Town fell to a 3-1 derby defeat despite dominating a goalless first half. The Blues hit the woodwork twice and rued other missed chances when Malky Mackay put Norwich in two in front in the second half. Tommy Miller scored a penalty for a 10-man Town before Darren Huckerby added a deflected third.

Central defender Drissa Diallo came into the Town side replacing the injured John McGreal. Ian Westlake got over his thigh injury and took his place on the left of midfield.

The Blues started brightly and in the 12th minute Jim Magilton sent a dangerous ball into the box but Shefki Kuqi failed to connect. Magilton had done well to still remain on the pitch, having required lengthy attention after a wild challenge from Ian Henderson in the early stages.

A minute later Kelvin Davis caused a moment of panic when he kicked out straight at Mathias Svensson. Fortunately for the Blues, the ball deflected off the Swede to Darren Huckerby in an offside position. On 17 Craig Fleming headed a Jim Brennan freekick straight at Davis.

At the other end, a Jim Magilton freekick swung over from the right to the far post where Drissa Diallo tried to send it back across goal, only for a defender to block. Diallo found his way into the referee's book soon after for a foul on Henderson, a card which looked harsh given the Norwich man's earlier tackle on Magilton which hadn't warranted a caution.

Town came close to going in front in the 20th minute when a fine move involving Fabian Wilnis, Jim Magilton and Darren Bent, led to Ian Westlake hitting a right-foot shot from the edge of the area, beating Green but striking a post.

Had the ball gone the other side of the upright Town would have been well worth the lead, having taken the game to the home side and thoroughly outclassed them.

A Norwich break saw McVeigh shoot at Davis in the 24th minute. Two minutes later Darren Bent shot across the face of Green's goal from the right of the Canaries' box after the Norwich defence had failed to clear a ball into the area.

Just before the half hour, Matt Richards made a break on the left, played a one-two on the edge of the box with Darren Bent but put his shot wide of the post. It was another good chance with Town's movement and pace, particularly from Bent, giving the home defence a lot of problems.

Bent's pace was a major factor on 37 when Jim Magilton curled a fine ball over the top of the Norwich backline for Bent to chase. The young striker shot early, over Green but watched despairingly as the ball cannoned off the bar to safety.

Darren Huckerby had had a quiet game up to now but in the 38th minute he reminded the Town defence he was there with a volley from a half-cleared corner which flew wide of Davis's goal.

As the game approached the break, Tommy Miller won the ball on the right, took it on and crossed to Kuqi in the box. The Finn's shot was blocked but the ball fell to Darren Bent but his effort also struck a defender, and looped up in the air and into Green's hands.

There was just time for Darren Bent to shoot at Green from the edge of the box before referee Mark Clattenburg blew his whistle.

Town should certainly have been ahead at the break but as so often chances hadn't been taken, although striking the woodwork twice in the same half gave the impression that Lady Luck was not with the Blues.

The game restarted, and within four minutes the home side were in front. Ian Westlake appeared to win the ball cleanly from Ian Henderson wide on the Norwich right. However, the linesman felt otherwise and awarded a freekick.

Henderson sent over the kick and an unmarked Malky Mackay headed into the Town net. Once again Town had failed to defend a set piece.

The Blues might have been back on terms straight away but Kuqi headed Jim Magilton's right wing cross wide.

Not long after, Darren Bent also sent a header wide from a Magilton ball, this time a corner. A minute or so later Fabian Wilnis picked up a caution for a foul on McVeigh.

On 58 Norwich went further in front. Tommy Miller was adjudged to have fouled Henderson not far from the byline on the right. McVeigh sent in the freekick which fell to Mackay at the far post, his shot going in despite Kelvin Davis getting a hand on it. The Town marking was once again questionable and another set piece had led to a goal being conceded.

Immediately Joe Royle brought off Shefki Kuqi, the man charged with taking care of Mackay at set pieces, Richard Naylor coming on up front.

There was another scare for Town in the 63rd minute when Georges Santos needlessly gave the ball away inside the Blues' half. McVeigh broke away and shot, but Davis did well to block his effort.

A yellow card for Gary Holt after a tackle from behind on Ian Westlake provoked ironic cheers from the Town support unhappy that up until then cautions had seemed to be exclusively awarded to Blues' players.

Richard Naylor headed a Westlake cross wide on 72 and shortly afterwards Pablo Couñago replaced Fabian Wilnis, the Spaniard moving into a three-man forward line.

Couñago quickly won a freekick on the right which Jim Magilton sent in to Santos whose header was powerful but wide.

Town's chances of a late comeback were dealt a big blow in the 76th minute when Drissa Diallo was shown a red card. The Guinean international had rashly tackled a breaking Huckerby on the edge of the area and had been adjudged to be the last man by referee Clattenburg, despite protests from Town.

Mackay wasn't far away from an unlikely hat-trick a minute later when he slashed a ball from Huckerby wide.

With eight minutes remaining Jim Magilton became the latest Town player to pick up a card, the skipper cautioned for a foul on Paul McVeigh. Marc Edworthy got his name in the book for pulling back Couñago.

Despite being down to 10 men, Town were still creating chances, Bent crossing for Westlake, the midfielder's effort deflecting wide.

From the corner substitute Shackell pushed Richard Naylor inside the area, the referee pointing straight to the spot. Tommy Miller took the kick and had little trouble in beating Green with his powerful strike.

A nervy last few minutes looked on the cards until Huckerby broke away unchallenged on the left and shot across Davis, his effort catching Georges Santos and entering the net to effectively settle the game. Late on Huckerby shot over the bar and Francis hit the ball straight at Davis.

Town will feel that 3-1 flattered the home side, particularly given the first half which was almost entirely Town's. Had the two efforts which struck the woodwork had gone in then it is likely the game would have ended with a very different outcome.

As at Portman Road earlier in the season, Norwich scored with their first serious attempt on goal, but Town can only blame themselves for failing to defend a set piece. It was a similar story for the second goal while the third owed a fair amount to Town being caught cold after Miller's penalty.

Unusually for a derby defeat there were one or two positives, particularly in the first half when the Blues played as well as they have since the excellent display at Cardiff in December.

Town can point to some questionable refereeing but more than anything, and as has been the case all season, defending from set pieces let was poor and the front men continue to spurn chances.

Town: Davis, Wilnis (Couñago), Richards, Santos, Diallo, Magilton, Miller, Wright, Westlake, Kuqi (Naylor 59), Bent.

Photo: Action Images

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