Bramble makes amends in time

Titus Bramble atoned with a late Ipswich equaliser at Portman Road ? but his role in Torpedo Moscow?s away goal may yet prove to be his crucial contribution to this first-round tie.

The central defender?s misplaced pass, allowing the Russians to score through Dmitry Vyasmikin, and a penalty miss by Marcus Stewart left Ipswich with an uphill struggle in the second leg to avoid elimination.

George Burley?s men missed six chances after Bramble?s 85th-minute strike, rattling the woodwork twice and seeing a painful sequence of shots blocked, crosses missed and headers sail just wide. Torpedo took 13 minutes to put a dent in Ipswich?s ambitions.

Bramble passed the ball straight to Konstantin Zyryanov and it was swiftly transferred for top scorer Vyasmikin to shoot through the legs of keeper Matteo Sereni.

Stewart, playing alongside Paglo Counago, was working hard without much reward when the referee presented him with a gift ? a harsh penalty awarded against Aliaksander Lukhvich for tugging Counago?s shirt in the box.

But last season?s top scorer pulled it wide.

Torpedo had a goal disallowed for offside in the 67th minute, provoking Ipswich into an all-out assault which culminated in Bramble?s low strike. He later admitted: ?It was my mistake for the first goal and it didn't matter that I scored the equaliser, as long as someone did. It was one of the biggest games of my life, and I was nervous.'