JOHN Spicer became the third Burnley midfielder in two games to receive his marching orders.

The former Arsenal player received a straight red card in first-half stoppage time following his two-footed lung on Jonathan Walters.

The incident took the shine off captain Steven Caldwell's return to first team action for the first time in almost two months.

The central defender looked solid in his first appearance for almost two months, and played his part in keeping the score goalless at half-time.

But Gabor Kiraly will take the plaudits following two excellent saves.

The first came after just two minutes, when Barry Haynes picked out Alan Lee with a delivery from the right of the box. The former Burnley striker had a free header, but Kiraly dived to his left to pluck the ball away.

Tommy Miller then rattled the crossbar with a shot from just outside the D, moments after Kyle Lafferty had gone close at the opposite end with a header.

But Ipswich enjoyed the most clear-cut chances, and Kiraly was at full-stretch to tip away Pablo Counago's looping header.

The game threatened to boil over five minutes before the break, when Robbie Blake and Alex Bruce were at loggerheads, while Lee pushed Burnley manager Owen Coyle on the touchline after Ipswich were awarded a throw-in. Spicer's sending off for a horror challenge on the halfway line soon followed.