Town’s Championship play-off semi-final against Norwich City is delicately poised after the first leg at Portman Road ended 1-1. Jonny Howson put the visitors - who host the second game next Saturday - ahead in the 41st minute but sub Paul Anderson hit back for the home side in first-half injury time.
Kevin Bru and Luke Varney returned to the Town side with Jay Tabb and Jonny Parr dropping to the bench, alongside David McGoldrick, back after his niggly thigh problem.
Bru joined Cole Skuse and Teddy Bishop in a midfield three with Varney on the right of an attacking trio with Daryl Murphy and Freddie Sears.
In front of a sell-out crowd of 29,166, the Blues started positively from the kick-off with a move down the right ending when Tyrone Mings headed Bru’s cross to Norwich keeper John Ruddy.
Town almost claimed the lead in the eighth minute when Murphy seized on a mistake on the edge of the area and took the ball to the byline before crossing low to Sears, whose near-post effort was blocked by Ruddy.
The ball looped to Varney and the keeper did well to paw his goal-bound header away from goal, Steven Whittaker clearing the danger.
Two minutes later Norwich had their first serious chance, Graham Dorrans playing a short freekick from 25 yards to Bradley Johnson, whose low shot flew well wide of Bartosz Bialkowski’s left post.
On 19 Cameron Jerome was lucky to avoid a booked for arriving late after Blues skipper Luke Chambers had cleared.
The Blues had enjoyed the better of the game overall but on 20 the Canaries came close to going in front.
Whittaker crossed from the right and Howson headed wide when under pressure from Chambers. Despite the attentions of the Town captain the ex-Leeds man will feel he ought to have done better.
The visitors were beginning to get on top and on 23 Alex Tettey hit a 25-yard strike which hit the outside of Bialkowski’s left post, hit the stanchion and cannoned across the back of goal with some fans thinking it had gone in.
Norwich threatened again a minute later, Dorrans sending over a cross from the right which Johnson nodded wide.
Town were forced into a change on the half hour when Varney was stretchered off having undergone lengthy treatment on the pitch after appearing to turn his ankle with no one else near him. Anderson took over on the right of the front three.
The sub was immediately into the action, getting his head to Bishop’s right-sided cross at the near post, but sending the ball high and wide.
The impetus moved back towards Town and on 38 the Blues’ 27-goal Championship top scorer Murphy had his first sight at goal, the Irishman’s flicking his header wide from Chambers’s cross.
Town continued to keep up the pressure, another Chambers cross from the right leading to the first corner of the match. Soon after, Anderson shot wide from distance.
Despite the Blues having been in the ascendent, the visitors grabbed the lead in the 41st minute. Jerome fought off Tommy Smith as they battled for a long ball which had been flicked on on the Norwich left.
The ex-Cardiff man took the ball on then cut it back to the untracked Howson, who hit a low shot into the corner of the net. As the Canaries celebrated skipper Chambers and other Town players protested about what they claimed had been a foul on Smith in the build-up. The New Zealand international will probably feel he ought to have done better.
Town looked to hit back in six minutes of injury time, Mings seeing a 25-yard freekick deflect wide off the wall.
And in the fourth minute of added-on time the Blues levelled. Sears latched onto a weak defensive header by Russell Martin and took the ball on into the area before hitting a low shot which Ruddy should have held on to.
However, the ex-Cambridge United man allowed the ball to bounce out to Murphy but blocked his point-blank effort. However, sub Anderson was on hand to slam the ball into the net from the edge of the six-yard box.
Both teams came close again before the break, Smith heading Bru’s cross from the right over at the far post, then Nathan Redmond burst into the right of the Blues box before hitting a shot which Bialkowski saved, Smith clearing the loose ball.
Overall, the half-time scoreline was a fair reflection. It would have been harsh on the Blues had they found themselves behind at the break after having spells on top and having gone close through Sears and Varney early on.
The Norwich goal came against the run of play at that point in the game, although they had been on top up to the lengthy interruption for Varney’s injury and also had chances, Tettey and Redmond both having gone close.
Three minutes after the restart Dorrans was booked for a foul on Anderson as he broke down the left.
Goalscorer Anderson had a difficult opportunity on 50, chasing after a Skuse ball to the left of the area, but the former Bristol City man mis-hit his shot deep into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
On 54 Murphy headed Bru’s corner from the right over, then four minutes later Jerome was booked for tripping Berra.
Johnson, a scorer in the regular season derby at Carrow Road, turned and shot from 25 yards on the hour but Bialkowski was untroubled and claimed down to his left.
Town were shading a tight second half and on 67 Bru sent over a cross from the right towards Sears at the far post but the ex-Colchester frontman couldn’t keep down what was a difficult header.
Norwich created their first chance of the second half in the 70th minute, Redmond finding Johnson in space on the left but Chambers got across to deflect his shot wide. Moments later, the Canaries switched Dorrans for Wes Hoolahan, then two minutes later, Jay Tabb took over from Bru for Town.
The visitors were having most of the ball and increasingly looking the more threatening side and on 74 Chambers blocked another Johnson effort, somewhat painfully with his groin. Bishop made way for Jonny Parr on 77.
Tabb sent Murphy away down the left a minute later, the Blues striker cutting in but seeing his shot blocked.The loose ball ran out to Tabb, who appeared to be fouled as he looked to get in a shot, but referee Anthony Taylor, who was lenient, perhaps too lenient, throughout, felt otherwise.
Johnson headed wide from a Redmond corner with the Canaries still on top, then at the other end Murphy cut in from the right but saw his strike blocked. On 84 Anderson was booked for a trip, then two minutes later Gary Hooper replaced Jerome for Norwich.
On 87 Martin Olsson clearly caught Sears with an arm off the ball but none of the officials spotted the incident, although it was caught by Sky’s cameras. Soon after, Tettey fouled Anderson, the sub sending in a dangerous ball from the freekick but Martin cleared.
Bialkowski tipped a looping Redmond header over in the final minute of scheduled time, prior to the fourth official indicating three additional minutes.
Neither side was able to add to the goals in injury time and the teams will now go to Carrow Road with the tie level next Saturday lunchtime.
A draw was a fair result on the balance of the game, both sides having had spells on top during each half and the two managers will be happy enough with the result.
Following the final whistle the players and staff gathered midway on the pitch to applaud the home support, a gesture which was warmly appreciated by a Portman Road crowd now looking towards what’s a huge second leg at Carrow Road next week.
Ipswich: Bialkowski, Mings, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Murphy, Varney (Anderson 30), Bru (Tabb 72), Sears, Bishop (Parr 77). Unused: Gerken, S Hunt, N Hunt, McGoldrick.
Norwich: Ruddy, Whittaker, Martin, Bassong, Olsson, Tettey, Howson, Dorrans (Hoolahan 70), Redmond, Johnson, Jerome (Hooper 86). Unused: Rudd, E Bennett, R Bennett, O'Neil, Odjidja-Ofoe. Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire). Attendance: 29,166 (Norwich: 2,085).