Ipswich failed to do their promotion prospects any good as they were held to a draw by in-form relegation battlers Gillingham, who are now unbeaten in their last five games.

Defender Richard Naylor had the two best opportunities in the first half for the visitors, who were a shadow of the side that put six goals past Nottingham Forest a week ago.

And Gillingham could have won it in stoppage time when their on-loan Blackburn midfielder Jonathon Douglas hit the woodwork from point-blank range.

But it took only eight minutes for Gills goalkeeper Jason Brown, who was deputising for the injured Steve Banks, to be called into action. Naylor got his head to a free-kick curled into the penalty area by Darren Currie but Brown held the ball.

At the other end two minutes later Kelvin Davis clutched a 20-yard Michael Flynn effort.

After 15 minutes Gillingham's Darius Henderson, who this week had his red card at Leeds last Saturday rescinded, became the first player booked.

Henderson fired wide just afterwards, as did his strike partner Mamady Sidibe with Gillingham well in the game, but the hosts needed to contain the threat of Naylor at set-pieces as he again had a chance from a Currie corner only this time to head over.

Little was being seen of the prolific Ipswich forward partnership and a Shefki Kuqi shot from long range on the half-hour mark did not trouble Brown, while Fabian Wilnis and Tommy Miller were also off target for the visitors within a minute.

Sidibe sent the ball wide but Douglas did better when Davis had to tip his attempt, which was the last of the half, over the crossbar.

At the start of the second period Ipswich manager Joe Royle replaced Matt Richards with Jim Magilton but his side still did not look like one destined for the Premiership and the quality of shooting remained disappointing.

Neither goalkeeper had to do anything spectacular until Davis produced another acrobatic save from Flynn in the 58th minute, while Brown fouled Darren Bent outside the penalty area and was booked, although the free-kick came to nothing.

The longer the game went on the less likely it looked that the deadlock would be broken and nothing of any real note was created until Douglas went so close in the dying seconds.

Teams

Gillingham Brown, Nosworthy, Cox, Hope, McEveley, Southall, Smith, Douglas, Flynn, Henderson (Byfield 74), Sidibe.

Subs Not Used: Bossu, Crofts, Hills, Jarvis.

Booked: Henderson, Brown, McEveley.

Ipswich Davis, Naylor, De Vos, Unsworth, Wilnis, Miller, Currie, Westlake (Horlock 66), Richards (Magilton 45), Bent, Kuqi (Scowcroft 71).

Subs Not Used: Counago, Price.

Booked: Unsworth.

Att: 9,311

Ref: B Curson (Leicestershire).