Norwich City 2 Ipswich Town 2IPSWICH Town once again threw away a two-goal lead and the chance to end their miserable run of results away, which has now extended to 11 games.

By Derek Davis

Norwich City 2 Ipswich Town 2

IPSWICH Town once again threw away a two-goal lead and the chance to end their miserable run of results away, which has now extended to 11 games.

The 2,300 travelling Town fans were sent into Blue Heaven with goals from Alan Lee and Pablo Counago as they cemented Norwich's place at the bottom of the Championship.

But the Canaries hit back through on-loan defender Martin Taylor and Jamie Cureton to once again deny Ipswich an away-day victory.

City also had Darren Huckerby sent off in time added on for violent conduct after stamping on Jon Walters.

The first half was closer than the scoreline suggested at half-time with Dion Dublin denied by a great Neil Alexander save, Jason Shackell hitting a post and Cureton twice missed good openings.

Ipswich were unchanged from the side that beat Wolves 3-0 last week and even kept the same bench.

Jim Magilton didn't even tweak the way they set up with the formation the same as the one that has gone ten home win in succession, rather than the away system that has yet to bear fruit.

New manager Glenn Roeder went for fit again Dublin and paired him up front with Cureton, the striker they got on for free from Colchester in the summer.

He also brought back Julien Brellier in to the midfield with Luke Chadwick on the right flank.

The first clear chance came in the seventh minute when Alexander, playing in his first ever big derby game, made a brilliant one-handed save to deny Dublin who was unmarked to get on the end of a Chadwick cross from the Norwich right wing.

Alexander then got his hands to an angled Cureton shot and managed to grab the rebound before Dublin could pounce.

With ten minutes gone, Sylvain Legwinski went into Rob Styles' book for a trip and Counago followed him ten minutes later for a sliding tackle on Luke Chadwick.

Garvan was denied by an outstretched David Marshall leg after cleverly being played in by Counago.

The Spaniard was involved in most of Town's attacks and showed his strength and composure to set up the Blues' opener on 27 minutes.

Counago had his back to goal when he collected a flick on from an Alexander goal-kick and waited until Lee carried on his run past him before playing in a super pass into his path for the striker to score his eighth goal of the season.

City came close to equalising when Shackell headed against a post on the half hour.

But it was Town who went two up in the 40th minute, and in controversial circumstances. It stemmed from a poorly it Lee free kick which squirmed off Jason De Vos to Clarke's whose initial shot was saved by Marsall.

But the Irish teenager didn't give up and pulled the ball back, and Counago tapped in from a couple of yards.

Norwich claimed it had gone out of play but it didn't appear that all of the ball had crossed all of the line, so the goal was good.

Norwich made two first half claims for penalties. Firstly when a Huckerby cross hit Wright on the elbow and went for a corner while Darel Russell claimed Fabian Wilnis fouled him in the area but both were denied.

Cureton scorned a wonderful chance after the ball fell to him following a goalmouth scramble but he knocked it wide.

One big man in John Hartson replaced another in Dublin at half time but it was an even bigger man who pulled one back for City nine minutes after the break.

A Simon Lappin corner was turned in at the near post by new loan signing Martin Taylor.

Alexander made another excellent save to thwart Russell moments later but was beaten again in the 67th minute when Cureton finally got the goal he craved.

It was route one with Hartson getting above De Vos to flick on Marshall's goal kick and Cureton got behind Wilnis and Wright to delicately dink the ball over Alexander to equalise.

Town thought they had gone back ahead but Clarke was offside after he tapped a De Vos knock down against the post and Lee put in the rebound.

Alexander made another good stop to tip a low Hartson drive around the post and the striker hit into the side netting after getting past De Vos.