Lewis Grabban’s first-half goal saw Norwich City to a 1-0 victory over the Blues in the East Anglian derby at Portman Road. The Canaries striker flicked home a header in the 24th minute after Town keeper Dean Gerken and midfielder Cole Skuse appeared to leave the ball for one another.

David McGoldrick’s expected return to the starting line-up was the only change from the team which drew at Birmingham in midweek with Conor Sammon dropping to the bench.

Norwich included former Town academy schoolboy Ryan Bennett at the centre of their defence.

The Blues were first to threaten after Tyrone Mings was fouled on the left. Jay Tabb sent in the freekick and, after Paul Anderson had been unable to direct a header goalwards, Skuse scraped a shot wide.

There was an early outing for Town’s stretcher tractor in the fifth minute after Canaries’ defender Bennett suffered what looked to be a foot injury in a challenge with Daryl Murphy. Javier Garrido replaced the former Blues schoolboy with skipper Russell Martin moving to the centre of the defence.

On 10 Murphy sent McGoldrick away on the left, the Blues number 10 cutting in and sending over a deep cross which Anderson nodded across to Tabb, who headed on to Murphy, the Irishman looping a shot well over.

Right-back Steven Whittaker struck the Canaries’ first effort in the 18th minute but his cross-shot failed to trouble Gerken. At the other end, Hyam played Mings into space down the left but his low ball found John Ruddy’s arms.

Town had had the better of the first quarter of the game with the Norwich backline having failed to clear their lines on several occasions.

Canaries striker Grabban hit a low 20-yard strike which Gerken saved well down to his right on 23 but a minute later the visitors went in front.

A corner from the right was cleared to Alexander Tettey on the edge of the box from where he nodded the ball back towards the edge of the six-yard area. As Skuse and Gerken left the ball for one another Grabban flicked a header into the net. The grounded Christophe Berra appeared to be playing the goalscorer onside, however, video evidence showed this not to be the case.

Despite the offside controversy, it was another goal every bit as poor as those conceded at Reading and Birmingham. Grabban should never have been allowed to get to what should have been an easily defended nod back into the area.

Town quickly went about getting back on terms. McGoldrick shot just past the post after a cleverly-worked freekick was played to him just outside the box. Soon after Skuse was booked for a foul on Lafferty.

The Canaries were presenting the greater threat as the game moved towards the half hour, Tetty seeing a shot blocked, then Lafferty hitting his rebound well wide. The Northern Irishman was booked shortly afterwards for a foul on Tabb.

Tabb laid the ball back to Murphy in the 37th minute but his shot was straight at Ruddy, then moments later McGoldrick brought the ball in from the left but his well-struck effort flew over.

On 43 Tabb’s drilled corner was missed by Anderson when he had a free header, the ball eventually falling to Skuse, who looped over from the edge of the box. A minute later, Lafferty flicked a header wide from a freekick on the left.

In seven minutes of injury time, largely as a result of Bennett’s early injury, McGoldrick sent in a dangerous cross which was put behind just ahead of Tabb. From the corner, the ball fell to Anderson 25 yards out but the winger lashed high and wide.

Moments before the half-time whistle McGoldrick failed to make contact as he tried an overhead kick after Berra had nodded down Tabb’s freekick from deep.

Town had huffed and puffed but had never really looked that close to grabbing an equaliser after Grabban’s very preventable goal.

Despite Norwich not looking entirely comfortable at the back at times, Ruddy had never really been tested, while Nathan Redmond and Grabban were a threat when the Canaries were on the counter-attack.

Town carved out an early second half opportunity, McGoldrick’s cross from the right falling to Murphy, who was in two minds whether to shoot on the turn or lay back to Anderson. Eventually the ball was moved on to Hyam and then Skuse, whose shot was deflected wide of goal.

The Blues should have been on terms in the 50th minute after a long spell of possession in the Norwich half. Tabb chipped a cross to the far post from where Murphy headed back past Ruddy’s right post when he should have scored.

