Ipswich Town

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Heavyweight boxer Fabio Wardley has "full faith" that Ipswich Town will get the job done in Sunday's East Anglia derby against Norwich City.

Town fan Wardley fulfilled a long-held dream to fight at Portman Road when he stopped Justis Huni in the 10th round in June.

And he is hoping Kieran McKenna's team can produce a knockout performance of their own and secure a first derby win over the Canaries since 2009.

"It's a massive occasion every time it comes around, I'm looking forward to it," Wardley told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We're finding our feet a bit more now, finding a bit of form, the team is gelling.

"It's always got that added spice, that added grit, to it; there's always a bit of extra emotion going into that game."

He added: "I don't know if I've got any words of advice; the boys are well drilled. They know exactly what they've got to do, they know how big the moment is on Sunday. I believe in them, they've got my full faith."

Wardley will return to the ring against Joseph Parker at the O2 Arena in London on 25 October.

"When I went back eventually and played against Norwich at Carrow Road, I without a doubt received the full wrath of it."

Former Ipswich and Norwich goalkeeper Andy Marshall has some advice for new Tractor Boys signing Marcelino Nunez as he prepares to face his former club in the East Anglian derby on Sunday (12:00 BST).

Listen to Marshall's full thoughts on BBC Sounds.

This will be the 93rd league meeting between these East Anglian rivals with the first game in Division Three South ending in a 5-0 win for Ipswich in September 1946.

But it's Norwich who have had the better of things in more recent times and have not been beaten by the Suffolk side in 16 years.

• Ipswich Town have lost just one of their past seven league matches (W2 D4), this after losing five of their six matches prior to this run (W1).

• Norwich City are unbeaten in their past five league matches on the road (W2 D3), their longest unbeaten run away from home since April 2023 – also a sequence of five (W2 D3).

• Ipswich Town are winless in their past 12 league matches against Norwich City (D5 L7), with their last victory coming back in April 2009 – a 3-2 victory under Jim Magilton.

• Norwich City are unbeaten in their past six away league matches against Ipswich Town (W3 D3), while they've found the net in each of their past 14 trips to Portman Road.

• Azor Matusiwa leads Ipswich Town in the Championship this season for tackles (18), interceptions (13) and possession won (37), whilst only Jacob Greaves (46) has won more duels for the club than him this term (43).

"I don't think either team is performing anywhere near their best at the moment. It's two average Championship teams. It's so tricky to call.

"It's the most important game in the season and you've got to be at it. If you're at it, you win the game."

Brenner Woolley, John Wark and Graeme Mac preview Sunday's East Anglian derby against Norwich City, when Ipswich Town will look for their first derby win in 16 years as they host a Canaries side unbeaten in the league on the road this season.

Listen to the full discussion from BBC Radio Norfolk and more Ipswich Town on Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Ipswich Town goalkeeper Alex Palmer says "performances are getting there" after Tuesday's hard-fought draw at Bristol City.

A second-half penalty from Jack Clarke cancelled out Rob Atkinson's 18th-minute header to give the Tractor Boys a point and extend their unbeaten run to four matches.

"We've probably not worked the goalkeeper enough but I felt like we played well, even though we struggled to create those clear-cut chances," Palmer told BBC Radio Suffolk.

Town went to Ashton Gate hoping for a third win in a row, following three home games that yielded seven points.

"Obviously we want to replicate our home form that I feel like we've found," Palmer said.

"We're going into games trying to win - we're not playing for points.

"Every game in the Championship is tough. Everyone wants to beat us and we know that, but there are plenty of positives."

Among those positives, Palmer added, were the full debuts of striker Ivan Azon midfielder Marcelino Nunez, two of six changes made by manager Kieran McKenna.

"That shows how good the squad is that players can come in and rotate," said Palmer.

"It's a tough league but special mention to the boys making their debuts - they played really well."

Ipswich turn their attention to the small matter of Sunday's East Anglia derby against Norwich City at Portman Road (12:00 BST).

