SOCCER: Norwich City U19 2, Ipswich Town U19 2. Ipswich had to share the points with a battling Norwich side in a stormy match which ended with one Norwich player sent off and a late equaliser for the home team in the gale.

Norwich City U19 2, Ipswich Town U19 2.

Ipswich had to share the points with a battling Norwich side in a stormy match which ended with one Norwich player sent off and a late equaliser for the home team in the gale.

Town led comfortably by half-time, thanks to two cool finishes by Matt Robinson, but squandered that lead in the torrential wind and rain in the second.

If the kick off had been 1 pm rather than 11 am this game might never have been completed due to the deteriorating weather.

Matt Robinson scored the Ipswich first after eight minutes, anticapting Greg Crane's back pass and intercepting it, he ran on wide of the Norwich keeper and scored from a tight angle. A fine finish.

He was twice involved in a classic flowing Town move which brought the second after 32 minutes.

The ball went from end to end through midfield, including a header on from Robinson to Bent, and Robinson was running in at the far post to sidefoot home when Darren Ambrose's great cross came in from the right wing.

Some desperate defending, to prevent Darren Bent getting through, and a couple of good saves from Lee-Barrett in the Norwich goal kept the score down.

The referee, who had booked a couple in the first half, had to tighten up on some late challenges in the difficult conditions in the second.

Norwich persisted with the long ball game while Ipswich put together some lengthy passing moves that only lacked a final pass or precise finish.

Darren Ambrose shot wide from a good position and both Robinson and substitute Alan Connell were crowded out.

But the home team rode their luck and almost scored when a header skimmed off the Ipswich bar.

And they did pull one back after 73 minutes when Richard Woodrow met a cross from the left and stabbed it towards goal, the wet ball slipping through Lewis Price's grasp and over the line.

There had already been several tasty challenges when combative Ian Henderson earned himself an early walk.

He was involved in a clattering challenge which sent Lee Beevers tumbling and referee G. Lewis had no hesitation in raising the red card when it was over.

Norwich snatched an unlikely equaliser with five minutes to go. Winger Ryan Jarvis cut in from the left and tried a snapshot which hit the foot of the far post and rebounded into the net.

There was still time for a winner and it was Ipswich who went closest and when Robinson was felled in the penalty box nothing was given.

Ipswich: Price, Cox, Chaffey, Beevers, Snowdon, Ambrose, Westlake, Bloomfield, Richards, Bent, Robinson, subs used, Connell, Bonwick, Duncan. Booked: Ambrose.

Norwich: Lee-Barrett, Willis, Chick, Crane, Shackell, Sinclair, Batt, Henderson, Hayes, Woodrow, Jarvis, sub used Smith. Booked: Hayes, Woodrow; Sent Off: Henderson.

Ipswich Town U17 3, Millwall U17 1.

GOALS from Sam Morrow, Dean Bowditch and Aidan Collins sealed a comfortable victory for Town's youngsters in the Premier Academy League.

It was a good all-round team performance in atrocious conditions. Ipswich kicked into the wind in the first half and, attacking well, went two goals up before Millwall clawed a goal back.

The third goal effectively killed the game off but Millwall never stopped battling.

Chris Hogg and Aidan Collins did well in defence and Danish youngster Michael Tornes played in goal.

Ipswich: Tornes, O'Connor, Hill, Hogg, Collins, Boardley, Okay, Smith,

Flack, Bowditch, Morrow, subs used, Murray, Hammond, Manning.

IPSWICH Town youths play their AXA FA Youth Cup fifth round tie against Fulham on Woking FC on Wednesday February 6, kick off 7 pm.

Ipswich have already beaten Bristol City and Coventry in this year's competition.