THE East Anglian bragging rights were shared as substitute Ronan Murray headed home an 82nd equaliser for Ipswich Town Reserves at Portman Road this afternoon.

Carl Marston

Ipswich Town Reserves 1 Norwich City Reserves 1

THE East Anglian bragging rights were shared as substitute Ronan Murray headed home an 82nd equaliser for Ipswich Town Reserves at Portman Road this afternoon.

A deflected first-half shot from Cody McDonald looked to have given Norwich City a narrow win in this Combination fixture, until Murray popped up to head home a cross by Reggie Lambe.

In this season without a first team local derby - unless League One Norwich are drawn with Championship side Town in the FA Cup - this Reserves fixture took on an added importance.

Town boss Roy Keane chose to select a very inexperienced side, with defender Pim Balkestein and midfielder Owen Garvan the only players with first team experience this term.

By contrast, Norwich manager Paul Lambert included several first team squad players in his set-up, including Michael Nelson, Owain Tudor-Jones, Matthew Gill and goalscorer McDonald.

Town fielded three triallists in the shape of Pape Faye, Ibrahima Faye and Ragnar Leosson.

Pape Faye played up front alongside Icelandic front-runner Leosson, while Ibrahima Faye operated as a left-back in the first half and then as a left winger after the break.

Squads:-

IPSWICH TOWN RESERVES: Lee-Barratt, Ainsley, I Faye, Hyam, Brown, Balkestein, Lambe, Garvan, P Faye (sub Murray, 66), Leosson, Upson (sub Dunbar, 46, sub Cawley, 82) Unused subs: McLoughlin, Eastman.

NORWICH CITY RESERVES: Rudd, Brindley, Habagham, Stephens, Nelson (sub Lathrope, 62), Tudor-Jones, Adeyemi (sub Osemwegie, 83), Gill, McDonald (sub Clarke, 62), Dawkin, Kelly. Subs: Gordon, Steer