Bad light halted play for 40 minutes at Portman Road as Town and Southampton got into the Ashes spirit. Once the floodlight problem had been rectified, the teams shared four goals, Richard Naylor and Owen Garvan netting for the Blues.

Town were without Spanish full-back Sito due to suspension, Fabian Wilnis coming into the side on the right of the defence, with Jay McEveley making his home debut on the left.

Joe Royle started with a 4-4-2 formation, Dean Bowditch joining Sam Parkin up front with Owen Garvan and Kevin Horlock in the middle and Darren Currie on the left and Jaime Peters on the right. Ian Westlake and Nicky Forster won't be back in action until October.

The game was only four minutes and 37 seconds old when the floodlights failed as Southampton prepared to take a corner after a Ricardo Fuller shot had been deflected wide.

Referee Phil Joslin immediately took the players off as the North Stand saw the funny side and broke into song, most notably a entreaty to the chairman - "Sheepshanks, pay the bill!" - and a tribute to the club's electricity supplier sponsor - "Powergen, Powergen, Powergen..."

PA man Rob Chandler initially announced that there would be a 15-minute delay as the Tannoy rang with appropriate tunes including The Darkness and Always Look on The Bright Side of Life.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Juan, Matt Richards and Dean McDonald warmed-up in the centre circle, while Lewis Price practiced his kicking with Shane Supple and Andy Rhodes.

The lights gradually came back on, except for the majority of the bulbs on the North Stand tower on the Cobbold Stand side. After all the recent hype claiming cricket the new football it was ironic to see the situation reversed when the officials came out for a light inspection in that corner of the pitch, joined by Harry Redknapp, Dave Bassett, Steve McCall and former Town secretary David Rose.

Eventually they were joined by Joe Royle, along with Town press man Terry Baxter, stadium manager Trevor Kirton and, keeping to the cricketing theme a Mr Bowden, however it was Town chief executive Derek and not umpire Billy.

The New Zealander's absence meant there was no light meter immediately available, something which appeared thoroughly unnecessary with the light in the slightly darker corner of the field far better than at most lower league grounds, but one appeared to be appropriated from a photographer and the situation assessed.

At 8.22pm, with the crowd's patience now being tested, the players emerged for a second warm-up with play set to restart at 8.30, which it did, Southampton's corner (remember that?) culminating in Tomasz Hajto shooting wide.

Portman Road's last floodlight failure in a league match was back in 1973 when Coventry were 2-0 up against the Blues. Town won the 'replay'. Famously the lights also went out at Allan Hunter's testimonial in 1980 against Celtic when Scottish fans urinating on cables at the back of the North Stand were blamed for the stoppage.

In 1993, during a League Cup tie with Cambridge United, two floodlights went out in diagonally opposite corners late on but, with those two areas of the pitch very dark, play continued.

Heavy rain on Saturday, which caused the U18 fixture with Spurs to be abandoned at half-time, was blamed for the floodlight problems.

The Saints began the restarted game the better of the two sides and a Dennis Wise ball from the right flew dangerously across the Town box in the 10th minute.

Two minutes later, a Fabian Wilnis interception deflected into the path of Brett Ormerod but the former Blackpool striker's shot across Lewis Price was pushed wide by the keeper.

Town's first chance of the game came from a long Fabian Wilnis throw on the right, Jason De Vos flicking on and Dean Bowditch putting the ball over the bar from close in.

Claus Lundekvam blocked an Owen Garvan shot on 26, prior to Danny Higginbotham breaking into the Town area and shooting into the sidenetting after latching onto a Richard Naylor tackle and having lost Jaime Peters.

Just after the half hour, Sam Parkin was sent away on the left, Antii Niemi saving well to his right. From the resultant corner, Currie's ball into the box was cleared to Owen Garvan whose well-struck volley was superbly pushed away by Niemi.

On 35 McEveley's threatening cross from the left was put out for a corner, from which the Blues would go in front. Richard Naylor rose highest at the far post to head Darren Currie's deep cross into the net for his second goal of the season.

