Match Report: Norwich City 1-0 Ipswich Town

Town’s lengthy wait for an East Anglian derby victory continues with a 1-0 loss to Norwich City at Carrow Road.

The Blues, who were top of the Championship heading into the weekend but may not be by the end of the fixtures, were never at their best, with Marcelino Nunez’s 39th-minute free-kick giving the Canaries the lead and Town huffing and puffing ineffectively as they looked for a leveller in the second half.

Kieffer Moore began for the Blues, as manager Kieran McKenna chose an unchanged squad from Monday’s 3-2 home win over Southampton, with Nathan Broadhead replacing Kayden Jackson. Moore, a striker, was doubtful due to a back injury sustained during the game.

Norwich made one change from the lineup that lost 3-1 against Leicester on Monday, with Shane Duffy replacing Jacob Sørensen at the center of the defense. Duffy previously played from the bench against Leicester. Former Town midfielder Liam Gibbs sat on the bench.

In dazzling sunshine but with the wind blowing, the Canaries won an early corner, with Town goalie Vaclav Hladky punching to the edge of his area, from which Borja Sainz blasted deep into the stand behind the goal.

However, Town swiftly took control, with an Omari Hutchinson cross from the right appearing to strike a Norwich arm in the third minute, but referee Matthew Donohue showed no interest.

With former footballer Kieron Dyer and boxer Fabio Wardley in the away section, the Blues won another corner within a minute as another Hutchinson cross was cut out. The corner was played short to Sam Morsy, but referee Donohue called a foul before the skipper’s deep cross found Broadhead beyond the far post.

On eight, Norwich right-back Jack Stacey’s shanked cross appeared to beat Hladky, but the keeper recovered to claim.

Two minutes later, with the home team dominating possession, Stacey fired a low ball across the face and wide after exchanging passes with Josh Sargent after winning a challenge with Leif Davis deep in his own half.

Town began to see more of the ball again, while also preventing Norwich from passing out from behind with determined pressing, but they were unable to produce an opportunity, with too many passes in the final third failing to find their target.

The Blues got their first attempt at goal in the 22nd minute, with Cameron Burgess headed just over at the near post from Davis’ left-sided corner, having won the kick himself after being spotted behind Stacey, who plays a similar role for Norwich down that wing.

Both teams continued to have spells on the ball, but neither created any penalty box danger. On 29, Gabriel Sara hit a free kick from 30 yards high and wide.

The Blues were given a scare shortly after the half-hour mark when Sargent was sent breaking into the Town half. Axel Tuanzebe attempted to grab the ball away from the US international just outside the box, but referee Donohue awarded a free kick.

The Blues players surrounded the referee, while the home crowd and squad chanted for a red card. However, after a lengthy wait and maybe guidance from his assistant, who was better positioned to witness the incident, Donohue issued a yellow rather than a red card.

It was obviously a situation that may have resulted in a dismissal, but video evidence revealed not only that Tuanzebe possessed the ball, but also that Sargent was offside. Nunez hit the free kick into the Town wall, and it bounced wide for a corner.

Norwich were in top, winning another free kick for Burgess’ foul on Sargent, followed by another corner, with the Blues unable to move the ball out of their final third.

And in the 38th minute, they took the lead. Morsy fouled Sargent around 30 yards out, and Nunez fired a shot that wobbled away from Hladky, who could only palm it to the inside of the post. The ball ricochet back across goal and past the line, much to the pleasure of the home crowd.

Town attempted to respond immediately, with Burgess sliding a back header through to home keeper Angus Gunn, and Moore’s shot deflecting out for a corner at 42.

In the final two minutes, the Blues claimed a penalty after Hutchinson fell down under Sainz’s attention but seemed to trip over the ball.

Moments later, a pass to the Chelsea loanee was overhit, typifying much of Town’s first-half performance in the final third.

After starting strongly, albeit without threatening, the Blues allowed the Canaries a stretch of dominance in which they won a number of set pieces in the area, the last of which gave the Norfolk side the lead.

Town had one or two stretches during the half, but they didn’t really test Gunn because too many passes went astray in the final third.

The Blues had an anxious start to the second half, giving the ball away in their own half on a couple of occasions but Norwich were unable to capitalise on the opportunities.

However, Town eventually began to dominate the ball, with the Canaries appearing content to stay in their half and frustrate while attempting to catch the Blues on the break.

On 58, with Town having made little impression in the final third, a long ball down the Norwich left hit Sainz, who recovered to loop the ball over the advanced Hladky but well wide of the post. Nonetheless, it was a warning to the Blues.

