A goal in either half from Bradley Johnson and Lewis Grabban gave Norwich City a 2-0 victory over Town in the East Anglian derby at Carrow Road. Johnson opened the scoring on 24 with a strike off the underside of the bar with Grabban adding the second in the 62nd minute.

Town boss Mick McCarthy handed Richard Chaplow his full Blues debut at the most advanced point of a midfield diamond ahead of Cole Skuse with Kevin Bru on the right and Jay Tabb on the left.

Paul Anderson and Jonny Parr dropped to the bench, while Teddy Bishop missed out with the ankle injury he suffered in training.

David McGoldrick (thigh), Darren Ambrose, Stephen Hunt (both hamstring), Noel Hunt and Luke Hyam (knee) had all previously been ruled out. Former Northgate High School pupil Hyam watched the game fro the away end.

Chris Wood, who signed on loan from Leicester on Friday, was on the bench alongside 17-year-old first-year scholar Kundai Benyu, who was in the matchday 18 for the first time.

The game started in a swirling wind with the home side threatening first in the third minute when Lewis Grabban was found on the right of the area, but Tyrone Mings got across to muscle him off the ball.

Norwich felt they ought to have been awarded a penalty in the seventh minute when Grabban was tackled by Tommy Smith. Referee Paul Tierney awarded a corner but replays suggested the Canaries might have had a case. From the second of two flag-kicks the ball was cleared to Jonny Howson, who volleyed well wide.

There was a scare for the Blues on 13 when Chaplow allowed Howson to send over a cross from the left after a corner from the right had been sent too deep. Norwich Johnson flicked a header which Berra blocked, then Murphy cleared the loose ball.

Skuse picked up the game’s first booking in the 16th minute for catching Johnson with a high boot as the home side broke on halfway.

The majority of the first 20 minutes had been played in the Norwich half but without the Blues having been able to create a chance. When in decent areas all too often a pass had been lacking at the crucial moment.

Much the same was the case in the 23rd minute when Chaplow won the ball on the right and broke into the area but failed to find Murphy with his cross.

A minute later the home side went in front. Wes Hoolahan fed Grabban on the right and the striker’s low cross caught Berra’s heel and found Johnson rushing into the area on the left, from where he smashed a shot into the net off the underside of the bar.

The Blues looked to hit straight back but Murphy failed to get anything on a shot from the edge of the box and Norwich keeper Ruddy claimed comfortably.

Town weren’t far away from an equaliser in the 31st minute when Bru won the ball midway inside the Blues’ half and sent Murphy away down the left. The Irishman crossed low to Sears, who touched the ball past his defender before shooting. However, the touch had allowed Ruddy time to come off his line and the keeper blocked.

Sears hit a 20-yard strike from the left which Ruddy saved to his left on 35, then three minutes later Hoolahan hit a looping effort from further out which Bartosz Bialkowski claimed.

Neither side threatened again before referee Tierney’s whistle signalled the half-time break.

Having gone in front the home side had largely been on top without particularly threatening to add to their lead. The well-worked goal was the one time they had cut through the Blues during the first half.

But Town were far form out of it, having continued to battle away in their usual manner and they might well have been on terms but for Ruddy’s impressive save from Sears.

Aside from that and Sears’s effort from distance soon after, Town hadn’t managed to test the home keeper on too many more occasions in a derby of few chances at either end.

Luke Varney replaced Chaplow at start of the second half and the Blues went close soon after the restart when Johnson inadvertently smashed Tabb’s freekick in from the left over his own crossbar.

On 53 Berra did well to cut out Grabban’s cross from the left, then from the corner Johnson headed wide. Two minutes later Grabban hit a low shot through to Bialkowski which failed to trouble the Polish keeper.

Sears saw a strike blocked on 58 with Town beginning to put the home side under a bit of pressure. Three minutes later, Norwich swapped Nathan Redmond for Cameron Jerome.

Within a minute of coming on the former Cardiff man inadvertently created the second goal for Grabban. Having been forced wide to the left by Berra, Jerome cut in and hit a shot which struck Mings, deflected off Grabban and trickled over the line.

