a shot hits Dawson from point-blank range.

48 GOAL IPSWICH - Nolan places a free header into the bottom corner.

63 Bialkowski somehow saves a Gayle shot from three yards out.

Man of the match

Bartosz Bialkowski - Made several impressive saves in the Ipswich goal.

Position in the table

4th, with 61 points from 36 games.

Teams

Albion (3-4-3): Johnstone; Dawson, Bartley, Adarabioyo (Field 86); Phillips (Leko 63), Livermore (c), Johansen (Morrison 71), Townsend; Rodriguez, Gayle, Murphy.

Unused subs: Bond, Brunt, Harper, Montero.

Ipswich Town (4-3-3): Bialkowski; Bree, Chambers, Knudsen, Kenlock; Bishop (Dawkins 71), Skuse, Nolan; Edwards, Quaner, Judge.

Unused subs: Gerken, Jackson, Nydam, Nsiala, Dozzell, Emmanuel.

Referee: Andy Woolmer

Attendance: 23,973 (1,246 away)