Captain Sam Morsy admitted his Ipswich Town side put in a flat performance in their 1-0 defeat at arch rivals Norwich City but believes they will bounce back ‘bigger and stronger’ at Portman Road.

Marcelino Nunez’s 39th-minute free-kick proved the difference between the two Sky Bet Championship promotion-chasing sides in a tight affair at Carrow Road where the Suffolk side looked far from their best throughout the day’s early game.

The Blues were only able to create a handful of chances late on but were unable to trouble goalkeeper Angus Gunn as their three-game winning run was punctured by a painful defeat.

It ensured the club’s wait for a victory in the East Anglian derby will extend into a 16th year, having last beaten the Canaries back on April 19th 2009 by a 3-2 scoreline at Portman Road.

It was a sixth defeat of the season for Kieran McKenna’s side which saw them drop to second in the table with five games to go following the 3pm kick-offs. Leicester City won 2-1 with a late goal at home to Birmingham City but Leeds United lost by the same scoreline at play-off chasing Coventry City to leave the Blues sandwiched a point from each.

Asked if the defeat to sixth-placed Norwich hurt that bit more, Morsy said: “Yes, definitely, with the magnitude of the game it's our closest rivals, we knew how much this game meant to our fans so it's bitterly disappointing. It's three points lost, it's losing to a rival.

“It's really disappointing but our biggest strength has been how we bounce back. We bounced back from Cardiff with a couple of wins, we bounced back from Preston with a lot of wins on the spin so ultimately we'll be defined by how we bounce back.”

The 32-year-old felt there was not a lot between the sides but admitted it was a decidedly below-par display from themselves.

“I thought we were quite flat and it was quite cagey for both teams which it's always going to be in these sort of games. Sometimes you expect a phenomenal game but you don't get many and it certainly wasn't that,” he said.

“But we wasn't at our best, we needed to be better in a lot of different areas which was disappointing.

“Second half we came on strong, we had a few decent chances but it wasn't our day today and we're going to come back bigger and stronger.”

Quizzed on what a flat performance might have be down to, he replied: "It can just happen sometimes.

“I've played in big games where you can really want it. If there is a game you'd want it's this one against Norwich, your biggest rivals, but it just didn't turn out like that, to be fair, for both teams really.

"There wasn't much in the game, there weren't many chances. They scored a long-range effort and we probably had the better chances, to be honest. I don't think it was a great game but we just weren't at our best today.”

Town have managed to claim more points from losing positions - 31 - than any team in the division this season with their penchant for coming up with late goals, but it was not something that materialised at Carrow Road.

“We came on strong late on and I thought we were going to get one but we just have to look at the whole performance and come back better,” said Morsy.

“That's what we do really, we're not going to win every game but how you're defined is how you respond.”

Asked about the referee Matthew Donohue’s decisions for the run of first-half free-kicks which led to Norwich's goal, with the Town skipper penalised for bringing down Josh Sargent, he said: “Disappointing to be honest, there was a few which were really disappointing.

“The one for the goal he's lost his footing and slipped over and the ref's given it and the Axel [Tuanzebe)]one leading up to that, it's a really good tackle and he's given it.

“So he'll [Donohue] be disappointed when he looks at that because I think the decisions didn't go our way today.

“And then obviously it's a long-range effort and they can go in but it's about what we can do better.”

But Town will have the chance to quickly bounce back midweek when they host 14th-placed Watford at Portman Road on Wednesday (7.45pm) before eighth-placed Middlesbrough are the visitors next Saturday (3pm).

On looking to grasp that first opportunity, Morsy said: “Definitely, yes. If we just thought we would win every game to the end of the season, football doesn't work like that.

“So again, it's always about how you respond, it's about how you come in Monday morning with a fresh head. How can we do better? What can we improve? How can we bring it to Wednesday and two home games, let's enjoy it.

