Ipswich Town 0-0 Sheffield United

Before the goalless draw at Portman Road, Sheffield United had beaten Ipswich Town twice this season

Sheffield United lost ground on the Championship play-off spots after being held to a goalless draw at Ipswich.

Neither side seriously threatened before the break, with Town keeper Bartosz Bialkowski making light work of early Blades efforts, while keeper Jamal Blackman foiled Dominic Iorfa.

Bersant Celina also tested Blackman with a rare second-half chance.

United's James Wilson went closest to winning it, crashing a dipping shot against the post.

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The draw left the Blades ninth in the table, but they slipped five points adrift of sixth-placed Middlesbrough following the Teesiders' 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Barnsley.

A share of the spoils meant Mick McCarthy's Tractor Boys have picked up seven points from a possible nine since 24 February and remain 12th.

After a largely uneventful opening 45 minutes, John Lundstram created the game's first real chance, wriggling free to tee up Ched Evans, who grappled with Luke Chambers before the ball broke loose and was harmlessly put over the bar.

Soon after Town's Celina forced Blackman into action, pushing the midfielder's 20-yard effort around the post.

With 12 minutes remaining Wilson saw his dipping shot come off the inside of the post and Billy Sharp could only redirect the rebound over the bar, leaving Chris Wilder's visitors to settle for a point.

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy:

"I thought it was a right royal scrap from two teams who commit themselves to everything they do.

"Was there a great deal of quality? I'm not sure the pitch gives us the ability to have that quality to be quite honest, it's not wearing well.

"I thought we were good in the first half, in the second half I thought they were better than us but I'll take a goalless draw, they can't take that off us.

"I always take the positives out of it, not the negatives. It was not a great pitch - it's in poor shape at the minute - but it was a tough ferocious game."

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder:

"There were two honest teams and both were going for a result but the wicket wasn't the best.

"It's uncompromising and relentless is the division, and the schedule, and I thought my players in the second half really dug in and were positive in trying to win the game.

"I think we've spurned a couple of chances to win the game and I think if we had got our noses in front I believe we would have won."