As the Blues looked to get back into the game Ruddy saved from Sears from distance on 67, then two minutes later Parr replaced Bru in the Blues midfield.

It might have been 3-0 in the 73rd minute when Jerome was threaded through on goal but Bialkowski came off his line quickly to save.

Despite the match appearing lost the Blues kept going and twice threatened in the 76th minute. After Ruddy had dropped a cross, the ball was returned into the box and Sears and then Parr both had shots blocked.

With 11 minutes left on the clock new signing Wood took over from 21-goal Championship top scorer Murphy.

Sears almost created a goal for Town in the 81st minute. Tabb took a quick freekick and the former Colchester man chipped a cross over Ruddy but Johnson headed off the line and Sebastian Bassong nodded over.

Three minutes later Mings was booked for a foul on Howson. From the freekick, Canaries skipper Russell Martin stabbed into the side-netting at the far post.

Wood flicked a header wide from a Parr cross after a Town freekick in the 86th minute with the Blues continuing to look for a goal which would never come.

Paul Tierney’s whistle signalled Norwich’s victory - their fourth derby in a row for the first time in their history - a result which sees the Canaries move up to third and the Blues remain in sixth.

While there wasn’t a huge amount in the game and Town had one or two chances, the home side played the more controlled football for the most part and took their best first-half chance, while the Blues failed to take theirs.

The somewhat flukey second goal came at a time when Town were starting to impose themselves on the game. The Blues kept pushing and carved out one or two half-chances but never really looked like getting back into the game once they had gone two goals behind.

Norwich: Ruddy, Whittaker, Martin (c), Bassong, Olsson, Tettey, Johnson, Redmond (Jerome 61 (Hooper 90)), Howson, Hoolahan (Dorrans 83), Grabban. Unused: Rudd, Turner, Hooper, Andreu, Garrido.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bru (Parr 69), Chaplow (Varney 46), Bru, Murphy, Sears. Unused: Gerken, Clarke, Anderson, Benyu. Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire). Attendance: 27,005.

Photo: Action Images

DazBent added 20:02 - Mar 1 Ipswich fans what a fickle bunch we are! 6th in the league, 3 points off the top two? Yet we still have scores of McCarthy bashers. If we win the next two (which wouldn't be unusual), we will be in the top two? What more could you lot want! Don't get me wrong, there was no worse feeling than watching those Norwich fans torment us but in this period of time Anglia is a Norwich dominance, so if we put our rival swords away for just a minute and remember where this club could be without Mick and Terry. I want success as much as the next (having never seen Ipswich in the top flight, possibly more) but we really are not as far away from it than everyone is making it out to be. An extreme contrast from previous years of playing for nothing this side of the year. Be careful what you wish for?

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PJH added 20:05 - Mar 1 I do not know what it looked like on TV but actually being there today,I did not think it was as bad as many are saying. Yes,they had by far the better of midfield but IF Freddie has scored in the first half and IF they had not got a lucky second goal it could have been very different. The drubbing/thumping that many were predicting on here did not happen and never looked likely to

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IpswichNo9 added 20:05 - Mar 1 Hugely disappointing game. Can't look after the ball at all- miss bishop really and need to put parr in at right back for some balance. Not sure about skuse or tabb- ok he's a workhorse but doesn't offer much going forward and his set pieces were shocking. Now looking over our shoulders a bit and really need to at least draw with brentford and beat leeds in the week
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essexboy added 20:06 - Mar 1 Dazbent,well said you reiterated what I said earlier,get behind the team don't knock them.
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alfromcol added 20:06 - Mar 1 Summed it up a treat DazBent. I was at the game and like most came home v disappointed. But as you say we are still only 3 pts from 2nd and all to play for. Plenty of twists and turns before the end of the season!.
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truckerblue added 20:09 - Mar 1 I'm fairly sure the world didn't end today. Unless there was a cure for cancer suddenly developed while they were playng then at the end of the day it was just a game. Minus me as much as you like I don't care. We're still in the top six and we've had a great season thus far so let's hope we can go on a run like the last time they beat us.
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runningout added 20:10 - Mar 1 oh bum.......
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PJH added 20:11 - Mar 1 blueboy-As I am a relatively new contributor to this site can you please just advise if you were elected Number one expert on all things football and Ipswich Town or were you self appointed? Sometimes what you say makes sense but not always. Talking down to people and being patronising is also not necessary,even if you do know more about everything that the rest of us.
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chilli added 20:13 - Mar 1 Well done Town fans! I had the misfortune to be sitting in the diagonally opposite corner with a friend who for some reason has gone to the dark side. You came over loud and clear. I'm takeing this on the chin and looking at the games that really matter now. Don't forget what happened last time they beat us. Cue fantastic run.2! I can easily see us getting payback at Wembley!

