FA PREMIER RESERVE LEAGUE (South)Norwich Res 0 Ipswich Res 0SHANE Supple enhanced his burgeoning reputation as he helped the Blues to a clean sheet against East Anglian rivals Norwich City at Carrow Road last night.

By Derek Davis

FA PREMIER RESERVE LEAGUE (South)

Norwich Res 0 Ipswich Res 0

By Derek Davis

Chief Football Writer

SHANE Supple enhanced his burgeoning reputation as he helped the Blues to a clean sheet against East Anglian rivals Norwich City at Carrow Road last night.

Town stay bottom of the league but still have Portsmouth, who are one place above them, to play, as do Norwich in their final match.

After a cagey first half, Town had the better of a lively second half and had three goal-bound efforts cleared by defenders off the line.

Aidan Collins and Chris Casement continued their partnership, after being part of the team that won the FA Youth Cup last Friday. Keeper Supple, Darryl Knights and Liam Craig also started, while all four substitutes were also part of that cup-winning side.

Casement made a good block to deny Leiston lad Rob Eagle, who had a spell with Town's Academy before joining City.

Matt Richards made an excellent sliding tackle to deprive Andrew Cave-Brown, while skipper Drissa Diallo, playing at right-back, moved sharpish to cover, as Paul McVeigh loomed on goal.

It was Diallo's first return to Carrow Road since being sent off towards the end of last season in Town's 3-1 defeat, and the Frenchman looked more than ready to start against Crewe on Saturday if David Unsworth fails to recover from his ankle injury.

The Blues deployed a 4-3-3, with James Scowcroft and Dean McDonald either side of Knights, who came closest to scoring in the first half but Joe Lewis saved at his near post with an outstretched boot.

The young Town striker also volleyed wide, after turning onto a quick throw from Scowcroft, while Simon Charlton blocked a McDonald effort.

Craig had a shot cleared off the line by Rossi Jarvis, brother of Ryan, who is on loan at Colchester, while Collins was denied when his header from a Richards' corner was cleared by a combination of a post and Andrew Fisk on the line.

Scowcroft also had an effort booted off the line by Cave-Brown, after Craig headed a McDonald corner back across goal.

McDonald whipped a shot across goal and just wide and Scowcroft could not get on the end of a good low cross from Richards, after an excellent ball in from the former Arsenal youngster.

Supple made good saves to thwart McVeigh and Eagle shots and a Henderson header. McVeigh did put the ball in the net during injury-time but was well offside.

Both teams only had four subs on the bench and Town did not have a back-up keeper for Supple, although manager Joe Royle insisted there was nothing wrong with either Lewis Price or Kelvin Davis.

The teams

Norwich: Lewis, Edworthy, Jarvis, Fisk (Willis, 60) Halliday, Charlton, Cave-Brown, Henderson, McVeigh, Howlett (Gusterson, 46) and Eagle (Howell, 78). Subs not used: Herbert.

Ipswich: Supple, Diallo, Richards, Manning, Casement, Collins, McDonald, Juan, Scowcroft, Knights (Haynes, 85) and Craig. Subs not used: Moore and Lordan.

Referee: R Lee. Attendance: 3,668.