Michael Bailey Goalscorer David Mooney is hoping City get a favour from their Championship rivals and get a chance to earn safety on the final day of the season. Though the on-loan Reading striker gave City a 16th minute lead at Portman Road with a cracking header, it was soon downhill as the Blues completed a 3-2 victory to drop their neighbours in serious relegation danger.

Michael Bailey

Goalscorer David Mooney is hoping City get a favour from their Championship rivals and get a chance to earn safety on the final day of the season. Though the on-loan Reading striker gave City a 16th minute lead at Portman Road with a cracking header, it was soon downhill as the Blues completed a 3-2 victory to drop their neighbours in serious relegation danger.

With City's next game, against Mooney's parent club, not until next Monday and most of their rivals playing two days before - not to mention Barnsley's game in hand at Coventry tomorrow - Norwich are in desperate need of some outside assistance as they aim to retain their ship status.

"We've got to watch the games on Saturday come in and hopefully teams can do us a favour," said Mooney. "Then we can go out and beat Reading on Monday. That's the main thing now, going into the weekend's fixtures, that we give ourselves the best possible chance of staying up when we go to Charlton, which will be a tough game in itself. But we've got to have other results go for us as well on Saturday, so you're relying on other teams, which doesn't always help."

Mooney will have to sit out City's final home game of the season against Reading as part of his loan deal, which leaves a frustrating weekend ahead for the Irishman who can still be recalled at 24 hours' notice by Royals boss Steve Coppell.

"We were actually joking before the game that I could be called back to Reading to play against Norwich," admitted Mooney. "It's just one of those scenarios. I don't think that's going to happen but hopefully the lads can pick themselves up and go out and perform on the night and get the win they need."

The striker's sublime early header was City's highpoint at Portman Road - and he conceded the home side deserved their derby day delight.

"We started well, but as the game went on they looked the better team and probably deserved to win," said Mooney. "It was a dream start and then you're kind of hoping we can hold on until maybe half-time and go in and regroup, but to be fair to them they got a really good goal. Alan Quinn has finished really well, so it's just one of those things."

Mooney may have scored a second as Norwich pressed to make it 2-2, only for substitute Cody McDonald to try his luck from just under Mooney's nose.

"I think Alan Gow crossed it in and Cody was just in front of me," said the Reading front man. "He tried to score himself - but if he left it I maybe had a better chance. It's a spur of the moment thing. He's got to go for it and I didn't really give him that much of a shout - so maybe it's partly my fault, partly his fault."

To rub City's noses in it after weeks of failed appeals, Norwich were given a penalty decision of their own - moments after Jon Stead had made it 3-1 to put the game beyond their reach.

"I think the past three or four games we've had stonewall penalties not given," said Mooney. "Today's was a bit dubious, and you get it at the wrong time when you don't need it, but fair play to Sammy. He stood up and stuck it away well."