Championship play-offs/West Ham United 2 Ipswich Town 2: Ipswich Town came from two goals down to draw away to West Ham United and take the upper hand in their promotion play-off semi-final on Saturday.
West Ham, looking to return to the Premier League after two seasons out of the top flight, made a storming start to the first leg at Upton Park with two goals in the opening 13 minutes.
Matthew Etherington raced down the left wing and cut the ball back, low into the middle past diving goalkeeper Kelvin Davis and the unmarked Marlon Harewood turned it home after seven minutes.
Etherington's wing play again provided the punch for West Ham to go two up in the 13th minute, his low cross deflected at the near post into the path of Bobby Zamora who shot into the bottom far corner.
Ipswich pulled one back with an own goal by West Ham goalkeeper James Walker from a free-kick seconds before half-time. Tommy Miller's free kick was deflected by the wall on to the post and the rebound went in off Walker's leg.
Davis made a breathtaking save from an Anton Ferdinand header on the hour to prevent West Ham from regaining a two-goal lead.
With 16 minutes to go, Kuqi equalised, blasting home a high ball from close range with Walker and Ferdinand getting in each other's way.
The two sides meet again in the second leg at Ipswich's Portman Road ground on Wednesday.
WEST HAM UTD: Walker, Repka, Ferdinand, Ward, Powell, Reo-Coker, Newton (Rebrov 86), Mullins, Etherington, Zamora (Noble 76), Harewood. Subs not used: Bywater, Fletcher, Dailly. Booked: Repka, Etherington. Goals: Harewood 7, Zamora 13.
IPSWICH: Davis, Wilnis, De Vos, Diallo (Currie 45), Naylor, Magilton, Miller, Horlock (Richards 45), Westlake, Bent, Kuqi. Subs not used: Price, Counago, Bowditch. Booked: Wilnis, Naylor. Goals: Walker 45 og, Kuqi 74.
Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).
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