IPSWICH Town’s dismal season plumbed new depths as the Blues squandered two leads before tumbling to a crushing 3-2 defeat against Bristol City tonight.

Paul Lambert’s side, rock bottom of the Championship table, are now without victory in a dozen outings at Portman Road.

They have won just once all term, are still to win under Lambert and are without a home win since April, in Mick McCarthy’s final match against Barnsley.

This particular setback, against troubled opponents that had lost their previous four, will be especially hard to take.

Town led twice thanks to the two-goal heroics of undisputed man-of-the-match Freddie Sears.

But after a ridiculous spurt of four goals in nine second-half minutes, they somehow contrived to find themselves 3-2 behind.

That was the way it stayed and the moans and groans upon the final whistle – fully justified – summed up a night of bitter disappointment and frustration.

The irony is that everything in the garden looked rosy at half-time.

Town were in the ascendancy and deservedly so – just – after a stunning goal from Sears.

Cole Skuse was the architect with an exquisite, diagonal pass to the former Colchester United striker, who controlled it on his thigh, drove into the area and coolly slotted his shot beyond keeper Niki Maenpaa.

So far, so good.

Or so we thought.

Bizarrely and inexplicably, Town suddenly went from 1-0 up to 3-2 down.

The Robins levelled after Lloyd Kelly’s left-wing cross was pushed away by Bialkowski, then hit a combination of Famara Diedhiou and Jonas Knudsen.

The ball looked to be dropping harmlessly wide – only to be fumbled into his own net by the confused Town keeper.

Ipswich went back in front three minutes later when Skuse’s drive was deflected into Sears’ path.

The tireless front man, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Tuesday, took a touch before firing home from inside the D.

Cue a wave of relief around Portman Road.

However, the exhilaration quickly turned to despair as City hit straight back when Niclas Eliasson’s left-wing cross was volleyed home by the unmarked Jamie Paterson.

Bialkowski may feel he could have done better but it was a horrible piece of defending.

Worse was to follow five minutes later when Kelly’s shot from distance struck Luke Chambers’ foot, spun up in the air and was gratefully nodded home by half-time substitute Diedhiou.

Town were stunned and with their confidence knocked, they huffed and puffed without reward in the final stages.

A very challenging season keeps getting tougher and if they didn’t know it already, they undoubtedly face a monumental task to avoid relegation into League One.