Norwich 1-0 Ipswich: Marcelino Nunez’s free-kick wins derby for Canaries

Ipswich Town’s Championship automatic promotion hopes suffered a blow as the leaders were defeated by Norwich City in a tense East Anglian derby at Carrow Road.

It is the first time in 15 Championship matches Ipswich have failed to score, and their wait for a first derby win since 2009 means Kieran McKenna’s side could be third by the time Saturday’s 15:00 BST games have finished.

The Canaries consolidated sixth place and boosted their chances of making the play-offs with an eighth straight home win.

Norwich started with purpose, but clear chances at either end were at a premium. Just after the half hour mark, Josh Sargent burst through on goal only to go down under challenge by Axel Tuanzebe.

With the home fans baying for a red card but Tuanzebe protesting that he got the ball, the defender was booked and Nunez went close with the resulting free-kick. It was a warning shot.

With seven minutes remaining in the half, Nunez struck from 25 yards. His low, swerving effort found its way past a disappointed Vaclav Hladky.

There was more fury from the stands when Sam Morsy and Sargent clashed with the latter again bearing in on goal, but the referee was unmoved.

It took 63 minutes for Ipswich, the division’s leading scorers, to muster an attempt on target, but Kieffer Moore’s header was little more than catching practice for Angus Gunn.

Sam Hutchinson fired goalwards moments later, but again his effort was frustratingly tame.

Norwich’s threat on the counter-attack was obvious through Sargent particularly. On 70 minutes, Hladky was forced to block the forward’s shot, before he found Borja Sainz, but he could not keep his effort down.

Ipswich’s day was summed up when Leif Davis finally found space to release Conor Chaplin inside the area, only for his strike to sail harmlessly into the stand.

They must now wait for how second-placed Leeds get on at Coventry and third-placed Leicester do against Birmingham to see where they finish Saturday in the table.