Two minutes later, Morsy brought down Sargent as the striker broke towards the area, but referee Donohue saw no foul. The ball ultimately reached Stacey, who fired a low shot that Hladky saved to his right. Morsy’s challenge appeared to be a foul, but it was outside the area, and Burgess was behind him, so it was most likely a yellow rather than a red card.

Broadhead and Tuanzebe were replaced by Jeremy Sarmiento and Harry Clarke, respectively, as the Blues made a double change after showing little threat since the break.

Sarmiento, Monday’s late-winning goalscorer, swiftly entered the game, throwing over a left-wing cross that Moore looped to Gunn, the Blues’ first chance on goal.

Town continued to dominate, with Norwich trapped in their own half. On 67, Hutchinson cut in from the left and hit a low shot that Gunn handled easily.

Almost immediately Norwich threatened at the other end, but Burgess slid in ahead of Sargent as he broke into the box and Hladky claimed the loose ball.

On 70, Morsy was robbed midway inside the Town half and Sargent was able to bring the ball to the edge of the area before hitting a low shot which Hladky stopped and Luke Woolfenden cleared.

 

 

Norwich were looking more liked to score a second on the break than Town were an equaliser despite their possession and in the 71st minute Sargent again escaped on the left before rolling back into the path of Sainz, who shot well over.

Two minutes later, Davis played a low corner to Conor Chaplin from the left, a familiar set piece for Town fans, but for once the forward hit it against his standing leg.

That was Chaplin’s last involvement in the game, the 13-goal top scorer making way along with Moore and Luongo for Marcus Harness, Ali Al-Hamadi and Jack Taylor. Norwich switched Ashley Barnes for Town academy product Gibbs.

As the game moved into its final 10 minutes, Hutchinson and Sarmiento combined on the right and the Ecuadorian international struck a shot on the turn but well over.

On 85, the ball was looped into the right of the box for Al-Hamadi and the former AFC Wimbledon man tried to loop it over Gunn but it struck the keeper and then the Iraqi international, who tried to knock it back to Hutchinson but with too many yellow shirts ahead of him.

Three minutes later, a well-worked move ended with Sarmiento crossing from the right towards Harness, hut the ball got caught under the former Portsmouth man’s feet and he was unable to get in a shot.

Town continued to look for an equaliser in five minutes of injury time, Hutchinson seeing a shot from the right of the box blocked.

Deep in injury time, Al-Hamadi chased a ball down the middle and claimed he had been man-handled as he burst into the area but again referee Donohue wasn’t interested.

Town continued to huff and puff but were unable to conjure another serious chance before the referee’s whistle confirmed that the 15-year wait for a derby win will be extended.

Once again the Blues, so good all season, fell short against their greatest rivals, who on the balance of the game deserved the three points. While Town have been the superior side all campaign, they were a pale shadow of themselves for most of the afternoon, putting in perhaps their worst 90 minutes of the season.

Having made a relatively positive start, Town allowed the Canaries, who have now won eight in a row at home, to get on top and win a succession of set pieces from which they scored their goal.

In the second half, the Blues saw most of the ball with Norwich happy to sit back on their lead but with little success, creating very little in the way of clear-cut chances and Norwich keeper Gunn wasn’t forced to make a serious save all afternoon, while the Canaries always looked a threat on the break.


Town’s substitutes, particularly Sarmiento, had some impact but not the game-changing influence on a match they have had on so many occasions this season.

Passes which would normally be completed went astray all afternoon, while the Blues were second to the ball all too often, perhaps showing the effects of Monday’s heroics against the Saints or maybe the illness which has hit the camp over the last couple of weeks.

The Blues will have to wait until this afternoon’s games to see what effect the defeat has had on their automatic promotion challenge with second-placed Leeds at Coventry, who are seventh, and Leicester in third at home to strugglers Birmingham City.

Norwich City: Gunn, Stacey. Gibson, Duffy, McCallum, McLean (c), Nunez, Sainz, Sara, Sargent, Barnes (Gibbs 75). Unused: Long, van Hooijdonk, Fassnacht, Batth, Fisher, Welch, Aboh, Montoia.

Town: Hladky, Tuanzebe (Clarke 61), Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo (Taylor 75), Hutchinson, Chaplin (Harness 74), Broadhead (Sarmiento 61), Moore (Al-Hamadi 75). Unused: Walton, Ball, Travis, Jackson. Referee: Matthew Donohue (Manchester). Att: 27,001 (2,001).