Boss Kieran McKenna admitted he was pleased to end the 16-year wait for derby glory, knowing what it means to the town, and felt his team deserved their 3-1 victory over Norwich City.

Cedric Kipre, Jaden Philogene, with one of the greatest ever derby goals, and Jack Clarke were the scorers for the Blues against the Canaries, ending a 6,013-day hiatus since Jim Magilton’s side defeated the Norfolk club 3-2 at Portman Road in April 2009.

“I think it means a lot to the town,” McKenna said. “To the town it’s a special rivalry. When you come down here you realise it and it’s one of the first things you get told and you feel it.

“Even in terms of the geography, Ipswich is Suffolk’s team and Norwich is Norfolk’s team and there aren’t to many other teams to get behind. It’s really special in many regards.

“It’s really nice to have that record away. As I’ve spoken about, there’s lots of things we could say. We were in the Premier League last year and we haven’t played each other too much in the last few years, but I know it’s still something that every Ipswich fan will have had hung over their heads even on the good days - ‘you’ve still not beaten Norwich’.

“So, glad to be able to box that one off and then we’ve just got to crack on with the future.”

Reflecting on the display, he added: “I think we deserved the win, I thought we had a threat all game. I thought we really had a threat with our runners against their backline and we got in behind them and round the side of them lots and lots of times, and I think we were good value for at least three goals, to be honest. And we didn’t give much away.

“Other than that, there were bits which were a typical derby, scrappy and challenges and duels and second balls.

“I really liked our intent to play our football even in those circumstances. A big part of what got us our success over the last few years was a team who played without fear. On any occasion we’ll try and go and impose ourselves.

“We certainly didn’t do it as well as we can do today. We didn’t execute in terms of finding the spare man on build-up, so we got stuck a few times.

“We had to deal with a lot of tension in the crowd and around the game in that respect but the players kept really calm heads. In other phases of the game, gave nothing away even when we weren’t at our fluid best.

“Stayed really solid, stayed together as a team, knowing that we were carrying a threat all game and the goals were really there for us. I think [there were] things that we could have done better.

“A couple of fantastic moments and moves and an incredible goal, maybe the best goal in the history of the derby, and mostly I feel it was a big experience for the group to go through.

“A big game with as much tension around it as that, to go through that as a group, to come out on the right side of it, I think can be a big moment for us going forward.”

Asked whether, at 1-1, it was always going to need something special like Philogene’s goal, McKenna added: “I don’t think it was because we were getting chances. I think shortly before Hirsty [George Hirst] had a one-v-one where he’s gone through with the goalkeeper. Even in the moments when the game was scruffy or we weren’t executing, it felt like we were always able to get in and we always had that threat.

“But it was a big moment, I have to say, because when you score such a big goal to get the first goal in a derby and then you concede a deflected goal from the edge of the box like that, it was a really big blow.

“And in moments sometimes in big games it’s just nice when players step up and take it for themselves and there’s not much else you can say other than that it was an incredible individual moment from a fantastic talent, who has just gone and produced something that’s grabbed the game by its neck and was really, really decisive on the day.

“I think we’re all just witnesses and bystanders to that. It’s just something to enjoy. A wonderful goal.”


McKenna says Philogene, who has now scored five goals in his last three games at Portman Road, was applauded by his teammates in the dressing room.

“He came in with his Man of the Match award and got a little round of applause,” he said. “Football’s about lots of collective things and as coaches and managers we all have our inputs and stuff for that.

“But we looked back at some of the big moments in the derby this week with the group and part of the message was that it was a chance to go and grab it and do something special that will be remembered, and Jaden’s gone and done that with an incredible goal that will be played for a long time, certainly around these parts. Really happy for him.”

Once again the Blues’ subs all played a part with the build-up to Clarke’s goal - his fourth in five matches - involving Ivan Azon and Marcelino Nunez, who had also come off the bench.

“It’s massive,” McKenna continued. “We’ve spoken about it loads. In our two promotions, it was one of the biggest aspects. I think we were one of the first teams to really utilise it to its fullest since the five-sub rule, certainly in the EFL at that time.

“We felt the other side of it last year in the Premier League where we could stay in games for a long time and compete really well, but the strength of other teams’ benches were often decisive and we wanted to get back there this year.

“We have, with everybody fit, a really strong squad, but the bigger challenge is the mindset to it because you could have the five best players in the world on your bench and if they’re disillusioned or not motivated or not dialled into the game, they won’t come on and give what you want them to give.

“All the boys in the group are really fighting for the club, fighting for the team, ready to contribute with minutes and the boys who came off the bench sprung into the game and obviously linking up for the goal was great.

“Delighted with Jack again, I’ve spoken about him in the last few weeks. I think his and Jaden’s competition and support of each other at the moment is exactly where you need to be as a big team. You keep doing the right things, you keep getting the breaks and things fall to you. There are some good signs there in the group.”

Asked whether he thought about starting Nunez, who joined the Blues from the Canaries for an initial £7.5 million in the summer having scored the winner for his old employers in the previous derby at Carrow Road two seasons ago, McKenna said: “I think the same as every game in every position, not just with Marcelino. You just pick what you think is the best team to start, the best team to come on.

“I’m not going to make too many decisions this year based on who is playing against their former clubs because we’ve got a lot of players who are going to be playing against their former clubs in different weeks. We’ll just pick what we think is the best team to start the game.

