Julio Enciso scored the first goal of his permanent spell as Ipswich Town fought back to claim a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at Portman Road.

Enciso pounced on an error in the Forest defence to earn the Blues a share of the spoils and mark the first draw of the Gary O’Neil era.

Neco Williams had fired the visitors into an early lead, but Oliver Glasner’s side were once again left to rue missed chances as they move out of the relegation zone only on goal difference.

Issa Diop could have seen red for a challenge on James McAtee, but Town did enough to earn their 10th point of the Premier League season and climb one place to ninth ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

Next up is a trip to fellow newly promoted side Hull City at the MKM Stadium next Saturday.

WEATHERED A STORM

On an evening where blustery winds descend on Suffolk, the conditions threatened to have their say on how the contest would play out.

The first sight of goal went Town’s way when Enciso fired wide from range, but Jair Cunha forced Christian Walton into a strong save at the other end as Forest attacked from set pieces.

It would be the two visiting wing-backs that combined for the opening goal soon after, with Daniel Muñoz delivering a pinpoint cross for Williams to latch onto at the back post.

He provided the finish without a Blues defender in sight to cap his 150th Premier League appearance with only his fifth goal in the competition, also marking the seventh game in succession that O’Neil’s side have conceded first.

The two sides continued to trade blows, with returning Forest star man Morgan Gibbs-White firing wide moments before Jaden Philogene volleyed too close to Matz Sels from near the penalty spot.

Enciso tested an unconvincing Sels next, but Town had Leif Davis to thank for not going two goals behind when he raced back to clear off the line.

Dan Ndoye was played in by Xaver Schlager, and Gibbs-White was able to race onto the end of a low ball to the far post and fire back across the face of goal where Davis was on hand to provide the welcome clearance.

But as Town looked to be heading into the break behind, they pounced on an error and duly found a leveller through Julio Enciso’s first Portman Road goal.

After Cunha was caught high up the pitch, fellow defender Nikola Milenković made a mess of possession on halfway, allowing Enciso to rob the Serbian and race through on goal.

From there, the Paraguayan had just enough pace to maintain his advantage in the footrace and calmly slotted low into the near post before celebrating in trademark fashion.

DOGSO DECISION

It took just three minutes into the second half before VAR had its first say of the night, with referee Thomas Bramall called over to the screen after somehow not giving anything on-field when Diop wiped out McAtee.

After review, Diop got away with only a yellow card after it was deemed that McAtee was taking the ball away from goal and it was not the denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Having produced some on-the-line heroics in the first half, Davis was at it again when Ndoye found space inside the box for a strike, although it looked as though his effort was going wide of the mark regardless.

Then it was the turn of Liam Delap to get involved on his first return to Portman Road since his productive spell in the Premier League two years ago.

Forest’s big money centre-forward first headed over the bar from close range, then curled marginally wide of the target with a fierce strike from outside the box that looked as though it was heading for the corner.

With O’Neil having once again brought on two strikers, visiting substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi almost found a winner late on but he dragged wide of Walton’s left-hand post.

Town have been the late goal specialists, and belief grew into the eight minutes of additional time, but the Blues would go no closer than Jack Clarke firing wide after drifting infield from the left.

Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Walton; Ouattara, Diop, O’Shea, Davis; Florentino (Matusiwa 86), Palacios; Fatawu (Maeda 73), Enciso (Akpom 86), Philogene (Clarke 61); Emersonn (Flemming 61). Subs: Scherpen, Furlong, Greaves, Núñez.

Booked: Diop.

Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1): Sels; Cunha, Milenković, Murillo; Muñoz, McAteer, Schlager, Williams (Netz 83); Ndoye (Hudson-Odoi 69), Gibbs-White (c); Delap (Wood 90). Subs: Victor, Diomande, Sangaré, Kalimuendo, Yates, Aina.

Booked: Murillo.

Referee: Thomas Bramall (Sheffield).

Attendance: 29,198.

Suffolk News Man of the Match – Exequiel Palacios: Town’s midfield superstar was everywhere and again showed why he can look a class above even at Premier League level. Consistently demanding the ball and moved the Blues out of tight spaces.