First-half goals from Jaden Philogene, from the penalty spot, and George Hirst saw Town to a 2-0 victory over their East Anglian rivals Norwich City, their first win at Carrow Road in 20 years and their first derby double since 1992/93, taking them back up to second in the Championship table. Philogene confidently stroked home from the spot in the 11th minute after Anis Ben Slimane had kicked Jack Taylor, then Hirst hooked home what proved to be the winner in first-half injury time.

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 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 left 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 home skipper 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.

The Canaries made a double change at the break, Oscar Schwartau replacing Sam Field and Mohamed Toure taking over from Kvistgaarden.

Ben Slimane struck the first effort of the second half, taking the ball forward hitting a low shot, which Walton saved down to his left.

On 54, Hirst brought the ball inside from the left but shot high and wide, much to the amusement of the home fans, who for a moment turned their attention away from shouting abuse at Nunez, who was warming up in front of them.

Three minutes later, Toure was played in on the right of the area by Kenny McLean but screwed his shot well wide.

McLean got his name in the book as the hour approached for a foul on Furlong having dribbled the ball across field five yards outside his own area. Referee Backhouse allowed play to continue but inexplicably blew his whistle just as Mehmeti was beating Cordoba on the right of the area and had a clear shot at goal.

Ahead of the free-kick, Town swapped Mehmeti and Hirst for Nunez, who was booed on by his old fans and cheered by his current supporters, and Azon.

Nunez took the free-kick but hit the wall and the Canaries counter-attacked but with Town once again able to prevent them from creating a serious chance. On 63, Norwich switched Ben Slimani for Paris Maghoma.

The game spilled over in the 68th minute with Nunez unsurprisingly at the centre of it. The Chilean international went in late on Mattsson, Harry Darling grabbing him by the throat, before a host of other players joined in, while there was an angry exchange between the managers on the touchline. Eventually, Nunez and Darling were yellow-carded.

Town swapped Philogene, who had looked more his old self, for Clarke in the 71st minute, before a scare for the Blues when Walton failed to claim a bouncing ball into the left of his area but O’Shea dealt with it and eventually the keeper was able to grab before being fouled.

Norwich introduced Ben Chrisene for Stacey on 74, before Azon was booked for waving an imaginary yellow card after Cordoba had fallen on the ball and handled claiming he had been fouled.

O’Shea made a rare error on 78 but got back to make a superb saving challenge, sliding the ball behind as Ali Ahmed shot from a tight angle.

From the corner, Town broke at pace, Clarke sending away Nunez, who cut across brilliantly for Azon, who was through on goal but shot too close to Kovacevic, although having appeared to be pulled back by a defender as he shot.

As the game moved into its final 10 minutes, the home fans were furious that Nunez wasn’t shown a second yellow card for a foul Cordoba. There were also protests on the touchline and someone on the bench was shown a yellow card.

Play was held up as Davis had an injury and ahead of the restart, Town made the sensible decision to sub Nunez, Neil taking over, while Cedric Kipre replaced the Blues’ left-back, Greaves moving wide.

Norwich continued to look for the goal which would bring them back into the game and in the 87th minute Schwartau turned a deep cross from the left wide at the far post.

As the game moved into six additional minutes, McLean smashed a free-kick into the Town wall.

In the second added minute, Cordoba rose highest as a cross came in from the right but headed over, perhaps the first time a Norwich player had been first to an aerial ball into the Blues’ area all afternoon.

That was the last action of the game, the Blues having recorded a famous derby double after such a lengthy wait.

At the whistle, the Town squad and staff went over to celebrate with the travelling fans, Nunez inevitably playing a leading role.

The Canaries saw a lot of the ball and much of it in the Town final third but without ever laying a glove on the Blues with the backline, Greaves and skipper O’Shea most notably, defending superbly throughout.

Town had opportunities to add to their lead in the second half, most notably through Azon, with Nunez’s presence on the field having seen his old teammates and his old fans spend too much time trying to wrangle with him rather than play their own game.

Beyond derby glory for a second game this season, the win moves the Blues back to second, two points ahead of Millwall with two games in hand, with third-placed Middlesbrough hosting Portsmouth at 3pm.

Norwich: Kovacevic, Stacey, Darling, Cordoba, Fisher, Mattsson, Field (Schwartau 46), McLean (c), Ben Slimane (Maghoma 63), Ahmed, Kvistgaarden (Toure 46). Unused: Grimshaw, McConville, Gibbs, Wright, Forson.
 
Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Davis (Kipre 85), Matusiwa, Taylor, Johnson, Mehmeti (Nunez 61 (Neil 84)), Philogene (Clarke 71), Hirst (Azon 61). Unused: Palmer, Walle Egeli, McAteer, Akpom. Referee: Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria). Att: 26,826 (Town 1,944).

Photo: Action Images/Reuters