The goal, which came seconds after the North Stand broke into "We only score when we're standing" after two fans were ejected for persistently remaining on their feet, gave the Blues a massive boost in confidence, the visitors having had the better of the game up to then.

Town had the better closing stages of the period but failed to really test Niemi any further.

Ricardo Fuller picked up a well-deserved yellow card for a very late tackle on Richard Naylor which sent the Town man into the Southampton dug-out. Naylor was not best pleased and made his feelings known, referee Joslin having a word with him but sensibly avoiding booking the Leeds-born defender.

As the game entered injury time, Fabian Wilnis limped off with appeared to be an ankle injury. Matt Richards replaced him, Jay McEveley switching to the right of the defence.

The first goalmouth action of the second half saw the Saints get back on terms in very similar circumstances to Town's opener. Darren Powell played the Richard Naylor role, rising unmarked to beat Price and Garvan on the line. Town would have problems with Southampton's corners throughout the second half with the Saints' average height well over six-foot.

On 50 Dean Bowditch was checked as Town broke promisingly into the Southampton half, referee Joslin blowing his whistle overly quickly with Peters and Parkin well placed. In the 54th minute Peters was replaced with Jimmy Juan as the Blues switched to 4-5-1, Parkin the lone striker and Bowditch moving to a wide left role.

Ricardo Fuller went close in a goalmouth scramble following another dangerous corner, just ahead of Town going back in front. Currie sent in a corner from the Town left, the ball was cleared to the edge of the area and Owen Garvan took one touch before hitting a low shot into the corner of the net for his first senior goal.

The goal was probably against the run of play, the Saints having had much the better of the second half possession which was probably the reason for Town's change in formation.

Lewis Price tipped over Hajto's shot from the edge of the box in the 64th minute, then the Wales U21 international saved Darren Powell's effort from the subsequent corner with his leg. From the next Saints corner Nigel Quashie beat a Town defender and hammered a shot against a post, the rebound from Lundekvam flying uncontrollably over the bar.

Owen Garvan, 17, was left on the ground in the 66th minute after what appeared to be an off-the-ball forearm smash by Dennis Wise. The Town players protested, but referee Joslin and his assistants had failed to see the incident, something which would have a huge effect on the game.

Three minutes later it was Wise who netted the equaliser. Higginbotham crossed deep from the left, Matthew Oakley lost Dean Bowditch and volleyed back across goal and Wise nodded in at the post for his first Southampton goal.

Price saved well from Quashie, then Garvan attempted to exact retribution on Wise, going in late and from behind on the former Millwall manager and receiving a yellow card for his trouble. The Irishman was replaced by Dean McDonald with 13 minutes left.

Kamil Kosowski's break down the left ended with Ormerod's shot being well saved by Price, then Currie eked out some space at the other end and forced Niemi into a fine save, the Finnish keeper failing to hold on to the ball but Hajto clearing for a throw-in.

Price again saved from Quashie, De Vos putting the ball behind, the Town keeper seizing on Hajto's effort from the corner.

Darren Currie was blocked as he ran into the Southampton area in the 87th minute but the referee surprisingly failed to act on what was clearly obstruction and an indirect freekick inside the area.

Town's final chance to snatch three points came with a minute left, Dean McDonald stabbing wide Matt Richards's ball in from the left.

An entertaining game which could easily have gone either way and which might have swung in Town's direction had the referee spotted Wise's assault on Garvan.

Southampton are probably the best side the Blues have faced this season and at times Town found it hard to get hold of the ball against a side largely made up of experienced Premiership players.

The Blues still look like a side in transition, getting used to the new signings and youngsters after all the departures over the summer, and a draw against one of the sides almost certain to be in the promotion shake-up at the end of the season is probably not a bad result.

The game was Joe Royle's 150th in charge of the Blues, his record up to now reading: Won 70, drawn 36, lost 44, goals for 263, goals against 210.

Town: Price, Wilnis (Richards 45), McEveley, Naylor, De Vos, Horlock, Garvan (McDonald 77), Currie, Peters (Juan 54), Parkin, Bowditch. Unused: Magilton, Supple. Att: 22,997.

Photo: Action Images

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