Jeremy Sarmiento’s late strike rescued a point for Ipswich and stopped Leicester moving 10 points clear at the top of the Championship.
The Foxes looked to be hanging on for victory until substitute Sarmiento’s goal with a minute left earned a 1-1 draw for the second-placed visitors.
Leif Davis’ second own goal in four games gave the hosts a first-half lead but it was one they failed to build on, even if they still sit seven points clear of Ipswich.
Efficient and functional, it would still take an implosion of some magnitude for Enzo Maresca’s side to fail to return to the top flight at the first attempt.
For Ipswich, Southampton’s 20-game unbeaten league run had helped eradicated an 11-point gap in just a month.
It meant they started the night third on goal difference behind the Saints but a point moved them back into the top two.
Leicester, coming off the back of just a fourth Championship defeat of the season after last week’s late 3-1 loss at Coventry, initially made Ipswich pay for a timid first half.
Tom Cannon’s shot was deflected behind by Luke Woolfenden but it was a slow burner until Vaclav Hladky turned Hamza Choudhury’s curling effort wide after 26 minutes.
A 1-1 draw with Leicester at Portman Road on Boxing Day showed Ipswich’s resilience and Conor Chaplin shot over but the hosts found a way through after 31 minutes.
Stephy Mavididi collected Harry Winks’ ball on the left before swapping passes with Ricardo Pereira.
The forward delivered a dangerous ball across the six-yard box and Hladky could only divert in onto the unfortunate Davis who inadvertently bundled into his own net.
Gaps soon started appearing for the Foxes and Pereira shot wide six minutes later and Hladky again saved from Cannon before the break as the host found a touch of swagger.
That was almost wiped away inside the opening five minutes of the second half as Mads Hermansen turned Wes Burns’ controlled volley over after the Foxes failed to clear a corner.
Yet it was the visitors’ only threat and Leicester settled quickly to create several openings.
Mavididi’s shot was blocked and Cannon’s acrobatic effort dropped wide before the striker continued his duel with Hladky and forced another save from 18 yards.
Jamie Vardy returned from injury as a late substitute and the Foxes looked to be hanging on for victory until the 89th minute.
Ipswich had improved as the half wore on and when Massimo Luongo was left with too much time on the edge of the box Hermansen saved his drive, only for Brighton loanee Sarmiento to follow up and snatch a point.
Simeone insists Atletico 'cannot stop pushing' after narrow Mallorca win
Diego Simeone insists Atletico Madrid "cannot stop pushing" in their pursuit of Champions League qualification after a narrow 1-0 victory over Mallorca.
Los Rojiblancos tightened their grip on fourth place in LaLiga, with Rodrigo Riquelme's fine individual effort in the fifth minute enough to secure back-to-back wins.
With four games remaining, Simeone's side moved onto 67 points, six clear of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, who they beat 3-1 last weekend.
The Atleti boss was thrilled by his players' performance levels, but has urged them not to rest on their laurels.
"The team interpreted the plan very well," he said. "The commitment was incredible from [Angel] Correa to [Jan] Oblak to play an intelligent game from a defensive point of view.
"After the goal, we controlled the game. We defended as a team and did a great job. We need to continue improving, and we can't stop pushing until the season is over."
Echoing his manager's thoughts, defender Axel Witsel told Movistar Plus+: "It was very important to win. We wanted to win and stay six points ahead. We have to keep it up.
"After Riquelme scored a fantastic goal, we managed to stay well-organised to secure the result."
'It hurts to lose' - Inzaghi apologises after Sassuolo defeat
Simone Inzaghi admits "it hurts to lose" following Inter's surprise 1-0 defeat by relegation-threatened Sassuolo.
The newly crowned Scudetto winners suffered only their second loss of the season in Serie A, as Armand Lauriente's first-half goal was enough to give the 19th-place hosts victory at Mapei Stadium.
Sassuolo, who boosted their survival hopes, subsequently completed the league double over the Nerazzurri, having also prevailed 2-1 at San Siro in September.
Meanwhile, Inter were beaten by a team in the bottom two for the first time since November 2014, with Inzaghi urging his players not to be distracted by their title triumph.
"We started sluggish and didn’t have the right approach to the game," he told Sky Sports Italia. "I'm sorry for the defeat, but credit must be given to Sassuolo for a performance of great effort and sacrifice.
"It's right to enjoy [our Scudetto victory], but there are still three games to go and we have to focus. It hurts to lose, and it should hurt."
After guiding Inter to their 20th Serie A crown, Inzaghi is hopeful he can keep the majority of his squad intact ahead of next season.
However, the Nerazzurri boss did emphasise the club's need to strengthen before launching their Scudetto defence.
"I already told the club that I want to go into next season with all the players I had this term, not losing a single one," he said. "Considering all the games we need to play and the length of the season, we do need a bigger squad."
Inter Miami 6-2 New York Red Bulls: Messi makes more MLS history as Suarez scores hat-trick
Lionel Messi had a hand in all six goals while Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick as Inter Miami overcame the New York Red Bulls 6-2 at Chase Stadium.
The Eastern Conference leaders were on a three-match winning streak in MLS, but fell behind to Dante Vanzeir's opener in the 30th minute.
However, the hosts turned the match on its head after the break, with Messi assisting a brace for half-time substitute Matias Rojas either side of getting on the scoresheet himself.
Suarez then took centre stage with a hat-trick inside 13 minutes - all assisted by his former Barcelona team-mate - while Emil Forsberg's stoppage-time penalty was a mere consolation for the visitors, who are now without a win in four.
Data debrief
Messi broke two more MLS records following yet another inspirational display for the Herons.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's six goal contributions and five assists were both the most recorded by a player in a single game.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
