Dominant Ipswich Town share four goals with Norwich City as the East Anglian derby returns at Portman Road

Ipswich Town’s wait for an East Anglian derby victory continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw in an enthralling Sky Bet Championship encounter with Norwich City at Portman Road.

In the first meeting with their arch rivals in nearly five years the Canaries overturned Nathan Broadhead’s 34th minute opener with Jonathan Rowe scoring either side of the break.

But Wes Burns had a packed out Portman Road believing it could still be their day to end more than 14 years without a derby victory when he drilled home on the hour mark.

Despite putting the visitors under heavy pressure they were unable to find a telling fifth goal, with Angus Gunn pushing out a late Broadhead effort.

On what was Kieran McKenna’s second anniversary of his appointment to the Suffolk club it was failure to put away their first-half chances in the Sky Sports televised lunchtime kick-off that they will ultimately look back on as an eight-game winning home run came to an end.

It was nevertheless a point which saw them draw level wth leaders Leicester City ahead of their game at Birmingham City on Monday. They also remain 10 points ahead of third-placed Leeds United following their 1-1 home draw with Coventry City in a 3pm kick-off.

Town showed four changes from the side which started in Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Watford with locally-raised Harry Clarke and Luke Woolfenden coming back into the defnece for Brandon Williams – who had been declared fit after going off with a knock in midweek – and Axel Tuanzebe.

Wes Burns returned on the right side of the attack in place of Omari Hutchinson and Nathan Broadhead came in on the left for Marcus Harness.

Massimo Luongo starting ahead of Jack Taylor was the only change from last Saturday’s line-up in the 2-0 win at Middlesbrough.

David Wagner’s visitors, who arrived in 11th place and unbeaten in their last three with a draw either side of two wins, featured two changes from the 3-1 home win against Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday, both in the full-back spots.

Jack Stacey started on the right with Kellen Fisher on the bench while Sam McCallum was on the left in place of the absent Dimitri Giannoulis.

Ipswich Town academy graduate Liam Gibbs, raised in Bury St Edmunds, was among the Canaries’ substitutes.

After coming out to a cauldron of noise and a colourful blue-and-white display at the Sir Bobby Robson Stand, the first chance of the derby arrived for the home side in the sixth minute, but after meeting Sam Morsy’s deep free kick well Cameron Burgess got too far underneath his header.

There was an early flashpoint as Ashley Barnes knocked down Blues keeper Vaclav Hladky as he shepherded a ball out, but the former Burnley strike got away with just a talking too from referee Josh Smith.

The Blues were seeing more of the ball in the early stages but struggling to find a way through the compact visitors’ low block.

Norwich won the game’s first corner in the 16th minute with Gabriel Sara whipping it right inside the six-yard box but with Burgess winning a crucial header.

Town managed to get a good sight of goal in the 19th minute when Conor Chaplin burst out of his own half and played in Burns whose shot as he entered the area was deflected away by a diving header from Shane Duffy.

With the danger not clear, Burns worked the ball back out for Massimo Luongo before Nathan Broadhead burst into the box clear of the defence before lifting his shot past agonizingly just past the right-hand post.

The pressure continued with Davis hitting Burns’ cross on the run comfortably into Gunn at his near post before there were shouts for a Town penalty when George Hirst went down just inside the box but the referee was not interested.

Broadhead had another big sight of goal inside the area in the 24th minute but after taking a touch out of his feet from Burns’ low cross he again curled it past the same post.

Town created another big chance a few minutes later after nicking possession high up, but after Hirst played the ball across to the on-running Burns to carry it into the box the Welshman lashed it over the bar.

Norwich forced another corner on the half-hour mark with Sam McCullum sending a far post half volley into Burgess before Barnes soon won a header on the edge of the box with Borja Sainz lifting it over the bar.

Town’s first corner arrived soon after and delivered the opening goal in the 34th minute.

Davis’ ball in was headed high by Duffy to the edge of the box where Luongo won the aerial challenge to send it back in and Hirst then nodded across for Broadhead who met it on the bounce seven yards out, sending it bouncing past Gunn’s left-hand side.