Put to him that there is likely to still be twists and turns at the top involving Leicester City and Leeds United, he replied: “I think that's the only guarantee really. But again, we'll enjoy it. I think Wednesday will be our last night game so let's enjoy it, the fans will be right behind us.

“Again, it's disappointing for the fans today, we know how much it means but we know that we've got their full backing and they'll be there Wednesday cheering us on and hopefully we can get the win.”

Asked if he thinks the automatic promotion race will go right down to the wire, he said: “Yes, probably. It's pretty much like every league, football's never straightforward, it's always about how you bounce back.

“Like Southampton, we didn't think 'right that's it, the league's done' and today the league's not lost.

“So we'll go again, really calm heads, we'll dissect the game, we have to improve, we have to get better and that's the challenge.”

But will he have to now pick up some of the players from the weight of the derby defeat? “Yes, of course it's disappointing, there would be a problem if it wasn't flat, it's be a problem if you didn't have to pick people up because you want them to feel that disappointment but not too long though. But you want them to feel it and then use that as motivation.”

With Town having had a busy run of games going through Easter and dealing with illness in the camp as well as injuries, he was asked if it had become a bit too much going into a big fixture.

He replied: “You know what, it can happen. I didn't want to use that one but undoubtedly there's been illness and injuries but then it's the same for both teams. I don't know if they've had illness and injury, they might have done as well.

“I thought the level of performance was probably similar for both teams to be fair. Obviously they score a 30-yard, 35-yard, maybe more, free-kick and we didn’t score, we had some good chances at the end. We had some good cut-backs and we came close but again the game was edgy, it didn't really flow for both teams I'd say.

“I'm sure the stats are very similar for both teams, I think we probably edged it but we needed to do more and we'll probably look back on the performance and look at how we can improve.”

On the away support which the players went over to applaud at the end, Morsy said: “They're brilliant, they were there in full voice and always supporting us, clapping us off at the end and we know how much it means to them.

“And I think they know they've got a really honest group, the goal is to perform every week, we haven't performed today and yet the only thing to do is to put it right Wednesday.”

He added: “I think by Monday once we've reviewed it and once we've saw what we can do better it'll be out of the system and we'll have the chance to go again.”

Morsy also knows this latest derby defeat is not something that is going to necessarily define their season as they chase a coveted place in the Premier League with five games to go.

“Definitely, yes it's a derby but it's only three points,” he said. “It's one we'd have loved to have won and it wasn't for a lack of effort or wanting it but just sometimes it's not your day.”

Photo: Matchday Images

blueboy1981 added 20:58 - Apr 6 We’ll See !! - why should this be necessary, and all too repetitive ?? We’ve had every opportunity to blitz this League, to be honest - but seem to like making it difficult for OURSELVES !! i.e What a Pathetic Goal to concede in losing today ??
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ArnieM added 21:04 - Apr 6 Maybe we should stop giving goals away then wouldn’t have to bloody “ bounce back “ so often!!!
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planetblue_2011 added 21:07 - Apr 6 Not good enough Morsy!!! Do you know how much this result effects us fans!!
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virginblue added 21:10 - Apr 6 First comment and it’s the usual nonsense. Depressing.
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virginblue added 21:11 - Apr 6 So you think over the season Morsy hasn’t been good enough? It’s embarrassing. He’s been immense this season.
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ITFCSG added 21:20 - Apr 6 Players seem nonchalant - I wonder if Woolfy and Clarke have told the squad how fans view the derby. From the "Norwich City, we are coming for you chants" in the promotion run-in last season to the "Merry Christmas Norwich sc*m" at Watford away. Yet the team manages to c0ck up both derby matches spectacularly - especially today. Talk less, DO MORE.
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Bluestallion added 21:27 - Apr 6 Omg. Some of these comments are ridiculous. Get a grip. This team has been brilliant.scored more goals and list the least amount of matches for a team that cost a fraction of our competitors. So we list a derby. I'd rather loose a derby at an away ground and get promoted. We have not seem football like this for 20 years. The team has had injuries and illness and still gives 100% every time.

