Derby honours go to Town

The first East Anglian derby honours of the season went to Ipswich Town yesterday after a 4-2 win at Carrow Road - fortunately, in a legends match in aid of the club's Historical Trust.

Historical it was for some, with bones creaking and muscles throbbing as the game wore on - with a suspiciously short second half perhaps helping City avoid a heavier defeat against a side which clearly had a more youthful look about it.

Perhaps Tony Spearing's second-minute query “How long left, linesman?” summed up the general attitude, although the efforts suggested that derby pride is still alive and kicking, no matter how old the players - although the majority of the 40 or so ex-Canaries paraded before the game wisely decided the Jarrold Stand was a more relaxing place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Dale Gordon opened the scoring for City on 13 minutes and was soon vying with goalkeeper Bryan Gunn for the early nominations for Man of the Match honours. Gordon still has the old tricks, but Gunn pulled off two or three good saves to deny Ipswich.

Louie Donowa didn't make it to half-time, limping off minutes before a Phil Chapple own goal made it 1-1 at the break.

Gunn again kept City in the game, denying Kevin Inglis, before Matt Halliday - a mere whipper-snapper at 21 - made it 2-1.

But that was as good a sit got to Norwich, with Ipswich skipper Simon Milton coming on as a second-half sub and scoring twice within the space of two minutes to put the Tractor Boys ahead.

With five minutes left on the clock, Lubo Guenchev put the game beyond the reach of the tiring City side - although the coded signals had already gone out and the referee immediately blew his whistle.

City: Gunn, Polston, Jackson, Chapple, Spearing (Marcus Godbold 62), Linighan (Downes 45), Milligan (Daryl Godbold 62), Gordon, Nedergaard, Halliday (Self 68), Donowa (Gibbins 40).

Ipswich: Peat, Stockwell, Broadley, Nash, Bonwick, Goddard (Miller 45), Inglis, Boncho Guenchev, Barrett, Lubo Guenchev, Bickers.