Portsmouth's English First Division Championship challenge stuttered for the third successive week as they were held 1-1 by Ipswich Town. Bulgarian Svetoslav Todorov gave the league leaders a 1-0 halftime advantage but Thomas Gaardsoe equalised nine minutes after the break for Ipswich, who had Chris Makin sent off in the last minute.
It was Portsmouth's third successive draw, but Harry Redknapp's side still have a three-point lead over second-placed Leicester City, who beat Brighton and Hove Albion 1-0 on Friday. Third-placed Nottingham Forest had Jack Lester sent off but beat Reading 2-0 at the City Ground, while fourth-placed Norwich City kept in touch, beating Walsall 2-1 with two goals in five minutes from Malky Mackay and Phil Muryne after halftime.
The Carrow Road club were boosted before kickoff with confirmation that manager Nigel Worthington had signed a one-year extension to his contract, taking the Irishman through to 2006. Norwich and Forest are level on 42 points, nine behind Leicester and 12 behind Portsmouth. Bottom club Sheffield Wednesday lost 2-0 at Grimsby Town but city rivals Sheffield United stayed in the playoff places with a 1-0 home win over Preston North End, who had Mark Rankine dismissed.
Dean West and Gareth Taylor were both red-carded in the last 10 minutes of Burnley's 4-2 defeat at Gillingham.
Filed by Brendan Cole
