McDonald, who recently admitted he expected to score more goals this season, tapped in Andy Halliday's pass from close-range to give Boro a 2-1 lead minutes before half-time.

Moments after the break the Australian tried an ambitious shot from an angle which was cleared off the line by Ipswich's Gareth McAuley.

Boro went 3-1 up through Andrew Taylor on 51 minutes, before Ipswich pulled one back on 64 minutes thanks to Connor Wickham.

McDonald then worked a neat one-two with Joe Bennett who should have scored, before Ipswich levelled courtesy of a 76th-minute Grant Leadbitter penalty.

McDonald played a full game while fellow Aussie Rhys Williams was a 35th-minute substitute, replacing the injured Seb Hines and playing the rest of the game in defence.

Elsewhere, Shane Lowry played a full game in defence as Sheffield United edged closer to the drop after a 2-0 home loss to Cardiff City, while Richard Garcia was a half-time substitute as Hull City drew 1-1 at Swansea.

Meanwhile, Brad Jones put in a full shift as Derby County defeated Leeds United 2-1. For the Whites, Neil Kilkenny was back in the starting line-up, playing a full game.

In Asia's Champions League, Joshua Kennedy put in a full shift for Nagoya Grampus, providing the assist for the opener, as they won 4-0 over Al Ain.