Ipswich Town 3 Middlesbrough 3

PORTMAN ROAD is a place with its share of fond memories from the five years Tony Mowbray spent there as a player and his return with Middlesbrough is unlikely to be one he will forget quickly.

Having trailed to a deflected Grant Leadbitter opener inside five minutes, Mowbray must have feared the worst when two of his starting line-up had to be withdrawn through injury.

But then, after his former club controlled the majority of the first half, Boro rallied and headed in to half-time with a surprise lead courtesy of the attacking influence of substitute Andy Halliday.

Halliday, a replacement for Merouane Zemmama and playing only his second game under Mowbray, scored his first for the club and set up a second for Scott McDonald inside two minutes.

And when Andrew Taylor was teed up for a third, five minutes after half-time by the 19-year-old former Livingston forward, it looked like Boro would go on to win comfortably.

Ipswich, who had won their previous three, had other ideas and when the influential Connor Wickham closed the gap with a heat header, Leadbitter capitalised from the spot when Matthew Bates had conceded a penalty with 14 minutes left.

Considering the circumstances - and how goalkeeper Paul Smith made a couple of late saves - it was another point in the right direction for Middlesbrough, who are now unbeaten in six.

The unwanted match-day distraction of being forced to shuffle the pack because of the Football Association's decision to hand Marvin Emnes a three-match ban meant an opening for Zemmama.

Emnes was forced to sit in the stands after Mowbray's decision not to appeal against a charge of violent conduct for kicking out at Sheffield United's Michael Doyle at Bramall Lane four days earlier.

Zemmama was not the only one given a chance. Tarmo Kink, the Estonian that had not started a game since January 3, was included instead of Rhys Williams, who was rested after playing a series of matches after injury.

Once Kink had worked his way inside from the right flank to strike a rasping drive in to the arms of former Hartlepool goalkeeper Arran Lee-Barrett, Ipswich soon took charge.

They had already gone close when exciting prospect Josh Carson beat Joe Bennett down the line and delivered a wicked cross before they took the lead through Leadbitter.

The former Sunderland midfielder, lurking on the edge of the area like he has throughout his career, struck a low drive from a half cleared corner and his shot took a vital deflection off Tony McMahon before ending in Smith's top left corner.

It soon got worse. Zemmama pulled up on the far side in possession with a hamstring problem and then Seb Hines needed lengthy treatment after a clash of heads with Bennett.

Hines never recovered and when Jason Scotland turned the young defender moments later, Mowbray felt the centre-back was not over his knock and Williams was recalled earlier than his manager would have preferred.

There were occasional attacks from the visitors, who asked Bates to slot in at the back and Williams to play in midfield, but the disruptions looked to have had a negative effect.

Ipswich, with Wickham and Carson providing the excitement down the flanks, were more fluent on the move.

McDonald cut an isolated figure and he could only look on frustrated when Carson's teasing centre was headed goalwards by David Norris for Smith to make a terrific low save to his right.

Yet despite all of Ipswich's endeavour for 40 minutes, their work was undone inside two minutes late in the opening half when Boro suddenly found their feet.

Kink aimed a hopeful shot towards goal and nothing much looked on. After taking a deflection off Damien Delaney, before hitting the bar, Halliday was on hand to find the empty net to equalise.

Less than two minutes later, Halliday broke down the left. He picked out the unmarked McDonald who had the simplest of tasks to side-foot his tenth goal of the season beyond Lee-Barrett.

It was an incredible turnaround and Boro took less than five minutes to add to their advantage after the restart.

This time McDonald's challenge left the ball loose, Halliday nipped in and rolled in Taylor, who steadied himself before crashing a thunderous drive inside Lee-Barrett's far post.

Bennett was denied by Lee-Barrett, who looked shaky during the second half, and Ipswich could not get anywhere near to a rampant and extremely confident Boro team until the Tractor Boys won a free-kick deep inside the visitors' half.

Jimmy Bullard's brilliant delivery proved perfect for Wickham to rise and head beyond Smith's left hand in the 64th minute. Smith did manage to tip over another header from the highly-sought striker minutes later, as Ipswich went in search of the leveller.

And it arrived when substitute Lee Martin knocked the ball beyond Bates, the Boro skipper left his leg in and referee Mick Russell pointed to the spot.

Leadbitter rolled his penalty to the left and Smith went the other way.

After that Ipswich, again, looked the most likely winners. But Smith, by denying Delaney from close range with a stunning save and then thwarting Bullard's free-kick.