Ipswich made Leicester City pay dearly for two late lapses of concentration to produce a result which, in horse racing, would have warranted a stewards' inquiry at best. It denied them the chance to trim Portsmouth's lead to one point.

Memories of rather friendlier fire from Leicester's standpoint were evoked by the perfectly observed minute's silence in memory of Arthur Rowley, their former forward.

The chances of one of Rowley's successors - Brian Deane, Paul Dickov or Jamie Scow croft - emulating his tally of more than 250 goals for the Foxes appear unlikely. However, Ipswich's keeper Andy Marshall almost gave Deane an inadvertent nudge in the right direction in the 10th minute when he tried to accept a free-kick from Jim Magilton and collided with the striker.

Fortunately for the visitors Marshall appeared none the worse for the experience when tested by City's first on-target effort in the 17th minute. Diving to his left, he used both hands to parry a shot from Scowcroft.

His defence went missing again shortly afterwards when Muzzy Izzet was allowed to head a free-kick from Alan Rogers over the crossbar.

By contrast, with Ian Walker well protected by his back four and a hard-working midfield trio, Ipswich rarely got close enough to trouble the City goalkeeper.

Instead they were restricted to trying from distance as Izzet charged down a shot from Jamie Clapham and Matt Elliott followed suit to thwart Marcus Bent.

Inevitably it was the hosts who came closest to breaking the deadlock four minutes before the interval when Deane shivered Marshall's timbers with a header from Jordan Stewart's cross.

Walker should have been tested after the interval when Bent and Tommy Miller finally found a way past City centre backs Matthew Heath and Elliott with an exchange of first-time passes.

The move put Miller in the clear but was spoiled by a wayward shot from the midfielder that was wide of Walker's goal.

The effort proved as wayward in terms of being a portent of better things from the visitors as the hosts finally made their possession and superiority tell in the 55th minute, albeit via the penalty spot.

Ipswich can have few complaints about Scott Mathieson's judgment that Hermann Hreidarsson had pushed Heath.

But Marshall had every right to feel aggrieved after snuffing out the initial danger by saving a close range shot from Deane, especially when Dickov thumped the spotkick low and hard to his left to end his defiance.

The Ipswich manager Joe Royle responded by introducing his full complement of substitutes in rapid succession and was within inches of reward when Thomas Gaardsoe headed wide from a right corner.

The warning clearly went unheeded six minutes from time when the same player headed home substitute Darren Ambrose's free kick.

Ambrose turned executioner two minutes from time when he hooked the ball in from close range after more hesitation in the home defence.

Guardian