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Cloddyseedbed added 20:16 - Mar 1 DazBent all I wish for is my team to be able to pass to one another and play in a position they are comfortable in, is that too much to wish for? That is how the game of football should be played, no matter how much money a club does or does not have.
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warktheline added 20:17 - Mar 1 blueboy, not just referring to today. Agree with wrong team selection, but don't assume that I have to agree with all that you believe. Don't try to censor my posting, you've been proved wrong many a time by McCarthy, and no doubt will be again. That said, I respect you, for your views, which are more often than not, different from mine.
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blueboy1981 added 20:18 - Mar 1 PJH .......... I guess you were facing the mirror when compiling your posting. Self description maybe springs to mind. It's simply called:- Having a different opinion to you - I guess you understand that - of which I am thankful to have the privilege of - and, of course, right to have.
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vanmunt added 20:42 - Mar 1 Apart from kicking a player in the face did Skuse actually kick the ball today. Drop Smith, play a proper back 4 and can we please give somebody else a go than Tabb... Ipswich tactics BOOT to opposition defence, watch them play football then boot it back to them. Come on Mick, stop playing your favourites and sort it out.
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wayway added 21:01 - Mar 1 Forget todays game, does anyone remember going to Norwich just after we had been taken over with some of our fans waving £20 notes at the Norwich fans? How the boot is on the other foot now. When Marcus Evans PLC (there is no such person as Marcus Evans just as there is no Mr Tesco or Mr Poundland) the first thing they did was to get rid of an excellent CEO in Derek Bowden and put a known face (Clegg) in place. Then they appointed Roy Keane, another well known face the sole purpose of which was to have them stand and be interviewed in front of the Marcus Evans PLC advertising boards. Jim Magilton would not do as he was not as well known and did not project the correct corporate image. Money was wasted by the PLC taking advice from non football people and so we come to the present where the football club is a loss making tax liability for the PLC. Forget FFP they have no intention of investing any money and are happy to go along with Boring Billy as manager with his stubborn, one dimentional football as no one on the PLC board cares any more and they will hive the club off when it best suits them. They don't give 2 hoots about the fans and the sad part is we are stuck with it. Even if by some miracle we did get promotion I know where the money would go and that it would not be invested in the club or new players. A sad and sorry state.

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dirtydingusmagee added 21:02 - Mar 1 we definately need to get to work on passing game,Norwich were not great today but they passed the ball,which in turn gave them more possession.Without possession you cant do anything,First half was a vivid demonstration of the failings of booting up field and hoping we get a player on the end of it. 45 mins wasted .
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BriggEnd added 21:15 - Mar 1 ok here i go watched it on tv it was men against boys today, Nobwich are head and shoulders above us at the moment any team in any leauge at this time of year who can win 6 games in a row mean buisness. I feel sorry for mcarthy i think he has had his hands tied for most of the season regarding transfers if we are not carefull we will loose him to a team with ambition.
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Cakeman added 21:18 - Mar 1 Sadly Norwich deserved the win. Quick on the break, clinical and took advantage of our hesitant defence. They also won the midfield battle. Not the first team to do that to us this season. Our players have worked extremely hard this season but they have limited ability and effort can get you so far but only so far and now I see several out of form. Today with no game changers on the bench, the writing was on the wall as soon as we went behind. Disappointing to lose bragging rights again but maybe we can get our own back when in the Premier next season! It's still all to play for and aside from Derby and Norwich we have nothing to fear as long as our collective team regain form soon. PS please rest Smith and Skuse.

