by Mark Denham at Cardiff City Stadium

Snapshot: City were left stunned by two late Ipswich goals on Sunday afternoon at Cardiff City Stadium.

The Bluebirds had taken the lead just after the half hour mark when Peter Whittingham struck home the sweetest of volleys from just inside the Ipswich penalty area. Ipswich seemed to rally following the goal though and by half time it was arguably the visitors who had taken the impetus.

Opportunities were scarce in the second half, City looking uncomfortable in the middle of the park and unable to get much forward momentum in the final third.

Ipswich equalised on 72 minutes when Jon Walters struck home a superb half volley from twenty-yards out, setting up a tense finale. The visitors took the lead and won the game with four minutes remaining when substitute Jon Stead's deflected shot beat the flailing Enckelman at his near post.

Chronological Report: City kicked off from right to left on a dark and wet Sunday afternoon at Cardiff City Stadium. The Bluebirds looked to attack early on, though it was the visitors who breached the City area first with Grant Leadbitter's shot deflected away from danger by Mark Hudson.

On four minutes Ipswich had a golden opportunity to take the lead. Former Wrexham midfielder Carlos Edwards swung a perfect ball in from the Ipswich right, only for Jonathan Walters to head over from close range.

City hit the bar on eight minutes in what was quickly becoming an intriguing, fast-paced contest. A good break down the right by Chris Burke allowed Jay Bothroyd to strike from the edge of the area; Peter Whittingham got on to Jay's effort to get the deftest of touches, though his effort sprung off the underside of the bar before being cleared to safety.

City began to dominate and on thirteen minutes, Whittingham struck the bar again from the far right corner of the penalty area. Receiving the pass from Burke, Whittingham controlled the pass beautifully, allowing the ball to pop up for him to strike sweetly past Wright in the Ipswich goal.

City began piling on the pressure, a Chopra effort preceding two corners from which Hudson and Gyepes both saw on target headers deflected wide.

An injury on twenty-one minutes to former England 'keeper Wright meant the return of former City trainee Arran Lee-Barrett in the Ipswich goal. Ipswich had started the game brightly but had to cope with a barrage of Cardiff pressure as the half continued.

Substitution Ipswich Town: Arran Lee-Barrett on for Richard Wright, 21 minutes.

Stern John had a great chance on twenty-eight minutes to put Town ahead against the run of play. Leadbitter's in-swinging free-kick caused havoc in the Cardiff defence, allowing the striker to rise highest and angle a header that only just went wide of David Marshall's near post.

On thirty-five minutes, City took the lead. Jay Bothroyd was fed the ball in the middle of the penalty area by Burke; Bothroyd flicked his header towards Whittingham just inside the penalty area on the City left, allowing Whittingham to compose himself and strike home the sweetest of volleys in to the corner of the Ipswich net.

GOAL: CARDIFF CITY1-0 Ipswich Town (Whittingham, 35 minutes).

The goal seemed to settle Cardiff, though when Ipswich did attack they looked most dangerous in the air, particularly with John. A collision between the striker and Marshall in the City goal almost led to an equaliser, though Marshall deflected the shot wide, taking a knock in the process.

HALF TIME: CARDIFF CITY 1-0 IPSWICH TOWN

Substitution Cardiff City: Peter Enckelman on for David Marshall, 45 minutes.

Marshall's heroics prior to the interval in denying Stern John resulted in the Scottish 'keeper being forced off at the interval through injury to be replaced by Peter Enckelman. City ensured that the early exchanges of the first half would take place at the opposite end to Enckelman though, the visitors struggling to get much of a look in as the miserable playing conditions continued.

Substitution Ipswich Town: Jon Stead on for Tamas Priskin, 52 minutes.

Jonathan Walters had Ipswich's first half chance of the game on the hour mark when, after running the length of the City half, the striker blasted over and wide from the middle of the City area.

Substitution Ipswich Town: Alan Quinn for Carlos Edwards, 63 minutes.

With the game stagnating, Ipswich equalised through Jonathan Walters. Some poor play in the Cardiff midfield allowed the visitors to capitalise, Leadbitter breaking up the play before freeing Walters on the far right of the City area. Walters found himself with time, space and a perfect bounce of the ball, striking high and across Enckelman to the delight of the travelling supporters.

GOAL: Cardiff City 1-1 IPSWICH TOWN (Walters, 72 minutes).

Substitution Cardiff City: Kelvin Etuhu on for Chris Burke, 76 minutes.

Cardiff thought they had retaken the lead on seventy-eight minutes when Bothroyd headed past Lee-Barrett from a Whittingham free-kick. The referee's assistant flagged for offside though, much to the chagrin of Bothroyd and the home support.

Ipswich took the lead with five minutes remaining through a deflected Stead strike. The substitute picked up the ball just inside the Ipswich penalty area, striking low and hard past Enckelman, albeit with the assistance of a cruel deflection. It was a goal that had arguably been coming for some time and once again came as the result of some undisciplined City defending.

GOAL: Cardiff City 1-2 IPSWICH TOWN (Stead, 85 minutes).

Substitution Cardiff City: Ross McCormack on for Gavin Rae, 86 minutes.

City looked to push forward in the closing minutes though never really threatened to trouble the Ipswich defence. The visitors had done well to suppress the early Cardiff momentum and in truth, City had failed to cause Town much trouble in the second half.

FULL TIME: CARDIFF CITY 1-2 IPSWICH TOWN