“Marcelino started the other night and is still settling in. Had a pretty good start the other night, has had some really good cameos off the bench and Jens [Cajuste] is in a good flow now in terms of starting and his relationship with Azor [Matusiwa] and we knew we’d have Marcelino to come in.

“You know that whatever the game state, he’s a really good sub to bring on because he can create and score, he can help you control and he’s got the legs to help you defend. He was always going to be useful in any circumstance.”

At the final whistle Nunez was at the centre of the celebrations, pulling out a blue and white corner flag and running along the front of the North Stand before being handed a banner bearing a tweet from a Norwich fan following the last derby imploring the Canaries to build a statue in his honour.

“He was looking forward to it and he knew he’d have a part to play,” McKenna continued. “He’s a really good player to bring on because if you need the goal, he’s got the quality to help you produce it. If you need more possession he can help you do it and he runs, so he can help you defend as well.

“Happy for him. I think a good day for him. I know his motivation to come here was nothing to do with feelings against Norwich or anything like that, they gave him his opportunity in England, but he felt it was a step forward in his career to come here and we were delighted with that and delighted to have him.”

Asked whether the club having the Chilean on the front of the programme and clearly enjoying the celebrations was trolling his old club, McKenna responded: “I don’t see it like that. We have somebody on the front of the cover every week. It wasn’t my decision to have him on the front cover this week. It was Jens last week, so the cover is nothing different.

“And the fans have taken to him because of the player he is and the character he is, not just because he’s come from Norwich.

“I’ve said it plenty of times, it was of no consequence to us where we were signing him from, we were signing an experienced Championship midfielder with the qualities we needed.

“Marcelino, not to speak for him, but I know has no ill-feeling or no desire to come here to put one over on his former club or anything like that. He felt like it was a good step in his career.

“He’s come from Chile with the dream of playing in the Premier League. He felt that this was a step that gives him a better chance to do that and a chance to develop as a player.

“I think you have to respect that level of bravery from the background that he’s come from to make that step.

“He was the same in the Sheffield United game with the crowd, the crowd have really taken to him, he’s really enjoying his role. He’s delighted to be here, he’s got respect for his former club and we’re happy to have him.”

Kipre, making only his second Championship start after joining the Blues on loan from Reims in the summer, was the sponsors’ Man of the Match and McKenna was delighted with the 28-year-old Frenchman’s display.

“A brilliant performance,” he said. “Long before the goal, when there was tension in the game on both teams, I thought he looked the most composed player on the pitch.

“It was everything we were hoping for, to be honest, because he has got that calm, laidback demeanour and in big games sometimes that can be really useful.

“That’s what we were hoping going into today, that and he’s a strong boy. He dealt terrifically with [Portsmouth’s] Colby Bishop last week and was playing against another really strong centre-forward [Josh Sargent] this week and I thought he did his job terrifically.

“Gave a real composure to the team, dealt with the threat really, really well, was calm on the ball and even better he stepped up and smashed a goal in.”

McKenna admits it’s good to have the 16 years without a win against the Canaries finally exorcised, although says it hasn’t concerned him unduly since he took charge in December 2021.

“Nice to have it boxed off,” he added. “I don’t say it now just because we’ve won, but it hasn’t weighed on me, we’ve been pretty happy celebrating other successes.

“The big thing is the trajectory and we were the middle of League One four years ago when Norwich were in the second of three seasons in the Premier League.

“The stadium wasn’t anywhere near how it is today, the pitch was muddy, the dugouts were a tin shed, the training ground was a long way off what it’s going to be like next year.

“So, I think the biggest thing is the progress that we’ve made, but I know how it is as a supporter, and until you have that win, you’ll always get a ‘yeah but…’ down the pub or in the office or online from your rivals, so nice to take that one off of them.”

Prior to the match, McKenna revealed a long-serving member of club staff spoke to the players, filling them in on the history and meaning of the derby.

The Blues boss wouldn’t say who it was on Friday but confirmed their identity now the game has been won.

“And deservedly so!” he smiled. “It was Matt Byard, who’s been the club physio for 25 years.

“Has been through all of them. An Ipswich man, an Ipswich fan, an Ipswich worker and really proud of him and all the staff today when you get a good day today and he spoke terrifically to the group. I think it was a really important part of our preparation.”

Town, who are up to ninth, two points off the play-offs and five points off the top two with a game in hand, have to wait nearly a fortnight before they’re in action again, away against Middlesbrough, who dropped to second following their surprise 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth yesterday, a week on Friday.

“It’s a short two weeks, 12 days by my counting with the Sunday and the Friday night, so it’s a shorter international break for us,” McKenna continued.

“I think we’ve got seven or so away [with international squads]. We’ll train next week. We’ll do something in terms of 11-v-11 in a match and then we’ll have a full week building up to Middlesbrough.”

Will his players be given some time off to celebrate? “We always have a couple of days, not to celebrate. They’ll have tomorrow off if you’re checking the schedules, so if any of them are seen in a restaurant or anything tonight, that’s OK. But they’ll be back in training on Tuesday.”

Photo: TWTD

Bert added 16:23 - Oct 5 KMcK reads the game and the emotions of the crowd so well. Probably one of the most articulate, sincere and authentic managers in football. Impossible not to like this guy for the man he is. He may be a top earner but he remains grounded and humble.
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LWNR1973 added 16:30 - Oct 5 What a manager!
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