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A decade and a half of disappointment have finally been laid to rest for Ipswich Town. A curse that had lingered for longer than most abandoned burial grounds was broken in decisive fashion as local adversaries Norwich City were defeated 3-1 and thoroughly outplayed in the hosts' first triumph in fifteen derby matches.

Decisive Strikes and Key Performances

Scores from Kipré – the standout performer – the mercurial Philogene and Jack Clarke were the key turning points of the match, with Norwich’s kamikaze attacking another factor. But the presence of Marcelino Núñez, who scored against Ipswich for the Canaries in the previous derby two years ago then completed a £10m move to Ipswich in the off-season, loomed throughout. Appearing on the cover of the programme and in the chants of the Ipswich support, even as he started the match on the bench, this was a high-profile signing that in the end achieved the desired effect.

Game Overview and Key Incidents

After a energetic atmosphere in and around the stadium before the match, the opening half hour was as disjointed as yesterday's news. But the hosts took the lead in the 32nd minute with a cleverly executed dead-ball situation. The cross came from Philogene: a deep outswinger that found Dara O’Shea at the back post. O’Shea headed the ball down to the center of the box and, after a brief melee, it fell to Cédric Kipré who controlled it and slammed the ball into the net.

This was what the Ipswich supporters had been waiting for and the team looked well placed to kick on, but Norwich fought their way back into the match. A series of turnovers by the visitors ended with one reaching Crnac who burst behind Leif Davis to win a corner. Fisher's cross was aimed at Harry Darling at the far post, but was headed out to Schwartau who hit a driven effort directly at the target and, via a minor deflection, past a helpless Palmer.

The Canaries were elated and Ipswich’s fans became a little volatile. This was a script they had seen repeatedly before, while the Ipswich's showing was amplifying concerns over a scratchy start to the season following demotion. But one consistent aspect during the opening rounds has been the goalscoring form of Philogene, and he was set to score again.

Jaden's Stunning Strike

The away team were playing triangles in the centre of the park with the time having just ticked to 45 minutes when Schwartau’s fellow Dane, the engine-room player Mattsson, inexplicably let the ball roll between his legs and through to a lurking Philogene. From there the attacker wasted no time. He advanced direct on target and, after two touches, unleashed a powerful shot from 25 yards that brushed the top of Vladan Kovacevic’s fingers but flew into the upper net of the net. His reaction – a na-na-na-na-na with his fingers in his head – may require some work.

Second Half Action

At half-time the club icon Jim Magilton came on to the pitch to encourage the supporters to stick the course, and pledged that the opponent's advanced backline would create more chances. Before long he was vindicated. The home side were more and more able to send runners into the space left open by Norwich’s advanced full-backs. George Hirst ought to have netted from one such opportunity three minutes after the restart, but fluffed his effort when facing with the keeper. Presented with a identical situation of an opportunity on the hour the forward chose not to shoot at all and passed the ball into empty space.

Núñez’s Impact and Clarke’s Decisive Goal

With a quarter-hour to go each side made a series of changes but attention were on a particular player. Núñez emerged on to the field to a chorus of raucous chanting and within minutes he had made the key involvement the narrative had forewarned. Norwich were attempting to hustle into some attacking activity, but a forward burst from Harry Darling ended in a bad control and Jens Cajuste stole the player before rolling the ball instantly to Núñez. The Chilean needed just an instant to assess the play and spun a ball behind that high line into his fellow substitute Azón on the left flank. His driven shot went past the goalkeeper and on to a post, but Jack Clarke (another sub) was on handy to turn the loose ball home coolly.

Final Minutes and Celebrations

The last 15 minutes were a battering for the visitors but there was no further embarrassment to be endured. Not during active play. At the final whistle, as the stadium erupted, the midfielder was given his own victory lap of the ground, followed by the cameras. Holding the Ipswich flag and carrying a banner of a tweet from a Norwich influencer demanding a Núñez statue at Norwich's ground, the midfielder appeared to be having the moment of his career.