Freddie Sears can’t wait for his first taste of East Anglian derby action, but right now the Ipswich Town striker is fully focussed on tomorrow night’s visit of Birmingham City to Portman Road.

Sears scored 14 goals for League One Colchester in the first half of the campaign and didn’t have to wait long for his first Blues goal, netting in the 3-2 defeat at Brighton soon after his January switch. Since then he has since failed to score in three starts and two substitute appearances.

The 25-year-old would love to be a derby day hero in Sunday’s match at fierce rivals Norwich City, but first he wants to help Mick McCarthy’s men quickly recover from Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Reading against a Birmingham side currently on an eight-match winless streak.

“It was really frustrating,” said the former West Ham youngster, reflecting on the weekend set-back. “We dominated in the first half but they got the goal and then it became hard to break through when they had two banks of four behind the ball. We kept going, huffing and puffing, but it didn’t go for us.

“It is useful when you lose on a Saturday to have a game on Tuesday though as you are not over-thinking it all week. It is straight back to it. We have to go again.”

With Norwich now just one point and one place behind the fourth-place Blues following four straight wins, Sears continued: “After Tuesday it will be all about Norwich – and everyone knows what a massive derby match that is. They are doing well at the moment, as we are, so it is one everyone is looking forward to.

“I’m due a goal again. I scored at Brighton but I would like to score a couple more soon as – so watch out Birmingham!”

He added: “I’m loving it here. I have done since day one. They boys are great, the management are great and all I want to do is help the boys get to where we want to be.”

– See today’s EADT and Ipswich Star for Stuart Watson’s verdict on Town’s 1-0 defeat to Reading.