With Blackburn now in our rear view mirror it’s time to focus on the next game. It’s an East Anglian Derby with massive promotion implications. I can’t remember the last time both clubs were in a promotion fight when they met, so it will be an intense atmosphere. If you include this season, we have outscored Ipswich 10-2 in the last three games. So, what do you do when you have ten goals against your local rivals in a perfect five season time frame? You make a top five goals against them. I would make a full top ten, but I am going to do a top five to keep this short. Feel free to leave a full list in the comments, one of my favorite parts of being a Norwich fan is here the derby day memories of others. But for now I will show you this top 10 that is half full, just like Portman Road.
5 – Gareth McAuley OG Ipswich 0-2 Norwich ’24
David Fox swung in a corner and it went all the way through to Gareth McAuley who flicked it into his own goal. I honestly did not know how to react. I could have cleared that ball, but of course Ipswich couldn’t. It was hilarious to watch, and the way Grant Holt celebrated like he had scored a 40 yard screamer was priceless. Him laughing in front of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand like that is an image I will always smile at.
4 – Lewis Grabban Ipswich 0-1 Norwich ’24
We all know what happened on this corner by now. The best moment of our season so far without a shadow of a doubt. Hoolahan put the ball in, it was cleared and then headed back in by Tettey. Grabban picked up the loose header and alertly headed it into the net. Ipswich fans asked for the linesmen’s flag, but Christophe Berra was on the ground. What a moment, the only goal in a massive early season win.
3 – Grant Holt Norwich 1-0 Ipswich ’13
Not the best goal on this countdown, but one that was simply amazing to watch unfold. After a long ball from deep inside our own half, Grant Holt outmuscled Darren O’Dea, won the ball and put it home with a perfect shot. It was a finesse shot right out of FIFA and it sent the crowd delirious. 1-0 to the good guys, and Ipswich were in for a long day.
2 – Grant Holt Norwich 3-1 Ipswich ’76
This one hits number two on my list simply because it was Holt completing his hat trick in front of the Barclay End. It was also arguably the best goal out of this entire lot. Hoolahan took a cross down and found Chris Martin, he then dribbled between two Ipswich defenders and then played an excellent left footed pass into the path of Grant Holt. The rest is history. We finally broke through in the second half and put the game out of reach.
1 – Dani Pacheco Ipswich 1-5 Norwich ’90
The details of this goal are not important, but it was what it meant. The way all of our players ran over to the away end to celebrate, and our fans dancing on the roof just summed up that match and our entire season. For me, it symbolised everything that Paul Lambert had helped us achieve over the last two seasons in one moment. Sorry Simeon Jackson, that is still my favorite Norwich City goal and Radio Norfolk call ever. By this time Portman Road was cleared out and we sang long into the night.
That is my list of our goals vs. Ipswich. What is yours? Do you agree with me on Pacheco’s goal being the best or not? Hopefully this brought back some great derby day memories and can launch us into Sunday. I wish everyone a great derby day, and if you are going to the match please be safe. We don’t need to be making the news for anything other than our win. OTBC!