But the lead lasted less than six minutes before Jonathan Rowe drew his side level.

From Rowe’s initial left-sided cross Sara’s dive was just behind it with Jack Stacey winning the race to the loose ball and sending it back with a looping cross. Rowe tried a scissor kick that did not quite come off before it bounced back out to him via Woolfenden and the England Under-21 international managed to get back on his feet in time to lift it over Hladky into the far corner from the corner of the six-yard box.

Looking for a quick reply, Town pressed forward in the closing stages with Chaplin dragging a shot wide before, soon after, a Woolfenden long pass found Broadhead goalside of marker Stacey in the box but he was unable to make a connection.

It was a half which had certainly seen the hosts create the better chances and enjoyed 63 per cent possession but without ultimately being able to make it count on the scoreboard.

It was the Canaries who got themselves in front through within four minutes of the re-start.

From a Marcelino Nunez right-sided throw-in Barnes won the header against Hirst and his knock-back fell nicely for the unmarked Rowe who drilled in a fierce low angled shot through a crowded box that ultimately went in through Hladky’s legs.

Chaplin fired wide from Broadhead’s knock off on the edge of the box claiming a deflection which was not given in the 51st minute as Town looked to draw level with Burgess going on to head a deep Morsy free kick over the far post.

Norwich threatened to extend their lead up the other end when Idah met Stacey’s inviting cross behind the defence but his effort was comfortable for Hladky to pluck out of the air.

Barnes was soon calling for a peanlty after tangling with Davis but again, the referee felt there was not enough in it.

Ipswich drew level on the hour mark when Luongo nicked the ball through the legs of Barnes halfway inside his own half and Broadhead found Chaplin who laid across for Burns. The Welshman took a touch out of his feet just outside the area before arrowing a low effort inside the left-hand post, giving Gunn no chance.

With the home crowd roaring them on, a 69th minute Davis corner had to be touched over the bar before Burgess headed the next over from just outside the six-yard box in what was a great chance.

Wagner withdrew goalscorer Rowe directly after with Onel Hernandez entering the action.

After a wild long-range effort from Luongo, Town were presented with a 25-yard free kick in the 75th minute, with Chaplin’s effort curling over the top right-hand corner.

After Burns became the first player to be booked in the 77th minute for a challenge from behind, he was immediately withdrawn in McKenna’s first changes with Hutchinson replacing him and Marcus Harness on for Conor Chaplin.

Town continued to probe but it was not until 87th minute that they threateed Gunn’s goal again with the keeper having to go full stretch to push out Broadhead’s curling effort from just inside the area.

88’ Springett for Idah, Danny Batth for McCullum, Przemyslaw Placheta replaces Borja Sainz

With six additonal minutes indication, McKenna introduced Kayden Jackson, Dane Scarlett and Jack Taylor in the 92nd minute, with Hirst, Broadhead and Luongo going off.

Both Woolfenden and Hernandez were booked for a late clash in Town’s left-back area that saw the vistors have one last chance to get the ball in the box.

Nunez’s free kick was headed out but only as far as McLean with the City skipper firing it over the top left-hand corner from the edge of the box to leave the honours even.

Ipswich: Hladky, Clarke, Davis, Morsy (cpt), Woolfenden, Burns (Hutchinson 78’), Chaplin (Harness 78’), Burgess, Luongo, Hirst, Broadhead.

Unused subs: Walton (gk), Ladapo, Taylor, Williams, Jackson, Scarlett, Tuanzebe.

Booked: Burns (77’), Woolfenden (90+6’).

Norwich: Gunn, Stacey, Sainz (Placheta 88’), Barnes, Idah (Springett 88’), McCallum (Batth 88’), Sara, McLean (cpt), Duffy, Nunez, Rowe (Hernandez 69’).

Unused subs: Long (gk), Gibbs, Fassnacht, Forshaw, Fisher.

Booked: Hernandez (90+6’)

Attendance: 28,611 (2,004).

SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Nathan Broadhead. Came close to winning it with City’s defence unable to handle him, though he will look back on two missed first-half chances.