Ten-man Town were unlucky to be on the end of a 1-0 defeat to Norwich City at Portman Road. Once again the Blues were on the end of poor derby refereeing, Sito controversially seeing red on 18. Darren Huckerby scored the only goal in a second half largely controlled by Town.

Joe Royle stuck largely with the side which drew 2-2 with Southampton on Tuesday but with Sito returning at right-back in place of the injured Fabian Wilnis and skipper Jim Magilton taking over from Jaime Peters in midfield.

Dean Ashton sent in a cross from the Norwich right in the fourth minute but Sito and then Richard Naylor cleared the danger.

Chances were rare in the opening 15 minutes but Town were having the better of the game and dominated possession. Currie came closest in the early stages but he slashed Dean Bowditch's lay-back wide of Robert Green's goal.

Green was forced into serious action soon after when Sam Parkin stooped to head Jay McEveley's cross from the left goalwards, the keeper diving low to his right to save.

The moment which changed the course of the game came in the 18th minute. Kevin Lisbie was played through, ran past Sito five yards outside the area and went to ground.

No contact appeared to be made, the Spaniard not even making a challenge, and referee Lee Mason didn't seem to be about to award a freekick until his linesman flagged.

However, once he had given the freekick he had little choice but to send the former Racing Club Ferrol man off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, Sito becoming the first ever Town player to be red-carded in successive appearances, having been given his marching orders for two yellow cards at Sheffield United.

Town switched around after the sending off, Kevin Horlock going to left-back Jay McEveley to the right and Dean Bowditch moving into midfield, leaving Sam Parkin up front on his own.

The new backline took time to settle and were lucky not to concede when Lisbie and then Ashton both tripped over the ball when well-placed inside the area.

The visitors again appeared to be the recipients of an overgenerous official when Lisbie broke into the area looking very much offside. The loanee from Charlton took an age to take his opportunity, Richard Naylor getting back to make a superb saving challenge. Lisbie claimed a whistle from the crowd had distracted him but this didn't seem to stop the Town defender from making his tackle.

On 27 the linesman on the Cobbold side flagged a Norwich player offside to huge cheers from home fans.

Town's 10-men were finding it difficult to repel the Canaries and it was Owen Garvan's turn to make a last-ditch challenge in the 27th minute when Lisbie's header set up Andy Hughes inside the area.

Lewis Price tipped Dean Marney's header over the bar just after the half hour and shortly afterwards Mr Mason was again at the centre of controversy. Price claimed a corner at head height before Andy Hughes flew into him studs up at thigh level. Anger at the challenge threatened to boil over and Lisbie pushed and then swung an unsuccessful punch at Garvan in amongst a multi-player melee.

The North Stand was baying that the numbers be evened up for either of the offences but Mason showed each Norwich player just a yellow card.

Youssef Safri missed a glorious chance to put his side in front when he ran through into the area unchallenged, Jason De Vos falling over his own feet as he did so. With the goal gaping, the Moroccan blasted the ball too close to Price who pushed it wide.

Calum Davenport went into the referee's book for a foul on Garvan on 42, then Garvan himself was booked for a foul on McVeigh.

Unsurprisingly the referee was booed off at half-time, the sending off of Sito by no means the first bad decision the Blues have had to endure in derbies in the last few years.

That the Canaries hadn't gone in ahead was frankly amazing, a combination of a couple of excellent Price saves and some atrocious finishing keeping the scores level. The Blues themselves had hardly threatened since the sending off.

At the break Town replaced Garvan with Matt Richards, allowing Horlock to move back into the midfield. Norwich introduced Darren Huckerby for Dean Marney.

Kevin Horlock went over from 25 yards after taking the ball from a hesitant defender, before the visitors went in front. Lewis Price came for a ball on the right of the area he should have left for Jay McEveley but missed his kick when under pressure from Huckerby. The former Manchester City player took the ball past McEveley and played it low into the empty net.

It was a goal which had been on the cards since the sending off but it was a shame for the Town keeper that it came as a result of his error. Within a minute the Blues were close to an equaliser, Jason De Vos flicking on Darren Currie's corner and a defender clearing with it appearing to be goal-bound.

Currie header from a Bowditch cross was cleared for a corner in the 53rd minute, Parkin heading Currie's kick over. The Blues were enjoying much the better of the second half, passing the ball fluidly and winning the midfield battle, partly due to Norwich boss Nigel Worthington having reduced his numbers in midfield by taking off Marney at the break.

Jim Magilton had two shots blocked and a number of crosses flew across the Norwich area as Town put pressure on the 11-men. Magilton had another go from a weak Green punch but the goal wouldn't seem to come.

Currie tried to chip Green but failed to make proper contact, then McEveley unleashed a 30-yarder which Green did well to push around his left post. From the corner Horlock shot just over the bar from the left of the area.

Jaime Peters replaced Dean Bowditch before McEveley found his way into the book for what the referee saw as a foul on Adam Drury, although he had appeared to win the ball.

Lisbie was substituted to boos in the 71st minute, prior to Peters having a shot blocked inside the area and then sending a header over the bar from a Matt Richards cross.

There was a scare for the visitors on 80 when Jurgen Colin played the ball straight to Parkin on the edge of the Norwich box. The striker couldn't find room for a shot on goal and tried to find Currie but a defender was across to clear.

As the game entered the closing stages Jason De Vos was sent up front to try to win more of the ball in the air.

On 85 Huckerby missed a golden chance to score a second goal inexplicably shooting wide from about a yard out from Safri's low cross in from the right.

Richard Naylor headed a Currie cross wide in the closing stages but the goal the Blues deserved on their second half performance didn't come.

A derby defeat but not one from which Norwich will be able to take too much glory. Town's 10-men outplayed them for much of the second half and a draw would probably have been a fair result. At 11 against 11 Town had looked the better side but the red card came so early in the game that it's impossible to say how the match would had progressed.

Town will undoubtedly appeal the sending off, hopefully having checked they are familiar with the correct procedure this time around, and it appears likely that the decision will be overturned.

No player has been sent off more than twice for the Blues and Sito now joins eight other two-time Town early walkers: John Wark, Russell Osman, Paul Mariner, Tony Vaughan, James Scowcroft, Manu Thetis, Pablo Couñago and John McGreal. The Spaniard faces a two-match ban for his red card, one for the card itself and one for receiving two during the same the season.

Town: Price, Sito, McEveley, Naylor, De Vos, Magilton, Horlock, Garvan (Richards 46), Currie, Parkin, Bowditch (Peters 67). Unused: Supple, Juan, McDonald. Att: 29,184.

Photo: Action Images

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