There was a big scare for Town in the 53rd minute when the Blues played themselves into trouble midway inside their half. With Berra out of position, Garrido played Grabban through on goal but the ex-Bournemouth striker chipped over Gerken but also the bar when he should have made it 2-0.

Norwich were continuing to have their fragile moments at the back, McGoldrick escaping down the left in the 58th minute and forcing Ruddy to save at his near post from a tight angle.

Within a minute Gerken had made an even better save after Grabban seized on hesitation on the edge of the Town box and hit a powerful strike, which the keeper pushed away right-handed.

The lively Canaries striker was thwarted again as the game moved towards the hour mark having been played in one on one with Gerken towards the right of the area. The keeper forced him wide and Smith cleared his weak attempt at goal off the line.

Anderson scuffed a weak shot to Ruddy after being found in a dangerous position by Skuse on 65 but Norwich were continuing to have more of the ball with gaps increasingly appearing in Town’s defences.

With 18 minutes remaining Mick McCarthy made a triple substitution, Kevin Bru, Alex Henshall and Conor Sammon replacing Hyam, Anderson and Tabb.

A minute later Smith blocked from Bradley Johnson, then on 76 Bru’s edge of the area shot was deflected away following two Town corners.

Town were having more of the ball in dangerous areas but Norwich remained a bigger threat on the counter-attack, Gerken saving Garrido’s shot from the left as the match moved into its final 10 minutes. On 83 Mings was booked for a foul on Tettey as Norwich broke forward.

As the game moved into injury time, Berra nodded down Mings’s freekick from deep but Murphy just couldn’t get to it ahead of Ruddy.

Gerken saved Redmond’s low shot from the edge of the box and without the Blues threatening again referee Keith Stroud’s whistle confirmed the visitors’ victory.

Town had been better after the break and should have been on terms via Murphy’s header but largely they continued to huff and puff, showing too little quality on the ball.

The Canaries, having got their noses in front in the first half, continued to look the more threatening side on the break with Grabban failing to take one gilt-edged opportunity, while they created a number of other opportunities to increase their lead.

While by no means the hammering of three years ago - a result along those lines never looked on the cards - the Blues once again fell short when up against their greatest rivals, who they now haven't beaten in more than five years.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Hyam (Bru 72), Anderson (Sammon 72), Tabb (Henshall 82), McGoldrick, Murphy. Unused: Bialkowski, Parr, Hewitt, Bajner.

Norwich: Ruddy, Martin (c), R Bennett (Garrido 5), Turner, Whittaker, Tettey, Johnson, Hoolahan (O’Neil 83), Redmond, Lafferty (E Bennett 53), Grabban. Unused: Rudd, Cuellar, Jerome, Murphy. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire). Att: 25,245 (Norwich 2,064).

Photo: Action Images

NoCanariesAllowed added 14:30 - Aug 23 As a game, that was the worst East Anglian Derby I've ever seen. Don't think either team was any good. Other than defending sensibly against what minimal threat we offered, Norwich did nothing to win that game. We lost it with one lapse. And that's why, at present, I cannot see any way we're making strides forward from last season. So often Championship games are exactly like what we've seen today with little between the sides, but those lapses, those individual moments are what decide whether you finish in the top six or in the middle of the pack. And from what I can remember in our recent battles against newly relegated teams or top six 'rivals', we have almost never been on the right end of those lapses. Such a small aspect, but it makes such a huge difference. Reading was a perfect example last week, and today was another. No, we weren't tonked. And for that I am glad, considering from an objective viewpoint that we were playing an ex-Prem side with money and form. But then I don't think that Norwich team was ever likely to give us a tonking with the display they put on today. They wasted some very good chances. The problem was we just offered absolutely nothing in reply. But for a couple of rare flashes, it was another one of those tedious huff-and-puff displays that lamentably have become a hallmark of Mick McCarthy's era. I'm not one of those that will whine about style of play, even though it is admittedly uninspiring. It's still incredibly early days for a team that probably wasn't quite ready for this campaign, and ultimately I'll take whatever style of play gets us promoted. But on that evidence today, it isn't getting us promoted any time soon.

