Cardiff City 2 Ipswich Town 2: Garvan ensures Cardiff's fall from grace continues

All is not doom and gloom around the Welsh capital despite the escalation of Cardiff City's metamorphosis from promotion possibles to potential also-rans. Ominous though their outlook remains, there is encouragement of an international variety.

The signals on this occasion were unwelcome, but Dave Jones' despair will become John Toshack's food for thought after stylish Ipswich Town struck a 72nd-minute equaliser they more than warranted.

It came from a penalty and the boot of Gary Roberts, whose name rings true and is apparently on paperwork that should alert the national manager. Cue a Christmas climb of the family tree to establish the birthplace of a granny who could hold the keys to the Millennium Stadium.

"I'm going to have them looking for it, then have it brought to Ipswich and faxed off," said the 22-year-old winger, whose three-month loan from Accrington Stanley is due to be made permanent in January. "First things first, I'm trying to focus on my career and getting settled with Ipswich. Then I'll look for it."

Roberts' left-footedness and scoring instinct should not lead to assumptions that the Principality is unearthing a new Ryan Giggs or Gary Speed. He showed enough here, though, to suggest a bright future, with his eagerness to run at defenders - normally from the right wing - and ability to deliver a cross.

There is no lack of confidence either, as underlined by his insistence on sidestepping other likely takers to dispatch the penalty he had won from Chris Gunter's rash challenge. So convinced was the public announcer that it was a job for Ipswich's first scorer Jon Macken that he "awarded' this goal to him, too.

Jones, having watched television replays, believes neither that spot-kick, nor the one awarded more contentiously to his side for a Jason de Vos foul shortly before, were justified.

But he should have been happy with a point because Ipswich, with Owen Garvan outstanding in midfield in his continuing return from a lengthy virus, moved the ball impressively.

Apart from the ending of a four-game run without a goal, there was little to console Cardiff. The inspirational Darren Purse accomplished the unusual centre-half feat of scoring twice, but 10 points from a possible 30 left him admitting: "We need a run like we had earlier in the season, winning five or six on the bounce."

Goals: Purse (3) 1-0; Macken (48) 1-1 ; Purse pen (65) 2-1; Roberts pen (72) 2-2.

Cardiff City (4-4-2): Alexander; Gunter, Purse, Joseph, Wright (Cooper, 63); Kamara (Glombard, 75), Scimeca, Ledley, McNaughton; Chopra, Campbell (Thompson, 63). Substitutes not used: Howard (gk), Loovens.

Ipswich Town (4-4-2): Price; Bruce, De Vos, Naylor, Harding; Roberts (Richards, 90), Garvan, Legwinski, Williams; Macken, Haynes (Clarke, 76). Substitutes not used: Supple (gk), Walton, Peters.

Referee: A Hall (West Midlands).

Booked: Ipswich Williams.

Man of the match: Garvan.

Attendance: 16,015.