Ipswich Town 2-2 Norwich City: Blues left frustrated in derby draw

Despite goals from Nathan Broadhead and Wes Burns, Jonathan Rowe struck twice to ensure that his side left Suffolk with a point, extending the Blues' winless run in the East Anglian derby.

Norwich won the first corner of the game in the 15th minute as a surging run from Adam Idah caused issues. They crowded the box and Gabriel Sara whipped his delivery into the middle, but Ipswich managed to clear the danger.

Ipswich fans welcomed the team bus ahead of the derby (Image: Stephen Waller)

It probably woke Town up a little bit. Five minutes later, they had a glorious opportunity to take the lead as Wes Burns brough the ball forward. His initial low cross was block, but he recycled it out to Conor Chaplin, who picked out Broadhead. The winger twisted and turned, running through on goal before inexplicably firing wide.

They came again seconds later. Burns was afforded too much space yet again as George Hirst made a decoy run through the middle. It allowed the Wales international to pick out Leif Davis on the other flank, although his powerful effort was held well by Angus Gunn.

They continued turning the screw. Another wayward effort from Broadhead in the centre of the area got the fans up on their feet. Burns was played into space down the right in the 27th minute, but he lashed his shot over.

Nathan Broadhead's eighth goal of the season gave Town a 1-0 lead at Portman Road (Image: Ross Halls)

However, the visitors always felt dangerous, especially from corners. They had two in a row shortly before the half-hour mark, with Sam McCallum firing a deflected shot wide before Borja Sainz scooped an audacious effort over the crossbar.

The pressure built up and up, and eventually, it all paid off. Hirst capped off a fine team move to win a corner, which Davis delivered into the box from the left. Massimo Luongo headed it back into the box where Hirst laid it off for Broadhead, who beat the offside trap and fired a shot into the top right corner from close range to make it 1-0 in the 34th minute.

Despite all of their dominance, Ipswich were pegged back in a moment of madness as a cross from the right found Rowe. His initial scissor kick was blocked, but the ball bounced back to him immediately, allowing him to loop a shot over Vaclav Hladky to equalise five minutes before the half-time break.

Jonathan Rowe's equaliser came against the run of play (Image: Ross Halls)

Norwich were fastest out of the blocks after the restart, too, taking the lead n the 49th minute. A long throw-in was flicked on to Rowe, who fired a shot into a congested box. It caught Hladky out and went straight through the goalkeeper, making it 2-1 to the visitors.

The Canaries tried to turn it into a scrappy game, and Town looked disjoined up until the hour-mark, when Chaplin dug the ball out from underneath him and set up Burns on the edge of the area. From there, he picked his spot from the edge of the area, firing a low shot that beat Gunn and made it 2-2.

A lengthy break that allowed Sam McCallum to receive treatment halted Ipswich's momentum, although they maintained their pressure in the immediate aftermath.

Wes Burns equalised from the edge of the area after Norwich took the lead at the start of the second half (Image: Ross Halls)

They just couldn't find a way through. Norwich's game management made it incredibly hard, albeit that Ipswich camped in their half. A curling effort from Broadhead forced Gunn into a low save, but the hosts couldn't capitalise from the rebound.

Six minutes of stoppage time presented a good opportunity for Kieran McKenna's side to snatch the win, but the Canaries managed to see it through and grind out a draw.

Town XI: 4-2-3-1: Hladky; Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Luongo (Taylor 90'); Burns (Hutchinson 78'), Chaplin (Harness 78'), Broadhead (Scarlett 90'); Hirst (Jackson 90')

Norwich XI: 4-2-3-1: Gunn; Stacey, Duffy, McLean, McCallum (Batth 88'); Sara, Nunez; Rowe (Hernandez 69'), Barnes, Sainz (Placheta 88'); Idah (Springett 88')

Attendance: 29,611 (2,004 away)