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Michael11 added 14:31 - Aug 23 Angry doesn't even come close! what a shower of s**t that was. Norwich came for a win when McCarthy only came for a 0-0. We were very lucky that it only finished 0-1. Literally no players have any creativity in midfield and just how reliant we are on David McGoldrick every game is nothing short of embarrassing!! Tabb, Skuse and Hyam just awful. I've defended McCarthy to the hilt but it's wearing very thin now. We'll never ever get anywhere with that sort of tactics.

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cleggo added 14:31 - Aug 23 better than us in every aspect, wanted it more and so superior on the ball. Dreadful. Won't win with 10 (minus McGoldrick) against 11 footballers like that. Much improvement needed to avoid mid table mediocrity
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BrettenhamBlue added 14:34 - Aug 23 Absolutely gutted. We just were not with it today. Our midfield was truly awful. Mings outstanding. What a game. Showed he was proud to wear the shirt.
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mow_the_lawn added 14:37 - Aug 23 Skuse and Bru, what a pair to end the game with! They wouldn't even get in my Sunday team. McGoldrick looked good and I thought Mings looked defensively very good, he sometimes lumps it down the line when he's nervous though but I think he'll do well this season. Gerken should've come out for the goal, he's too quiet. Overall, no one on either side really looked up for a derby game, bar a minor scuffle in the first half with Hyam.

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BrettenhamBlue added 14:38 - Aug 23 Would agree with others here. Skuse, Hyam, Tabb- appalling. Should all be dropped for next game. Top 6 this season? No chance if we continue to play hoof ball. Tactically inept and Norwich outplayed us in most positions. Should have been a bigger margin of victory, though we should have got 1 through Murphy too. We lost at home to our arch-rivals yet again. That is not acceptable.

15

truckerblue added 14:38 - Aug 23 What a huge pile of sh*te. No desire no threat and absolutely no chance of promotion. Everybody on here can see we're crying out for that midfielder that can change the game so why the hell can't the powers that be not see it.
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whizzkid added 14:39 - Aug 23 I would prefer us to be a decent football playing team, but if we are going to be a long ball team, could we please be an efficient and effective one? Being a long ball team who can't make long passes accurately, or head the ball, or pick up the second ball is (literally) pointless as well as tedious.
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TractorBoy85 added 14:39 - Aug 23 Hate to say it, but it was easy to see that we were never going to win this game once it started. In fact we should have lost by a lot more, but we didn't and couldn't take advantage of Norwich missing their chances. As for the goal, if your Gerken it doesn't matter if there is a defender in front of you, you throw yourself at the ball even if it means pushing one of your players over. The only positive to take from this was another decent performance from Mings and that's it. Confidence will and should be smashed to bits and if there is no movement of players coming in, then it's mid-table for us. It's a shame that us as fans can see what this team needs and have be calling out for it for ages, yet the club don't seem to.

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mroberts added 14:40 - Aug 23 Mick needs to realise that we have no play makers. Wes Hoolahan and Lafferty were never matched by our setup. If Mick want's to progress our side discussions need to be made Marcus Evans because free transfers get you knowhere.
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Stato added 14:40 - Aug 23 Not good enough. So much for us being set piece experts. Gerken at fault for me.
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bluesfranc added 14:41 - Aug 23 Absolutely nothing in that game, neither side was brilliant. Again a defensive error is all thats in jt. Tabb was absolutely woeful, Mings was awful first half but picked up in the second. Hyam is my MOTM, he was absolutely brilliant, was commited to every tackle without being dirty and getting booked. He was passionate and seemed to be everywhere, I cant understand why he was taken off. Henshall livened up the game down the left for us but as soon as Hyam came off they dominated the midfield area.

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battyblue added 14:41 - Aug 23 When will MM realize you have to score goals to win matches two pathetic shots on target all game no creation from midfield a team full of defenders who cannot even do that right of late i am pi--ed off with these tactics.
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bluefeast added 14:42 - Aug 23 Ive said this every game this season , on the ball we are so terrible. We do not create chances or retain the ball often enough to make chances. Subs were all weak and did not influence game. !st 11 is mid table ,squad is way bottom half. MM is not the man to take the club forwards. We are screaming for guile intelligence and creativity and he signs salmon we was terrible when he came on. Square pegs round holes .Finally drop chambers and play hewitt ,we need a right back who doesnt view the ball as a hot potato. Quality ZERO....

