Ipswich 2-2 Norwich: First Old Farm derby in four years ends in thrilling draw as the promotion-chasing Tractor Boys’ wait for a win against the Canaries rolls on

• Celebrity supporters Delia Smith and Ed Sheeran watched the pulsating draw
• Norwich remain unbeaten in their last 13 games against their arch rivals
• Round 2 to the Rooneys? WAGatha Christie goes to the pitch on Monday – It’s All Kicking Off

To put into context how long Ipswich fans have waited to see their side win the Old Farm derby, boss Kieran McKenna was just calling time on his playing career as a 22-year-old at Tottenham and Norwich City’s Jonathan Rowe, who scored twice here in a frantic 2-2 draw, was five years old.

Not since 2009 have the Tractor Boys taken the bragging rights in this one and the wait – Norwich are now unbeaten in their last 13 in this fixture – goes on, until at least the return at Carrow Road in April.

This has been a match-up two years to the day in the making for McKenna. Since taking over Ipswich, then middling in League One, and elevating them to where they are now, second in the Championship and dreaming of the Premier League, he is the architect of a club reborn.

‘I thought we were the best team by a considerable margin,’ McKenna said.

Asked if his players, who have been best in class across the top four tiers in England in 2023, felt the weight of expectation, McKenna was hard-pressed to say.

Ipswich had waited four years to watch their Tractor Boys in a competitive derby vs Norwich

Wes Burns had given Ipswich the lead for a second time before Norwich pegged them back

Kieran McKenna helped the side secure Championship promotion after a heady two years

Celebrity Ipswich fan – and shirt sponsor – Ed Sheeran watched the clash from the stands

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‘Maybe. Look, we’re talking about players who have been clinical and have missed a couple of big chances, and is that because you are a tiny bit more tense in that situation? It’s possible.’

Here was an occasion few of these players have experienced before.

Choreographed by the Blue Action supporters’ group, thousands of Ipswich fans swapped pre-match pints for the pavements of Constantine Road. Blue flares plunged into the sky, with a plume of smoke engulfing the team bus as it arrived.

The noise was deafening – but tempers frayed when the grey BMW that followed Ipswich’s bus, which was escorting in Norwich City co-owner Delia Smith, was targeted by home fans. A can of Carlsberg landed on the bonnet before the police escort picked up some speed. Smith was able to have a chuckle about it in the corridors of Portman Road after this one.

This was a dominant display from Ipswich, and they leave here feeling it’s two points dropped.

‘Premier League, you’re having a laugh,’ chanted the Norwich fans. Even they know that this Ipswich side, who have drawn at home for the first time this season, look like a runaway train heading into the new year.

Norwich should been punished twice before they were behind, Nathan Broadhead with his head in hands in disbelief at how he’d not scored.

His first saw him dance through the Norwich defenders, weaving in and out of men like traffic cones, before scuppering his finish wide of the post. Four minutes later he was eight yards out when he dug the ball out from under his feet to fire wide.

It would be third time’s a charm for the Welshman as he was on hand on the edge of the six-yard box – amazingly unmarked – to stab into the top corner. Redemption Day, as it was being viewed in these parts, was going as planned.

What wasn’t in the script was Norwich getting in on the action – and yet England Under-21 star Jonathan Rowe struck twice either side of the interval to put them ahead.

His first was a stroke of fortune, initially messing up his bicycle kick inside the area before lofting an unorthodox finish back across goal and in. His second was a low drive straight through the legs of an unsighted Hladky.

Fans gathered ahead of the long-awaited tie to light flares and celebrate outside the ground

Tempers frayed somewhat when Delia Smith’s BMW was struck with a beer thrown by Ipswich fans

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‘Bring on the f***ing derby,’ Rowe tweeted in the build-up. Way to back it up.

Ipswich rallied; this raucous home crowd wasn’t going to settle for anything less.

And each of them, including Ipswich super-fan Ed Sheeran, got to celebrate once more when Wes Burns fired low into the bottom left corner on the hour mark. This lot had waited a while to celebrate goals against Norwich.

‘I’m delighted about the effort,’ Wagner said. ‘Great togetherness, great attitude, super fighting spirit and this is why for me it’s a deserved point.’

Nathan Broadhead (centre) opened the scoring just after the half-an-hour mark

Ipswich snuck into the lead but Norwich quickly hit back to go 2-1 up against their rivals

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