A Jaden Philogene penalty and late George Hirst strike have given Town a 2-0 half-time lead over their East Anglian rivals Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Town made four changes with Leif Davis returning at left-back after his three-match ban, while Jack Taylor was back in midfield, Anis Mehmeti as the number 10 and Philogene wide on the left, making his first start since mid-January. Ben Johnson moved from left-back to wide right.

Dan Neil, Kasey McAteer, Jack Clarke and, back at Carrow Road for the first time since his controversial switch last summer, Marcelino Nunez dropped to the bench.

Azor Matusiwa was OK to start, despite suffering a dead leg against Birmingham on Monday, while Ivan Azon was among the subs having recovered from a calf issue. Norwich City named the same team which won 2-1 at Millwall on Monday.

The game began in drizzle and a swirling wind and scruffily with possession being given away regularly and plenty of free-kicks awarded to the home side.

On six, Blues keeper Christian Walton came a long way for a ball down the middle from deep into a crowd of players but was unable to claim, but Johnson was able to clear.

Neither side had threatened when the Blues were given a penalty in the ninth minute. Jacob Greaves nodded a corner from the left down to Taylor, who got a touch on the ball before Anis Ben Slimane missed it as he sought to clear and kicked the midfielder in the chest.

Referee Anthony Backhouse initially allowed play to continue but his assistant evidently communicated his thoughts and much to the anger of the home players and crowd, he pointed to the spot.

Having been handed the ball by George Hirst, who missed a couple of penalties earlier in the season, Philogene took the kick and stroked it confidently into the corner of the net to Vladan Kovacevic’s left with the keeper diving the other way.

The former Aston Villa man’s 11th goal of the season, and his first away from home, was gleefully celebrated by the Town fans at the other end of the ground.

Mehmeti, a one-time Norwich academy player, was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 14th minute for kicking the ball away ahead of a Canaries’ free-kick.

Having gone in front, the Blues threatened again in the 15th minute, George Hirst heading Davis’s free-kick from the right towards goal but Kovacevic was able to get down to his left to bundle wide

A minute later, following a corner, Philogene volleyed well over from just inside the area to the left.

On 17, a Town goal-kick was held up after Norwich fans threw objects on the field towards Nunez, who had begun warming up in front of them.

Two minutes later, Greaves joined Mehmeti in the book for a foul on Kenny McLean. Town defended the free-kick and then a corner before Mathias Kvistgaarden charged into Greaves on the edge of the Blues’ area and picked up a booking of his own.

The game was continuing in the untidy manner in which it had started with free-kicks breaking play up regularly.

Hirst had his name added to referee Backhouse’s already lengthy list for standing on Jose Cordoba’s toe after the ball had gone with the Scotland striker furious that the Norwich left-back wasn’t also censured for kicking out at him and catching him in the groin.

Kvistgaarden nodded the Canaries’ first serious effort of the game to Walton in the 28th minute, then three minutes later Pelle Mattsson shot low and hard from 25 yards to the left but too close to Walton, who saved comfortably.

Jack Stacey had his name taken by referee Backhouse on 32 for a foul on Philogene with the game still having little pattern but with the Canaries seeing most of the ball and Town making little impact on the break.

On 36, Taylor slid in to make a superb challenge on Mattsson just outside the area after the Blues had lost possession midway inside their half. In the aftermath, Town gave the ball away again but Taylor again intercepted and Kvistgaarden caught the Irish international with a late tackle.

Three minutes later, Taylor’s underhit pass allowed Kvistgaarden to break away, skipper Dara O’Shea sliding in to out it out for a corner on the Norwich right.

There was a big scare for the Blues in the 41st minute when Kellen Fisher looped over a cross from the left following a corner and with Walton having come off his line, Greaves flicked a header only just beyond the far post.

Town hadn’t threatened since the period after the goal but in the final scheduled minute went close to a second.

Hirst did well on halfway and sent Philogene away on the left, the former Aston Villa man cutting it inside back to Hirst 15 yards out, but Kovacevic was able to save it away to his left and out for a throw.

And from the resultant throw, the Blues did double their lead. Darnell Furlong sent it long, Philogene missed an overhead kick and it bounced off Greaves’s back and fell to Hirst, who shot into the ground, between Cordoba’s legs and into the net.

The Town fans at the opposite end of the ground went into raptures for a second time with a first double over their greatest rivals in 33 years having edged a step closer.

After two further minutes, referee Backhouse brought the half to an end, the Blues’ support cheering their team off the field after a memorable, if scrappy, first period.

Having got in front via the penalty, Town will have felt that they should have taken the game to the home side but aside from a short spell immediately afterwards they had been unable to impose themselves on the game.

Instead, they were pinned back in their own final third for long spells and forced to defend nine corners, but with the Canaries unable to create a significant chance.

Hirst might have made it 2-0 with his first opportunity close to the break but made no mistake with his second, taking his season’s tally to 10 goals and giving Town a great chance to end their long wait for a Carrow Road win.

Norwich: Kovacevic, Stacey, Darling, Cordoba, Fisher, Mattsson, Field, McLean (c), Slimane, Ahmed, Kvistgaarden. Subs: Grimshaw, McConville, Chrisene, Gibbs, Wright, Maghoma, Forson, Schwartau, Toure.
 
Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor, Johnson, Mehmeti, Philogene, Hirst. Subs: Palmer, Kipre, Neil, Walle Egeli, McAteer, Akpom, Azon, Nunez, Clarke. Referee: Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria).

Photo: Matchday Images and additional photos from Action Images