Glenn Roeder's first game in charge of Norwich City ended in stalemate, but he will nevertheless be content after seeing his new side come from two goals down against fierce rivals Ipswich Town in a dramatic East Anglian derby.

First-half goals from Ipswich strikers Alan Lee and Pablo Counago looked to have given Jim Magilton's side the bragging rights but John Hartson's half-time arrival triggered a rousing fightback at Carrow Road.

Ipswich's talented young midfielder Owen Garvan headed into his own goal after Hartson had won a corner, then striker Jamie Cureton then latched on to one of the Welshman's many flick-ons to deftly lob a leveller before Darren Huckerby was sent off in stoppage-time.

However Roeder's side are still rooted to the foot of the table and will need to show plenty of the fighting spirit which saw them claw themselves back into this match if they are to avoid relegation.

Winger Billy Clarke narrowly failed to connect with Jon Walter's fine cross for Ipswich inside the opening 20 seconds, before Cureton flashed a header wide for the home side from Luke Chadwick's cross. And Ipswich goalkeeper Neil Alexander needed to make a stunning save in the seventh minute to deny fit-again Dion Dublin. Cureton did well to engineer space for a cross on the right and after Dublin met the ball with a powerful header from point-blank range Alexander somehow clawed it out.

Dublin then headed wide from a Huckerby cross before Lee gave Ipswich the lead in the 27th minute. A goal-kick was flicked on by Lee to Counago, who showed real quality in waiting for his strike partner to spin in behind Jason Shackell and play an inch-perfect ball into his path. The former Cardiff and Rotherham man steadied himself before calmly rolling the ball across Marshall and into the far corner for his eighth of the season.

Shackell then thumped a header against the base of the post from Huckerby's free-kick before Counago doubled Ipswich's lead in the 41st minute. Lee fired in a dreadful free-kick which deflected off the wall and fortuitously into Clarke's path. Marshall brilliantly saved his shot but he was just able to stab the ball across the six-yard line before it went out of play and Counago had an open goal at his mercy.

Roeder brought on Hartson - on loan from West Brom - to replace Dublin at half-time and his introduction led to Garvan's inadvertent response in the 55th minute. Hartson's brute strength forced Fabian Wilnis to concede a corner and from Simon Lappin's inswinging delivery debutant Martin Taylor was on hand to head in off Garvan at the near post.

Chadwick was denied a brilliant equaliser by Alexander minutes later - and Russell could only mishit the rebound over the crossbar. Hartson then outjumped Wilnis to send Cureton clear but his attempted chip was turned over off Jason De Vos' boot.

Ipswich's poise in possession - so evident in the opening period - was now absent and their dangerous front two were being starved of the ball as the Canaries' more direct approach began to pay dividends. And Cureton levelled the scores in the 67th minute with a carbon copy of his earlier chance. Marshall's long clearance was flicked on by Hartson and Cureton brilliantly flicked the ball over Alexander's head with the outside of his foot from just inside the area.

Lee then thought he had given the visitors the lead when he tapped home from Garvan's free-kick - but the flag was correctly raised to deny him a second. And man of the moment Hartson then called Alexander into another excellent save after he thumped in a rising half-volley from 25 yards.

Walters then had a header from Garvan's corner headed off the line by Lappin as both sides pushed all out for a win. Garvan then led a break for the visitors and after he had surged from well within his own half he played the ball out to Lee on the right.

His low cross found it way to substitute Danny Haynes at the far post but his shot was turned up and onto the crossbar by Marshall's desperate dive as a hugely entertaining contest came to an end. But there was still time for referee Rob Styles to show a straight red card to Huckerby after a high challenge on Walters on the touchline.

Guardian Unlimited