After the last home game and a woeful defeat by Southampton, followed by an excellent four points on the road at Wolves and Reading, there was some trepidation about which Ipswich side would turn up against play-off contenders Burnley.

Derek Davis

After the last home game and a woeful defeat by Southampton, followed by an excellent four points on the road at Wolves and Reading, there was some trepidation about which Ipswich side would turn up against play-off contenders Burnley.

Well we got the performance but not the result.

Although a draw against a very good Burnley side would ordinarily be considered decent it is not much good in the context of league position.

Town stay 10th and a top six place still looks a forlorn hope despite their best efforts.

Even when the Clarets went ahead through Wade Elliott Town kept playing at a good tempo and deserved the equaliser from on loan Spurs striker Giovani Dos Santos.

The evening ended on an even sadder note when Luciano Civelli was stretchered off with what looks a bad injury in time added on after he went over untouched, possibly twisting something after his studs got caught.

The 19-year-old Dos Santos made his full debut in front of a receptive Town crowd and was an instant hit.

He went in the hole behind Kevin Lisbie and Jon Sead to put pressure on Burnley's anchorman Graham Alexander sitting in front of their back four.

The Mexican had the first real chance when Luciano Civelli put him through but the finish was weak as he chipped straight

Alan Quinn forced to make way for him and David Norris was handed the right midfield berth alongside Tommy Miller with Luciano Civelli on the left in a diamond formation.

It seemed harsh on Quinn who has struck up a good partnership with Miller.

The former Barcelona forward was joined in the starting line-up by former Real Madrid and Bolton star Iv�n Campo who replaced Dutch defender Pim Balkestein who was rested on the bench.

In a see-saw encounter Burnley had an early shout for a penalty when Grant McCann looked to have been pushed by Campo but instead Rhys Williams had a shot deflected from a corner.

Civelli had a shot on the run but hit over the bar and from that Burnley warned how good they were on the counter.

He had an even better chance after being sent racing clear by a sweet reverse pass from Dos Santos who had been found by McAuley but the Argentinean's shot was at the keeper Brian Jensen.

He started the quick counter and found Chris Eagles who in turn put the ball into Elliott's path who finished superbly.

The Ipswich fans responded to assistant manager John Gorman's plea for patience and support and continued to get behind their team.

But while Town tried to get at Burnley it was Richard Wright who had to make a smart save from an Eagles volley after Elliott played back to him from a long clearance by Jensen.

Wright made an even better stop, this time with his legs on the line, to deny Elliott from a close range header after yet another dangerous bit of play by Eagles.

Town will not have been happy at the amount of free headers the Clarets were allowed in the area or the space the midfield runners had in the middle.

Robbie Blake was threading through clever passes and Wright pushed another Martin Paterson ball round a post from one clever pass.

Wright made another stunning stop when a point blank header from Burnley skipper Steve Caldwell hit him square in the face, again on the line.

He may not have known much about it until he was hit but hey, what a save.

David Wright took it upon himself to try and find a way through and made a marvellous run into the box leaving Norwegian Chrsitian Kalvenes in his wake but his shot was deflected wide.

Norris hit a low drive that was easy for Jensen and McAuley headed over from a Miller cross.

Dos Santos had another wonderful chance and could off scored but hit wide of the far post early in the second half.

The Mexican eventually got his reward when he took on a ball chested down by Jon Stead and cut inside before striker a powerful left-footed drive from 22-yards for the equaliser.

The 19-year-old had yet another chance form close in but could not get a clean shot on Civelli's cross.

Pablo Counago forced a good save from the Burnley keeper nicknamed the Beast.

Burnley went close with a few chances in the closing 10 minutes but substitute Jay Rodriguez hot straight at Wright and failed to find an unmarked Blake and McAuley cleared the danger to prompt a late night St Patrick's Day celebration.

derek.davis@eadt.co.uk