17

afrodids added 14:44 - Aug 23 Just not good enough. Simple, inept defending, no creativity in CM and too much hoof ball!! we need a manager and owner to take us forward not backward or sideways or whatever way MM is taking us!!! we get the ball at the back pass it along the line then don't know what to do with it so hoof it up field, no movement off the ball we need to move the ball quicker and have a CM player who wants the ball. There's no energy in the team. It's time to spend that Cresswell money that was promised!!( and some)

16

RedDust added 14:44 - Aug 23 Long ball all game long s**t, never had the ability to change the approach play because of the players in our squad which is down to McCarthy s**t, McCarthy done nothing to amp up the players for this game when you listen to his pre match interview, Lacklustre, Skuse s**t offered nothing all game, DEAN f***in gerken waiting on his line for the world to do him a favour rather than realising his own responsibilities.. but the contentious issues was the foul and offside!! NO! the full focus should be on Gerkens inability as a goal keeper s**t!!! McCarthys performance as a manager 4.5/10 first time I've ever watched that fixture and it didn't feel like a derby.. mccarthy instilling zero pride in the players and subbing Hyam over Skuse.. bulls**t utter Bulls**t!

17

sergeisays added 14:45 - Aug 23 I have supported town from near and very far away long time over 30 years and that was one of the worst performances I have witnessed and I was there when john Duncan was in charge our performance was gutless and how Cole ex-skuse is fit to pulll on the blue, one can't explain it and I remember graham harbey
12

Hatman added 14:45 - Aug 23 Very poor. Lucky it was only 1 - 0. Looked like what we are, low budget, mid-table mediocrity. Does ME actually have promotion ambitions any more? We need to buy quality. Norwich better man for man by a mile.
10

Bluewelshman added 14:45 - Aug 23 The only positive was Mings who held it together in his first derby match, but he is more of a central defender than left back.
6

wilnis_barmy_army added 14:46 - Aug 23 Hyam showed good grit and battled well as a defensive mid should do! Cant play with skuse as well though as we have no ability on the ball with both on the park! Really hope collison comes in and adds some quality although have no idea where he is at in terms of fitness and level after so many injuries! Awful goal to concede for a team that supposedly dominate set pieces!!

1

BillBlue added 14:47 - Aug 23 "88.33 David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half." - That is what is wrong with our team. Last match DMcG gave a goal away during a back pass to Gerken while in our box, today, with just two minutes of real time to go and losing 1-0, DMcG should not be in the defensive half, he should be in the opponents half waiting to pick up any long clearances, particularly when we are losing! It is a long, long, time since we were in the third or fourth tier of English football but that is the level this team should be playing at. Sorry but McCarthy out NOW, not at the end of the season, and let us regain some credibility.

3

muccletonjoe added 14:47 - Aug 23 Please, no endless inquest as to why we lost. Norwich beat us fair and square. They have spent millions on that team we have spent. Naff all Under the circumstances not too bad a showing
2

Hobbsy11 added 14:47 - Aug 23 Just lacking that creative midfield player (Williams). The effort is their but not enough quality
0

loudnproud added 14:48 - Aug 23 Desire..composure..Ambition...Pride...planning... Stick a big fat NO in front of all of these words and that sums up todays effort.......Well done Tyrone Minggs....only player who put the shirt on the right way this morning.
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ibisblue added 14:48 - Aug 23 For me out here in Bangalore, perhaps my only chance to see Town this season, and what a deflating experience it was. I don't suppose it will inspire 'TEN ACTION' channel to cover us again this season.... From the coverage it didn't seem that the 25k crowd was there either, but there again, had Murphy (or McGoldrich - as the commentator kept calling him!) been more on song, we might have nicked something from the game. Norwich were better (but not much). Nevertheless.... (and its not how I feel seeing that) but onwards and upwards! I like to be positive! COYB

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