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alfromcol added 22:15 - Mar 1 wayway All that might be true, if there wasn't a pot of gold waiting at the end of the SKY Premiership rainbow.
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DerryfromBury added 22:30 - Mar 1 sir george burley! I agree entirely with all you have to say on todays game. you've saved me a lot of time and effort putting pen to paper. Thanks. All I will add is, lets put today behind us and move onto Wednesday and hopefully a happier result.
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oddball added 22:45 - Mar 1 Norwich deserved win but still all to play for coyb. Parr must play, smith dropped. Also we are missing some important players due to injury.
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Lolocaust6 added 23:50 - Mar 1 Unfortunately, we were beaten by ourselves today and Norwich fed off our weaknesses. Our midfield had no real substance and looked panicked and clueless when the ball was near them. Murphy and Sears ran as much as they could but received little service from any supporting midfielders. Berra, Chambers and Mings looked solid as usual but Smith was the weak link and showed little composure and looked prone to error. There is still a lot to play for and there is no need to be disheartened at this stage in the season. This game was the fuel that we need to keep that promotion flame burning, win or lose.

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GiveusaWave added 01:03 - Mar 2 We need to recover from this as quickly as possible and use it as a springboard to win the next two games. Yes, we lost and we lost (pretty) badly. Yes, we rely on hoofball too much, but we haven't got players who can do otherwise. I am much more concerned if we met them in the play-offs. They simply outplay us in (pretty much) every area and deal with our hoofball far too effectively. In some respects we need Norwich to gain a top 2 place as I can't see how we would beat them in a play-off (but I could see us beating Boro or Derby). Felt sorry for Chaplow today. Hard to make your full debut in the Derby game and looked out of sorts. Well played Mings and Sears. Norwich should and could have won by more. Their appeals for a penalty in the first few minutes were justified (Smith messed up again) and Grabban should have grabbed a goal right from the off. 4-1 would have been a better reflection of the game. I hope the team realise our disappointment and respond in the same way as they did last time when we lost to Norwich. By the way, when was the last time we even scored against Norwich? I simply can't remember.

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NoelTheDub added 02:12 - Mar 2 Ive read all the posts pro and anti Mick,Team and tactics are so out of date yes they have taken us from relegation but it awful to watch.There is no excuses for playing this way and its not about money or small squad its the manager.We were disgraceful today the team was wrong from the start and the subs changed nothing.Im going to get slaughtered by saying Micks decision to play Tabb or chaplow and leave out Parr is inexcusable.Why sign Varney,Woods to replace Murf same thing IMO,why no width or no creativity to supply these players who will get goals if proper service is supplied.We are a sh@t side yes put together on a shoe string budget but no excuses to play football so bloody poorly I would take mid table than go up playing this tripe we would be a joke in the prem.Better season than the last few yes but its hard to make out whats worse playing the game the way it should or getting up playing this hoofball sh@t our club.We were a disgrace today and a bad reflection on our club on national tv once again.Im a long time supporter of our team and very frustrated at whats going on the pitch and off..

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skinnyman27 added 04:45 - Mar 2 ok i didnt watch the game as am on holliday and couldnt find it anywhere, but norwich have some quality players, i never really thought we would win today and am sure they will win the league. it shows the difference that a few years in the prem can make. its still so tight so dont give up yet coyb
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 05:58 - Mar 2 It doesn't feel much better when you wake up on Monday. Bit like 'flu. Takes some time to get over it! The most positive spin I can put on things is that we could bounce back on Wed. But I think it's more likely we'll fall out of the top 6, and the rest of the season will be a roller-coaster battle for 6th place. At least there's still much to play for, and there are sure to be some surprises along the way (maybe for Naaarwich too).

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