AND so the wait goes on.

Ipswich Town’s alarming, winless start to the Championship season has stretched to nine games after being held to a 0-0 draw by Bolton Wanderers at Portman Road.

The Blues are second from bottom after a frustrating contest in which they huffed and puffed but were unable to break down a resilient Trotters defence.

Paul Hurst’s men had a golden chance to put three points on the board, after the first-half dismissal of Bolton’s Marc Wilson.

But despite having plenty of possession and committing men forward from midfield, they only created one real chance of note – a late header from Luke Chambers that was brilliantly tipped behind by the diving Ben Alnwick.

Aside from that, the Blues were unable to make inroads into a packed Bolton defence – one that reshuffled and parked bodies in the box after Wilson’s dismissal.

Mind you, it could have been worse for Town.

The Trotters didn’t cause them too many problems but they did fashion one late chance, after Pawel Olkowski’s dangerous cross was nodded down and substitute David Wheater’s volley from inside the box deflected behind off Chambers.

Aside from that, there were no real chances of note and that will hurt and frustrate a Town side so badly in need of a victory, to kick-start their Championship campaign.

In fairness, Town played some neat, tidy football in the first half but without doing much damage to the Trotters’ defence.

The main flashpoint came just after the half-hour mark, when Wilson was red-carded for a clear tug on Kayden Jackson.

The move started after a strong, driving run deep on the left by Grant Ward.

After doing brilliantly to keep the ball in, he fed Jackson, whose pace and brute force took him goal-side of Wilson.

The Bolton man was forced into action and clearly pulled his man back.

Referee Stephen Martin had no hesitation in reaching for his red card but Ward’s free-kick deflected over Alnwick’s goal.

There were three crumbs of consolation for Town – their first clean sheet of the season, the fact they are still unbeaten at Portman Road - this was their fifth draw in five matches – and the fact they are now off the bottom of the Championship table.

Preston North End have now slid into the basement position after a late 3-2 defeat at Sheffield United.

Ironically, it was former Town striker David McGoldrick who scored the Blades’ 87th-minute winner at Bramall Lane.

However, all those things count for relatively little in the broad scheme of things and this will undoubtedly go down as a missed opportunity.

Next up is Saturday’s trip to Birmingham City – a side riding high after their 2-1 victory at leaders Leeds United.

Another very tough test awaits.