David Norris scored his first Town goal as the Blues drew 1-1 with Southampton at St Mary's. After a disappointing first half, Stern John put the home side in front, but Norris struck back almost immediately. Late on, Danny Haynes and Alan Lee missed good chances to win the game for Town.

The Blues made two changes from the side which lost 1-0 at Stoke last week. Alan Quinn dropped out due to his ankle injury with Jon Walters moving to the left of midfield. Pablo Couñago came in up front, while David Wright returned at right-back in place of Alex Bruce, who dropped to the bench.

There was an early scare for the home side when Andrew Davies misread a cross from the left, perhaps being put off by the swirling wind, but just did enough to take the ball away from David Norris behind him.

Couñago shot straight at former team-mate Kelvin Davis on three, then Jhon Viafara lost his footing completely after being found unmarked at the far post.

On 14 the Saints players called for a penalty after striker Marek Saganowski went to ground in the area claiming a foul. Referee Mick Russell was unimpressed.

It had been a generally sluggish start from the Blues. After passing the ball around promisingly in the opening couple of minutes, it had been given away far too cheaply on far too many occasions. Southampton had failed to test Bywater, but had sent in a number of potentially dangerous crosses.

Actual chances were rare at either end and it wasn't until the 32nd minute that Davis was called back into action. A decent Town move ended with Couñago laying the ball back to Velice Sumulikoski and the Macedonian struck a shot straight at the keeper.

A minute later, Southampton came closer to scoring but Saganowski appeared to inadvertently block Stern John's shot which looked on its way into the net. Polish frontman Saganowski had an opportunity himself from the subsequent throw on the right, but scuffed his shot and Bywater claimed with ease.

As a disappointing half drew to a close, Town won a series of corners and stewards waded into the home crowd to remove Saints fans who had been fighting amongst themselves.

Neither side had played particularly well, but the home side had looked much the more dangerous proposition in and around the area. Town had failed to get a grip on the game in midfield and had created almost nothing in the way of chances. The ball had been needlessly given away throughout the side. On the upside, the Blues had managed to successfully defend a number of set pieces.

Town, who switched from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1/4-3-3 after the break with Lee and Walters in wide roles, could have gone ahead two minutes into the second period. A Couñago flick found Norris in space inside the area. The ball seemed to take a while to arrive with the former Plymouth man and the attendance of two defenders meant he had to rush his shot, which Davis did well to push around his post. From the corner, Jason De Vos headed over.

Southampton went ahead on 51 with their first serious shot on goal. The ball was played into Stern John's feet inside the area and the striker worked himself some space before hitting a shot into the roof of the net.

Four minutes later, Town got back on terms with one of the Blues' best goals of the season. David Norris took a bouncing ball down the right, then lobbed it over two defenders and ran on into the area before hitting a low left-footed shot in at Kelvin Davis's near post. The Blues immediately went back to 4-4-2.

The goals seemed to finally jolt the game into life and on 56 former Canary Youssef Safri hit a shot wide. A minute later, Jon Walters crossed low from the right but neither Lee nor Couñago could get a touch.

Owen Garvan took over from Tommy Miller in central midfield on 62, just prior to Jon Walters hitting a 20-yard shot wide. Five minutes later, Garvan struck an effort straight at Davis.

Davis did well to save Couñago's header on 73 but the Spaniard had been flagged offside. A minute later, Couñago and Norris both had shots from the edge of the box blocked as the Blues looked like the more likely winner.

Soon after, Danny Haynes replaced the Town number nine as the Blues moved to 4-5-1/4-3-3 with Haynes on the right and Walters on the left.

Stern John nodded a free header wide from eight yards, prior to Alan Lee receiving the game's only yellow card for a foul.

The second half had been better than the first but again few chances had been created by either side. However, on 84 Danny Haynes had the chance to win the game for Town. Owen Garvan lashed a corner clear and the Town sub found himself with the ball at his feet and with space to run into. Haynes took the ball inside but found his way blocked by former Blue Jermaine Wright and another defender and the chance was gone.

Inigo Idiakez's 25-yard strike in the 85th minute forced Stephen Bywater into a fine save to his right, then the Spaniard hit another effort over the bar after the resultant corner was cleared to him on the edge of the area.

Alan Lee had a great chance to win the match for the Blues with four minutes remaining after Claus Lundekvam slipped over inside the area. However, the Town striker couldn't get the ball under control and failed to get in a shot.

Idiakez hit a freekick into the Town wall, then Andrew Davies turned the ball goalwards inside the area but a Blues defender cleared.

The game's final action saw Jon Walters cross from the right but Jermaine Wright, who had a good game at right-back for the Saints, put the ball out of play at the far post.

Town had played better after the break, but it was still an under par display from the Blues. Lee and Couñago were quiet up front, while Miller and Sumulikoski failed to control the game the same way they have most recent matches and throughout the side there was a lack of sharpness.

Southampton looked a better side than their position in the league suggests, but even so the Blues will feel they had the chances late on to take all three points. The Saints will think they had enough opportunities themselves, so perhaps a draw was the right result.

That said, an away point is still an away point and the scoreline takes the Blues back to sixth in the table ahead of Tuesday's home game with Sheffield United.

Town: Bywater, Wright, Harding, De Vos, Naylor, Sumulikoski, Miller (Garvan 62), Walters, Norris, Lee, Couñago (Haynes 75). Unused: Colgan, Trotter, Bruce. Att: 23,299.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls