Ipswich Town boss Jim Magilton slammed the law that led to skipper and influential defender Gareth McAuley being off the pitch for Norwich's second goal - but didn't use it as an excuse for the loss.

Ipswich Town boss Jim Magilton slammed the law that led to skipper and influential defender Gareth McAuley being off the pitch for Norwich's second goal - but didn't use it as an excuse for the loss.

City striker Leroy Lita drew referee Lee Probert's attention to McAuley's cut eye and the official ordered him off for treatment.

While he was off, David Bell delivered a free-kick, Ipswich failed to clear and Matt Pattison scored the clincher.

Magilton said: "It is a ridiculous law. Whoever made the law needs shooting. There is no reason why he can't be treated on the park and just get on with it."

He added, however, that Town couldn't blame everything on the absence of McAuley.

"We have been without him for a few weeks and we have had people heading, kicking and taking responsibility," he said. "You can't really legislate for that but we should have had people dealing with that. We didn't and Norwich took advantage.

"Lita was bright but the lad is cut and needed treatment and the law says he has to go off for that. I wish my players had been half as bright."

Magilton gave credit where it was due and admitted Norwich showed more intensity than Town in the 90th derby.

Lee Croft and Pattison dashed Ipswich's hopes of moving up to eighth place with second half goals and leave the Blues in 13th spot.

Magilton said: "Norwich didn't afford us any time or space and closed us down particularly quickly. They started brighter than us and Richard Wright made some good saves. But we started the second half a lot brighter.

"We probably had the best chance of the game and in tight games like this if you can get your noses in front it goes a long way in securing a victory. But we didn't - and they went up the other end and scored.

"Norwich deserved their victory, their moment in the sun. It is my first taste of defeat as a manager in a derby game and it doesn't taste nice."

Magilton's half-time team-talk almost had the desired effect as Town stepped up a gear but David Marshall denied Jon Walters and the play swung back City's way.

Magilton said: "I knew we could play better and I told them we needed to get the ball moving and we did start the second half brightly. but Norwich's intensity was very high and we at times didn't match that.

"We have to swallow that and move on. We have an opportunity to rectify this very quickly. We have two big homes games starting on Wednesday to right the wrongs."

After defeats at Watford and Doncaster away in live TV games, Magilton bemoaned the extra exposure.

He said: "We seem to save all our worst performances for the Sky cameras."