IPSWICH Town sunk to the foot of the Coca-Cola Championship last night.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town sunk to the foot of the Coca-Cola Championship last night.

But their fighting 3-3 draw with fancied Sheffield United at Bramall Lane suggests they will not stay there for long.

And the spirit shown indicates Roy Keane has a future as manager at Portman Road.

A 92nd minute gaffe by keeper Richard Wright broke Town's hearts and gifted the Blades a late leveller after the Blues had been 3-1 up with 12 minutes left.

It was a much different Ipswich performance from last weekend's 4-0 thrashing by Newcastle.

Plymouth overtook them with a 2-1 win at Peterborough, leaving Town still desperately hunting their first win of the season.

But Grant Leadbitter who ended the game wearing the captain's armband after an exhausted Jon Walters went off, insists the tide will turn.

“The Press have been on to us since Saturday, but we are as good a team as Sheffield United, and look where they are in the table,” said the �2.6million signing, who struck the second after a Walters opener with Gareth McAuley netting his first-ever Town goal in the 70th minute.

“We didn't play well against Newcastle, and when you don't play well you get beaten.

“It is now up to the players to pull the team up the table, and we will not be on the bottom for long.

“I was not counting my chickens at 3-1 to us as I knew the crowd would get behind them in the latter stages. And this is what happened although we know we should have held on to win.

“But there was plenty out there to show we are a capable side and to not get too despondent about.”

And reflecting on his goal, he said: “I scuffed it a bit, but it is always nice when they go in.”

Town picked up no injuries and have their next game at Barnsley on Saturday before a two-week international break.

Keane said: “It's got nothing to do with bad luck.

“It was close but not close enough but it's got nothing to do with luck,” he said.

“We were 3-1 up and should have seen the game out but it was two bad goals to concede. We gave the ball away cheaply and gave the game away.

“Does it feel like a defeat? Probably not because we've scored three goals away from home but there was a spell in the second half where we were wanting one or two players to see the game through but nobody did.

“It's very disappointing, but that's the story of our season.”

Keane added: “The team expressed themselves and we played well, showing a spirit and tenacity.

“It's hard to take because in our predicament it's wins you need, not draws. But the signals are that we're making progress.”