Goals from Lee Croft and Matthew Pattison saw Norwich to a 2-0 East Anglian derby victory over dismal Town. The Blues rarely showed anything like their top form, but should still have gone in front just after the break, but Jon Walters failed to take advantage when one-on-one with the keeper.

Boss Jim Magilton reverted back to what's probably his first choice side with Jon Walters coming in for Jon Stead up front, having missed the Sheffield United game through injury, while Owen Garvan came back in midfield for Tommy Miller after his flu bug.

Jon Otsemobor struck the game's first serious shot on to the roof of Richard Wright's net in the fifth minute after the ball was played to him from a freekick 25 yards out.

Three minutes later, the home side were close to going in front when Richard Wright tipped Gary Doherty's sharp header from a corner over the bar. Moments later, Sammy Clingan was yellow-carded by referee Lee Probert for complaining to the linesman after fouling Veliche Shumulikoski.

On 21 Owen Garvan hit the bar, but referee Probert had already blown his whistle for a foul by Pablo Couñago.

Alex Bruce headed an Owen Garvan corner over the bar on the half hour, prior to Gareth McAuley looping a Garvan freekick back across goal but wide.

In the 34th minute Clingan's 20-yard strike caught Alex Bruce, beat Richard Wright and hit the top of the bar, referee Probert failing to spot the deflection and giving a goalkick.

Jon Walters shot over from 25 yards after good work on the left from David Wright, but the Blues were rarely looking like troubling Norwich keeper David Marshall.

Just before the break, Wright made an important challenge on Clingan as he broke into the area.

Wright and Alex Bruce had been Town's best first half performers with the Blues sitting deep and trying to catch the home side on the counter attack. Town had enjoyed little in the way of possession and had surrendered the ball all too easily all too often with the home side giving them little time to settle. Overall, it had been a scrappy half with neither side creating much in the way of chances, but Norwich looking the more dangerous.

Town started the second period more strongly and on 50 Jon Walters had a golden opportunity to put the Blues in front when he flicked on a Richard Wright kick and sent himself through one-on-one with Marshall. The former Chester man seemed certain to score but hit his shot straight at the keeper, the ball cannoning to safety. It was to prove a vital miss.

Wes Hoolahan shot over from the edge of the box, prior to David Wright picking up a booking for a foul on Croft.

The home side went in front on the hour. Couñago felt he had been manhandled by Doherty on the edge of the Town box but as was the case throughout the afternoon received no sympathy from referee Probert. Norwich broke, both Bruce and McAuley stood off Croft and the midfielder struck a 25-yard effort which beat Richard Wright.

Town already had Danny Haynes changed and ready to come on and the derby goal specialist replaced the quiet Darren Ambrose as the teams lined up for the kick-off, David Norris moving to the middle of the midfield, Owen Garvan to the left, Jon Walters to the right and Haynes joining Couñago up front.

Lita shot wide from the edge of the box as the Canaries went looking for a second. Moments later, Jon Walters was somewhat harshly yellow-carded after appearing to be caught by a flailing Gary Doherty arm.

Stead replaced the disappointing Couñago, before Moritz Volz hit a shot which deflected over. From the corner, Marshall pulled off a fine save from Danny Haynes's header, Town's best chance of the game other than Walters's one-on-one.

Bruce and Croft clashed in the corner as the game entered the final 15 minutes but referee Probert kept his cards in his pocket.

The home side scored their second goal from an 81st minute freekick with Town skipper Gareth McAuley off the field receiving treatment to a head injury pointed out to referee Probert by Leroy Lita. McAuley, Town's main aerial presence, was angry at being unable to defend the set piece, and with good reason, the Blues failing to clear and the loose ball falling to Pattison, who lashed home to seal the home side's win.

Garvan shot over from the edge of the area, before Richard Naylor was sent on as an additional striker in place of the Irishman, who was a long way form his best after his bout of flu.

The Town players thought they should have had a penalty in the 88th minute when Haynes looked to be felled by Marshall as he took the ball past the keeper, but referee Probert gave a corner.

Shumulikoski was booked for a foul on Hoolahan before chants of ‘What a load of rubbish' started amongst the Town support.

The Blues continued to push for a goal, but none too convincingly, McAuley heading straight at Marshall and then Stead having a shot deflect wide.

Referee Lee Probert's whistle signalled what these days is a rare Town defeat at Carrow Road. The Blues had never played to anything like their potential, giving the ball away too easily and never settling against a busy Norwich side, which packed the midfield and played Lita up front on his own.

Town gave Croft too much time and space on the first goal, while the McAuley's absence on the second goal was significant, although to the letter of the law referee Probert was probably right to force the Town skipper to undergo treatment while play continued.

While losing a derby and playing so poorly throughout is disappointing enough, the Blues again failed to perform against a side in the lower reaches of the division, something which is likely to increase the number of supporters who feel Jim Magilton isn't the man to take Town forward.

Town: R Wright, D Wright, Volz, McAuley, Bruce, Shumulikoski, Garvan (Naylor 83), Norris, Ambrose (Haynes 60), Walters, Couñago (Stead 66). Unused: Supple, Miller. Att: 25,472.

Photo: Action Images

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