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npower Championship

Portman Road (ATT 16,843) 1st September 2012 - Kick off 15:00 Ref: M Russell

Ipswich Ipswich Town vs Huddersfield Town Huddersfld

Ipswich 2

L Chambers (62)
M Chopra (72)

ft

Huddersfld 2

A Clayton (36)
J Vaughan (80)

Terriers held after penalty drama

Last Updated: September 1, 2012 5:41pm

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Vaughan: Missed from the spot at Ipswich

Vaughan: Missed from the spot at Ipswich

James Vaughan missed a penalty to go from hero to villain as Huddersfield were held to a 2-2 draw at Ipswich on Saturday.

Jordan Rhodes, the Terriers' leading marksman in last season's promotion campaign completed an £8million move to fellow Championship side Blackburn on Friday, but there was little sign Simon Grayson's men were missing him in Suffolk early on.

Midfielder Adam Clayton crashed in the opening goal from the edge of the box after the hosts had failed to clear their lines to give Huddersfield the half-time lead.

But the Tractor Boys hit back in the second half when captain Luke Chambers, a summer recruit from Nottingham Forest, poked in his first goal for the club after Darryl Murphy had headed the ball back to him.

Michael Chopra produced a clinical finish to edge the hosts in front, but striker Vaughan soon levelled matters before being presented with a golden opportunity to seal all three points seven minutes from time when Huddersfield were awarded a controversial penalty.

Vaughan saw his first spot-kick saved by Scott Loach but thought his follow-up effort had gone in as it hit one post before rolling along the line and striking the other. Referee Mick Russell thought otherwise and the game ended all-square.

It was the hosts who should have gone ahead in the early stages when Murphy failed to make Lee Martin's excellent work down the left count.

Murphy only returned to Portman Road on deadline day after agreeing a season-long loan move from Celtic, and he was given the perfect chance to reintroduce himself to the home faithful, only to steer wide.

Debutant Paul Taylor was clearly thriving in his new surroundings and a mazy run culminated in a fizzing shot which goalkeeper Alex Smithies repelled.

But the hosts were made to pay when they failed to fully clear a corner nine minutes before the break.

After initially heading Oliver Norwood's delivery out, Ipswich managed to block two efforts from the edge of the box before Clayton was presented with a third bite of the cherry, driving through a forest of players to register the game's first goal.

Ipswich had looked dangerous from set pieces and another free-kick proved fruitful as Chambers levelled matters just after the hour mark.

A hanging back-post delivery from Andy Drury was nodded across goal by Murphy and Chambers managed to bundle the ball home.

There was large slice of fortune in the goal which put Ipswich in front 10 minutes later as Chopra somehow latched onto Martin's through ball. There was nothing lucky about the finish, though, as he emphatically beat Smithies.

Huddersfield fought back as Vaughan, on loan from Norwich, was on hand to tap in a sweeping move.

Then came the game's big talking point as Jack Hunt tumbled under a challenge from Murphy. Referee Russell initially waved away Huddersfield's appeal before having a change of heart following a conversation with his assistant.

The controversy did not end there, though, as Loach parried Vaughan's spot-kick straight back to the striker, who struck both posts with his follow up before Ipswich scrambled clear.

Vaughan was convinced the ball had crossed the line between striking the woodwork twice, but Russell ignored his protests, ensuring the sides shared the spoils.

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npower Championship

npower Championship
Pos Team P Pts
1 Cardiff City 46 87
2 Hull City 46 79
3 Watford 46 77
4 Brighton and Hove Albion 46 75
5 Crystal Palace 46 72
6 Leicester City 46 68
7 Bolton Wanderers 46 68
8 Nottingham Forest 46 67
9 Charlton Athletic 46 65
10 Derby County 46 61
11 Burnley 46 61
12 Birmingham City 46 61
13 Leeds United 46 61
14 Ipswich Town 46 60
15 Blackpool 46 59
16 Middlesbrough 46 59
17 Blackburn Rovers 46 58
18 Sheffield Wednesday 46 58
19 Huddersfield Town 46 58
20 Millwall 46 56
21 Barnsley 46 55
22 Peterborough United 46 54
23 Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 51
24 Bristol City 46 41