Ipswich Town staged their own version of the Great Escape, twice coming back from two goals down to claim a point on the South Coast.

Marcus Stewart, who had a quiet game by his standards, still did enough to notch two goals to take his tally to five in two games against the Saints.

And he also denied new Southampton boss Gordon Strachan victory in his first match in charge.

The Blues were not firing on all cylinders and against a Saints side out to impress their new boss, at times they struggled.

But the resolve George Burley has installed in his men saw them battle for every ball, try to maintain their passing game, and they were eventually rewarded for their tenacity.

James Beattie caused Hermann Hreidarsson and John McGreal problems with his physical approach from the start, and it was this that led to the opening goal in the 13th minute.

A corner was cleared as far as Marian Pahars who crossed with his back to the goal.

Beattie muscled his way forward, appearing to pull down McGreal in the process, and glanced a header inside Sereni's right hand post.

The Blues had a gilt-edged opportunity to level on 20 minutes when Saints keeper Paul Jones dropped an Alun Armstrong cross at the feet of Stewart, but the ball was quickly upon him and the best he could do was nudge it inches wide.

However, Ipswich were made to pay for this miss within two minutes as Southampton doubled the lead.

The same two players were involved, but Beattie was the provider this time, claiming the ball on the right and crossing to Pahars who headed home from six yards.

The Saints almost added to their lead on 36 minutes when Jo Tessem centred to Pahars who, with no defenders in sight, headed straight at Sereni.

Within a minute, the Blues had given themselves a lifeline when Stewart, a spectator for much of the half, stooped to head home a Mark Venus corner.

And they may even have been level three minutes later when Stewart again got clear of his marker to meet Chris Makin's driven cross but his glanced header sailed well wide.

Ipswich boss George Burley made a bold move at half-time, replacing Makin and Armstrong with Fabian Wilnis and Richard Naylor.

But the pendulum swung back towards the home side six minutes into the second half.

Breaking quickly out of defence, Chris Marsden picked out Pahars on the right. He skipped past McGreal and drove a shot in, Sereni parried and Marsden was on hand to divert the loose ball into the net.

Sereni was called into action once more on 56 minutes when he produced a top-quality save to keep out Matt Oakley's 30-yard strike.

But anything Oakley can do, Venus can do better and in the 64th minute he collected a crossfield pass, advanced two yards and then struck a vicious left-foot strike from 30 yards that gave Jones in the Southampton goal no chance.

Ipswich had their tails up and went at Southampton, and with 18 minutes left, the Venus-Stewart combination again punished the home side.

The Saints failed to pick up Stewart at a Venus corner and his firm header found the target to level the scores.

Substitute Richard Naylor went close to snatching all three points for the visitors six minutes from time when he met a corner, but his header was well saved by Jones.

The Blues could have done with maximum points. It would have eased their plight at the wrong end of the table.

However, they showed enough determination to suggest they will avoid having to battle for survival come the end of the season.

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