SECOND best Ipswich were beaten by goals from Lee Croft and Matty Pattison as Norwich took the honours in the 90th East Anglian derby.

Derek Davis

SECOND best Ipswich were beaten by goals from Lee Croft and Matty Pattison as Norwich took the honours in the 90th East Anglian derby.

With Ben Thatcher missing due to a stomach bug, not flu, David Wright kept his place at left back.

Ipswich had to man the barricades in a frenetic opening half in a highly-charged atmosphere at Carrow Road.

Town twin centre halves Gareth McAuley and Alex Bruce, in particular, had to stand firm as the Canaries flocked forward.

Bruce, who could well be on his way to Leeds United in January, flung himself in front of the ball more than once.

He denied Sammy Clingan with one such bock and the ball deflected over Richard Wright and clipped the crossbar to safety, although the referee rather bizarrely awarded a goal kick.

Wright made a good save look easy when he got across sharply to deny Matty Pattison who had burst through the middle but could not find a way past the former England stopper.

Norwich were also denied a penalty when McAuley used an arm to block a David Bell cross.

Town also escaped when a well-worked free kick went to Jon Otsemobor whose 30-yard dipping shot landed on the roof of the net.

Wright was sharp to tip away a Leroy Lita header from a Bell corner and his flag kick from the other corner had the Town keeper pushing away at full stretch at his far post.

The influential Clingan was booked for a wild lunge at Veliche Shumulikoski in the tenth minute.

That came moments after Town skipper McAuley made a terrific tackle on Lita in the area to foil his run on goal.

McAuley was at it again when he made a good block to prevent Lita a clear shot after being put through by Pattison.

Jon Walters spurned the clearest Town chance when he shot over from 25 yards when he had time and space.

Garvan hit a post but the whistle had already gone for a foul by Pablo Counago.

David Norris won Town's corner on the half hour taken by Owen Garvan but was wasted.

Ryan Bertrand handled an attempted cross and this time a free kick was given but again came to nothing.

The half ended with City on top and Town once more having to defend manfully at corners.

Town came out of the blocks with intent second half and Walters had a wonderful chance to put Town ahead.

A long clearance by Richard Wright was flicked on by Walters who chased after the ball and was clean through but David Marshall made a fabulous one-handed save to deny Town.

That gave City another lift and Wes Hoolahan was not far away with a left-foot volley.

The Canaries got the goal they thoroughly deserved in the 61st minute after some clever interplay between Hoolahan and Pattison who set up Croft who thumped a shot between the two centre-halves and past Wright into a top corner.

Manager Jim Magilton immediately replaced the ineffective Darren Ambrose with Danny Haynes and the Canary Crusher was soon testing Marshall with a header from a Garvan corner but the Scottish keeper saved well.

Bruce and Croft clashed after a challenge but the referee showed common sense and just told both to calm down.

City's second in the 82nd minute came amid controversy. The referee ordered the Town skipper and centre half to get blood cleaned up and would not let him on while City took a free kick.

Bell delivered and the ball dropped kindly for Pattison who forced it in from close range with Town's defence in disarray.

Magilton tried another tactic by putting Richard Naylor on up front and taking Garvan off.

But it was not enough.