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Bluestallion added 21:27 - Apr 6 Omg. Some of these comments are ridiculous. Get a grip. This team has been brilliant.scored more goals and list the least amount of matches for a team that cost a fraction of our competitors. So we list a derby. I'd rather loose a derby at an away ground and get promoted. We have not seem football like this for 20 years. The team has had injuries and illness and still gives 100% every time.

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ArnieM added 21:37 - Apr 6 Have you ever stopped for a moment to consider that losing that away derby match to a team we are 20 bloody points better off than, might actually cost us automatic promotion??? You seriously think we would beat them in a play off game? …… really ???
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Linkboy13 added 21:41 - Apr 6 We have over achieved massively this season with a very average bunch of players but with a brilliant manager whose getting every ounce of effort out of his players and i think this is starting to tell on the players who now look a bit flat. I suggest those fans who expect us to win every game should jump on somebody else's band wagon.
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Bluestallion added 21:44 - Apr 6 Yep. We are still second despite losing that match. We always respond well to defeats. It might actually be the thing that helps us to get promotion. Do you really think the team is not giving 100%. As you say we are 20 points better off. Surely we should keep the faith. If we end up playing Norwich in the playoffs I think we will win because the team has learned from this and will only get stronger. We are a better team. The worst thing Norwich could have done is beat us at this point. Because this team and this manager will not let this happen again.

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blueboy1981 added 21:56 - Apr 6 Generally speaking I think Norwich Fans expect more from their Club, Team, and Manager than many of our Fans do of ours. We do have an element who continuously make excuses for such inept performance as today obviously was. Of course we’ve had a ‘good season’ to date - but there is so much evidence, even today, that we could be so much better - so why do we make it difficult for ourselves, so unecessarily if the genuine ability is there ? We wouldn’t have scored today if still playing - quite simply we Bottled It - instead of coming away with a NOT unexpected 0-2 WIN !!

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62WasBest added 22:34 - Apr 6 There are still enough points to gain in the remaining games to get automatic promotion. I get that a victory against Norwich is important to the fans but in reality it is still only worth 3 pts if you win. Look forward, not back. You can't change what has happened. Still all to play for.
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SickParrot added 22:44 - Apr 6 Although Sam admits that we didn't play well, he claims that we still had more chances to score than Norwich. Come on Sam, we only looked like scoring once all day but Norwich had numerous opportunities to add to their lead thanks to us giving the ball away cheaply. We only turned up for the last ten minutes. Today's performance was more than below par or disappointing, it was unacceptable (worse than the Maidstone disaster). In these circumstances it is disappointing that neither Keiran nor Sam has offered any apology to the fans. I acknowledge of course that there have been lots of very good performances this season and that we're still second in the table but that doesn't excuse today's unacceptable performance.

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Bert added 23:10 - Apr 6 So, someone on here thinks “we have had every opportunity to blitz this league”. We have competed, we have entertained, we have a top manager but we are not deluded in thinking or stating that we could blitz the league. Some posters do talk twaddle at times and are full of contradictions.
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Ipswich1977 added 01:09 - Apr 7 Sadly it was Morsy who lost us this game today by fouling the NC player right in front of the referee for the free kick. We knew we wouldn't beat them today. It's just how it is. I'm sure a "mental block" has kicked in when we play them.
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Bluestallion added 05:03 - Apr 7 I can't see anyone saying we will blitz the league. Just that we should not give up on promotion. Still all to play for. Seems odd to be giving up over one match. The negatively around Blackburn was odd. We had a great first half,second half not so good. Blackburn have gone onto thrash Sunderland away and hold Southampton. Looking back the Blackburn result was very good indeed. Leeds dropped points to Coventry, Leicester have been on a poor run until recently. Our competitors are susceptible to loses too and these were not derby matches. Let's get behind our team. Its the least they deserve.

