Ipswich striker Kevin Lisbie today insisted referee Neil Swarbrick was right to award the controversial penalty that turned yesterday's East Anglian derby in his side's favour - a decision that may help to relegate the Canaries.

Ipswich striker Kevin Lisbie today insisted referee Neil Swarbrick was right to award the controversial penalty that turned yesterday's East Anglian derby in his side's favour - a decision that may help to relegate the Canaries.

With the score 1-1 on the hour, Lisbie pursued a pass from Giovani Dos Santos, knocked the ball wide of David Marshall and tumbled over the City goalkeeper.

Marshall was adamant he did not touch Lisbie but the Town forward said: "The referee got it spot on. The 'keeper definitely caught me. I toe-poked the ball past him and he clipped me."

Former City loan player Lisbie, who had spoken before the match of wanting to give them "a good spanking", added: "I don't know if I was going to get the ball or that it was a goalscoring opportunity so on that basis the referee got it right - it was a

penalty but not a red card."

But Marshall argued: "I never touched him. I was racking my brains as soon at it happened to see if I could have done it differently - stay on my line, but if I stay on my line he's doing one-on-one. So I come and try and block the shot. I don't even move towards him as he kicked it.

"I know it's gone wide so I stop and he has to jump me, that's the only thing I can do. But it's not a penalty."

Referee Swarbrick decided against giving Marshall a card, however.

"He's not got a clue," Marshall said. "The ref came up to me and said 'The ball went well wide', that's what he said to me, and I said 'That's the whole point. It's not a penalty', and he said 'But it's still a foul'. Then he hears Ipswich fans shouting, , off, off' and I can see his brain thinking - he just never had a clue, it's embarrassing.

"I just honestly don't think he knew what to do. If it's such a stonewall penalty he would have given it straightaway, but he's looked at his linesman.

"I don't know if he's not given a penalty or just sat on the fence. He took that long I thought he was coming over to book the boy for diving.

"It's hard - I have tried to think of other things I could do better at the goal, but honestly if I had the time again I'd do the same again. I can't see anything else I could do."