Ipswich have conceded a lot of goals in the first few minutes of games this season, so reaching the 20-minute mark with the score still 0-0 seemed like a big step forward.
Both teams had made an uneasy, untidy, error-strewn start to the contest, with no real scoring opportunities at either end. That can happen at derby games.
At the time, I was feeling fine about things. The overwhelming home atmosphere began to fade a bit. Under Kieran McKenna’s leadership, Town are adept at problem-solving and establishing a rhythm in the game. There appeared to be space in the back for left-sided outlet Leif Davis to work with.
However, things did not turn out as planned.
TOO MANY FOULS
Not for the first time this season, Ipswich attracted tremendous pressure by giving away too many free kicks in a short amount of time.
Sam Morsy fouled Kenny McLean, and Gabriel Sara curled wide from 25 yards out.
Three minutes later, Josh Sargent was sent racing away on the counter-attack, only to be brought down by Axel Tuanzebe as he attempted to burst into the box. Did the Town defender make contact with the ball or the opposing ankles first? It was difficult to tell. Referee Matthew Donohue quickly awarded the foul, but took his time before issuing a yellow card. It was a relief. In actuality, the challenge was similar to the one that got Southampton’s James Bree disqualified at Portman Road a few days earlier. Marcelino Nunez’s low dead ball attempt was diverted behind this time, and Town was fighting to survive at the next corner.
Two minutes later, Cameron Burgess grappled Sargent during a throw-in. Massimo Luongo headed Sara’s dead ball delivery behind, and Town scrambled to survive the resulting corner kick. The warning sign was not followed.
Morsy then tangled with Sargent, causing him to twist and turn.Vaclav Hladky pushed Nunez’s subsequent swerving hit from 30 yards out onto the inside of the post, leaving the net bulging. A keeper’s error? For me, the size and location of the wall were the most important factors.
Borja Sainz brought down Omari Hutchinson inside the Norwich box late in the half. Call for a penalty? I believe it would have been soft.
Ipswich was not behind at the halftime due to the referee. They weren’t behind because Norwich had also performed admirably.They were behind because they hadn’t done enough of the fundamentals correctly.
The division’s comeback champs still had plenty of time to turn things around.
SURVIVING BREAKAWAYS
Unfortunately, things remained the same following the reset.
Luongo bundled over Sara, Tuanzebe mishandled a ball into touch, Morsy mishit a pass back to Hladky, and the Blues goalkeeper slid a desperate slice right to Sargent. The tone was set.
Norwich, having a lead to protect, sat in a tight midfield with two banks of four. Their game plan was to deliver a devastating blow on the break. Sargent continually ran in behind, nearly causing it to fail.
Morsy got away with hauling the American over from behind, Burgess had to make a last-ditch tackle on the nimble forward after he brushed off Luke Woolfenden, and Hladky saved a low shot.
Things weren’t going as planned. Nonetheless, the damage was only 1-0. Ipswich had options on the bench and were approaching their preferred scoring time – the final 15 minutes.
DOOR SLAMMED SHUT
Davis picked up Conor Chaplin twice in the box, once with a low corner and once with his trademark square pass. Chaplin, however, failed to make contact with the first opportunity and fired the second over the angle of bar and post.
Jack Taylor, Marcus Harness, and Ali Al-Hamadi were introduced after Harry Clarke and Jeremy Sarmiento were already present.
Norwich defended strongly with desire and organization. Ipswich lacked the quality to break them down. Angus Gunn easily claimed aerial balls and commanded his area, sprinting off his line to stop Al-Hamadi, while Stacey and Ben Gibson produced crucial tackles and blocks. The Blues pounded on the door, but it never felt like they were going to break it down.
This was the first time since a goalless stalemate at Stoke, on New Year’s Day, that Ipswich had drawn a blank.
“I don’t think either team hit a particularly high level,” rued McKenna afterwards. I don’t disagree with that.
“At the end of the day my players were better. I had the feeling they wanted it more,” said Canaries boss David Wagner. It’s hard, unfortunately, to disagree with that either.
WHY SO FLAT?
Ipswich Town, relentlessly competitive this season, had frustratingly failed to turn up in the game their fans wanted them to win most of all. On and off the ball, this performance fell well short of usual standards.
Why is that? It’s probably a multitude of things.
It could be psychological. There’s the pressure of the prize that’s now tantalisingly in reach, while talk of a lengthy winless run against Norwich may have weighed heavy.
It could be physical. Town put so much into that perfect Easter weekend, fighting right to the death in games against Blackburn and Southampton.
Several players have been affected by illness and injuries too. Kieffer Moore, who has played a lot of football for club and country, may just have been flogged a bit too much of late. Davis has struggled with flu. Morsy is coming towards the end of Ramadan now, a tough period for any Muslim athlete. They are three integral players.
Did McKenna’s analytical, play the game not the occasion, cool, calm, collected approach actually backfire here? Was this a match to prioritise passion over process? I’m not sure about that, but I understand the debate.
It’s only right to give the opposition some credit as well. Norwich have found a formula that works for them. They’ve now won eight league games in a row at Carrow Road. Fair play.
PROMOTION PICTURE
Strip away the derby element of this game and losing narrowly away from home to an in-form top-six side is hardly a disaster.
Leicester scoring late to beat Birmingham 2-1 means they are back at the top of the Championship table, a point clear of Ipswich with a game in hand to come.
But Leeds losing 2-1 at Coventry means that the Blues still go into the final five games of the season with automatic promotion in their own hands. That’s a scenario no-one would have predicted after stepping up from League One.
McKenna always talks about being more interested in performances than points. Having clung on at Blackburn, been outplayed for large period by Southampton and then fallen flat against Norwich, is that a cause for concern? I guess time will tell. It shouldn’t be forgotten that the 6-0 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday was only three weeks go. Or that Town have still suffered fewer league defeats (six) than anyone in the division.
This group has always responded well to set-backs. Let’s hope they can now take some frustrations out on Watford and Middlesbrough at Portman Road this week.
For now, Norwich fans can gloat. Rightly so. It would be the same if roles were reversed. This season’s fight for bragging rights is far from over though. As I said in the build-up, he who laughs last will laugh the longest. We can only hope that revenge is a dish best served cold.