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itfcserbia added 06:39 - Apr 7 My God it's like reading comments on Man Utd forum, not Ipswich Town who spent last 4 years in League One. Get a grip people, this team is overperforming by every single criteria. Support them in defeats yeah?
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Baino added 07:14 - Apr 7 Jeezo! Some of these comments are utterly embarrassing. As @itfcserbia quite rightly points out, we have a side who have had 4 years in L1, came SECOND to gain promotion to the Championship and are still in with a shout of promotion to the Premier League with FIVE games to go. That's an unbelievable effort. Also, I get why some are upset losing to Norwich, but in the context of the whole season, if we get promoted, who cares! Of course, we'd ideally be stuffing the budgies, and I was very flat and upset after the game,but let's get some perspective here. We've lost just 6 games all season. Six!!! They say you can tell a lot about a person when sh1te hits the fan, generally speaking the boys have responded during the season to bumps in the road, shame some of our fans can't do the same. Criticism is important when it's deserved, but so far this season, there have been very few occasions when it has been deserved, but it seems some of you could win £1m on the lottery and still moan that you didn't get the cost of the ticket back too!

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urbanpenguin added 08:47 - Apr 7 Read this interview, thought Morsy made some fair points and with eloquence. Look at the comments and see absolute garbage bonfire comments. It's incredible we are not fighting against relegation or swimming in mid table. We shouldn't be second, but it's mind-blowing that we are. And we may stay there. Enjoy the ride, because I remember the last fifteen years and this is not something we could have expected or hoped for.

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planetblue_2011 added 08:47 - Apr 7 Not good enough we were really poor. Surely a team who are top of the league should be more up for it as it’s your local rivals. Norwich were poor as well just wanted to go down on the floor all the time & get pointless free kicks & one worked out for them by scoring, only because we didn’t hold our wall!! Oh well 5 more to play for!!
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Europablue added 09:42 - Apr 7 Bert I don't think the guy who said we could "blitz" the league has watched many if any of our matches. Does anyone remember the beginning of the season? Sunderland was a tough match, then we played QPR who were supposed to be the whipping boys of the league and we struggled to a 1-0 win. The remarkable thing about this season is just how many times we have come out on top of very fine margins. Even that 6-0 against Wednesday was tight at the start. A draw would have been a fair result. The ref made a couple of weak decisions for the freekicks, and changed the momentum of the game. That was a stroke of luck for Norwich and the freekick that they scored was a bit of skill and even then Hladky was close to getting his fingers on that. Norwich didn't really create anything and neither did we. Our touch on the ball was really bad in that first half stopping us from putting anything together. That performance wasn't any worse than a lot of the matches that we have drawn or lost.

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Europablue added 09:46 - Apr 7 It says a lot about some "supporters" who are much more vocal when we lose. We could do without those people. The team deserve some light criticism and it was not good enough, but it wasn't an embarrassing result or performance. A true supporter will be there believing in them to put things right. The one thing you can say about us this season is that we come back very well from a defeat. Let's win the next one and see where that leaves us!

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foreverthebeat added 10:01 - Apr 7 Oh well the dust has settled and it hurts like hell but the Leeds loss proves the pressure is on all teams as Sam has stated we normally bounce back stronger it's time to back our great squad from management down 5 wins or match Leeds and we're up Southampton would need a miracle keep the faith UPPA TOWEN
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OldFart71 added 10:07 - Apr 7 Agree nobody is at their best all the time. Unfortunately this game so many were off the pace. Many excuses are being rolled out, kick off time, players being ill. I don't know whether that should have had such a dramatic lowering of standards. After all Leif Davis was one who had been under the weather, but he was by no means the worst player for Town. If you can't perform at a level when a pot of gold is on the horizon then when can you. I just don't know where we will be at the end of the season. I do feel playoff's isn't where we need to be as if legs are getting weary now can we keep going for even longer?

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