Ipswich rally to hold Middlesbrough via Jack Clarke’s controversial penalty

Jack Clarke fired home an 87th-minute penalty to save a point for Ipswich in a pulsating 2-2 draw with their promotion rivals. Jarred Gillett awarded the spot-kick when he adjudged Adilson Malanda had tugged the substitute George Hirst in the box.

Middlesbrough, who are on a seven-match winless run, went ahead through David Strelec only for Kasey McAteer to equalise five minutes later. The visitors took the lead through Tommy Conway but Clarke’s spot-kick meant a point apiece.

The result moved Ipswich up into second in the Championship on goal difference ahead of Millwall, a point in front of Southampton and three ahead of Boro, who are fifth.

Malanda got in an early muddle with his goalkeeper Sol Brynn, who came out of his area as Leif Davis looked to flick the ball over him but the keeper got a touch of the ball with his shoulder to stop the danger.

A better chance came in the 24th minute when a flowing Ipswich move involving Iván Azón, Marcelino Núñez and McAteer ended with the full-back Darnell Furlong firing just wide.

But against the run of play the visitors took the lead a minute later through the Slovakia international Strelec, who sidefooted home from just inside the six-yard area after a cross from Alan Browne.

The hosts were level five minutes later through a superb strike from McAteer. Azón produced a cheeky backheel and the Ipswich winger latched on to the pass and rifled the ball into the bottom corner.

Brynn had to dive full length to acrobatically turn a shot from Jaden Philogene round the post and in a rare Boro attack, Conway found Alex Gilbert on the overlap and his cross was met by Strelec but Ipswich’s goalkeeper, Christian Walton, landed on the scuffed, bouncing effort.

Tommy Conway celebrates scoring Middlesbrough’s second at Portman Road but the 2-2 draw made it seven games without a win for them. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA

Walton had to beat away an angled shot from Strelec as both sides sought to take the lead while at the other end Brynn leapt skywards to palm over a thunderbolt from Azón. From the resultant corner, Jack Taylor fired narrowly wide.

Conway struck for Boro in the 64th minute for the visitors to regain the lead. Strelec cut the ball back from the right and Callum Brittain’s shot was kept out by Walton but Conway was on hand to steer the ball into an empty net.

Walton dived to palm away a shot from Middlesbrough substitute and former Ipswich player Jeremy Sarmiento as Boro piled on the pressure. The stadium erupted with three minutes left in the game when the penalty was awarded and Clarke scored from the spot.