A Suffolk morning with overcast skies and the threat of impending rain, did not worry Ipswich as they took the lead in just twenty seconds. The Norwich defence were caught stone cold as they allowed Jordan Rhodes to latch onto a through pass and rifle the ball past Steven Arnold.
Three minutes later Norwich almost responded when Luke Daley, in a good position, tried to place the ball beyond Ipswich keeper Andrew Plummer, but the ball went a foot wide of a post.
On fourteen minutes, Norwich were awarded a free kick for handball. Mark O’Toole drilled the ball towards goal past a wall of Ipswich defenders but Plummer saved low down to his left.
A minute later, Ipswich broke away with Kurt Robinson pacing away along the right flank and delivering into the Norwich penalty area, but Jack Ainsley with the goal at his mercy, could not add a final touch. Ainsley then almost made amends when from an angled drive saw the ball glide past the far post.
On twenty seven minutes, now in driving rain, Norwich fell further behind. When Paul Murphy crossed from the right wing Norwich were unable to clear the danger and Kurt Robinson found the loose ball to finish off at the far post.
On thirty one minutes Norwich almost reduced the deficit as Ahmad Abdillah saw his fierce shot deflected away for a corner, while immediately after a Yong header was cleared from under the Ipswich crossbar.
Ricky Martin then kept the boys out by their dug out at the interval, rather than taking them back to the dressing room. The boys were discussing how to get back into the match themselves before Ricky finally approached them and gave them his team talk before the resumption. How it worked.
Straight from the re-start Luke Daley had his sights on goal, shooting from twenty yards with Andrew Plummer saving well. Norwich then forced a corner on fifty one minutes. Damon Lathrope sent the flag kick to the far post and Danny Kelly gained height to plant a thunderous header into the roof of the netting.
On fifty six minutes, Gareth Matthews on an excursion along the right flank, swung the ball low into the Ipswich penalty area and Jordan Yong connected well, but the Ipswich ‘keeper did well to save on a greasy surface.
On seventy two minutes Ipswich almost added to there tally when Curtley Williams sent in a diving header.
But on eighty two minutes, substitute Paul McLean was unlucky when he lost his footing and slipped while making a challenge out wide. pswich managed to take full advantage of this, and with ball delivered at high speed into the Norwich penalty area, Ipswich substitute Liam Barrett struck the ball from six yards past Steven Arnold. Norwich were utterly gob-smacked but Damon Lathrope and Tom Miller, who had fought immaculately in the middle of the park, refused to lower their heads.
With two minutes remaining, David Cooper sent a low cross into the penalty area and with the Ipswich defence squandering the ball Jordan Yong shot hard and low past Andrew Plummer.
In stoppage time, with five minutes allowed, Steven Arnold did superbly to keep out a low header from Liam Barrett down at his left post but with the conclusion of play, Norwich felt they should have gone back to Norfolk with a point, but it was not to be.
City Line-Up: Arnold, Matthews, O’Toole, Lathrope, D. Kelly, Shehu (McLean 48), Asajile (Smith 70), Miller, Daley, Yong, Abdillah (Cooper 62).
Top Canary: Mark O'Toole.
Report courtesy of Rob Maynard, photos from John Landamore.