"It's going to be a feisty affair. They're good for the fans and good for football and one you can only look forward to and enjoy," Palmer said.

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna defended his decision to make six changes to his starting line-up following the 1-1 draw at Bristol City.

With the East Anglia derby against Norwich looming on Sunday, McKenna's selection at Ashton Gate, saw both last weekend's scorers, Jaden Philogene and George Hirst, dropped to the bench.

"It sounds a lot but we made three or four (changes) on Saturday - we're going to need everyone to contribute and with games coming up we need to get everyone up and running and we saw some good signs of that tonight," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

Town fell behind after a good start against the Robins but Jack Clarke earned them a point with a second-half penalty.

"Across the balance of chances it probably was the right result," said McKenna.

"We had to work hard to get back into it and put together some good moves - a really good one for the penalty.

"It's not a huge step forward but for us as a group coming away from home, imposing ourselves on the game is a step forward.

"Conceding the first goal and finding a way to get something from the game is a step forward."

Ipswich Town are now settled in the Championship and close to "clicking", says attacking midfielder Sammie Szmodics.

Town travel to Bristol City on Tuesday (19:45 BST) on the back of successive wins for the first time since May 2024, following a tough year in the Premier League last season.

"I think once the transfer window shut, it settled everyone because you now know who you are competing with," Szmodics told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"When you look at the squad, it is a top squad and we are moments away from clicking.

"We have all got our heads around what the manager wants to do when it comes to bringing on players and so as an attacking player you know what is going to happen when it gets to 65 minutes."

The 30-year-old has struggled on and off with injuries since joining Ipswich last summer but managed the full 90 minutes in Saturday's 2-1 win against Portsmouth.

"I have had a niggly ankle injury with my deltoid ligament," Szmodics added. "I am still managing it every day with strappings and a bit of work [but] I am able to get through 90-minute games, so I'm happy.

"Injuries are tough, absolutely. I have never had an injury like this before in my entire career. I turned 30 not long ago and I have never really struggled with an injury so it is new to me, but I am managing it."

Listen to Szmodics' full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Ipswich Town will not be distracted by the prospect of next weekend's East Anglia derby against Norwich City when they take on Bristol City on Wednesday, says striker George Hirst.

"That's got none of my attention just yet. It's the next game on, it's Bristol that has all our focus and that's how it has to be," Hirst told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I don't think any of the boys have spoken about next Sunday. When the time comes, we will - we know how big a game that will be when it does come, but we've got business to attend to in the midweek.

"It's going to be lively, it's going to be frantic (against Norwich), one of those kind of games but it's at the back of the mind right now."

Hirst scored his third goal of the season in Saturday's 2-1 win against Portsmouth, a result which left Town 12th in the table, just three points away from the top six.

And he is reasonably happy with his form so far in a new-look side assembled by head coach Kieran McKenna.

"I should have scored more, I could have scored more, but it is what it is, hopefully I'll keep ticking along and keep getting the goals as and when they come," the 26-year-old said.

"It wasn't my best game (against Portsmouth), there were a few bits I was sloppy on, but it's just work on the training ground (to put that right) and I got the goal regardless of all that.

"If I can have a bad game and come off with a goal, hopefully when I do play well, it's a good sign."

Image source, Opta

Bristol City will seek to get back to winning ways at Ashton Gate as Ipswich head west on Tuesday night (19:45 BST).

After going down 3-1 at home to Oxford United in their most recent home game, the Robins drew 0-0 at Preston on Saturday to stay fourth in a tightly-packed chasing pack behind early leaders Middlesbrough.

Though they lie 12th, the Tractor Boys are only three points behind after beating Portsmouth 2-1 at the weekend, though they have only picked up one point from their two away games thus far, with the third at Blackburn abandoned 10 minutes from time, with Town trailing 1-0, and to be replayed in full.

• Bristol City lost both league meetings with Ipswich Town in 2023-24 when they last faced each other, more than their previous 10 league matches against the Tractor Boys beforehand (W6 D3 L1).

• After their 1-0 win in October 2023, Ipswich could enjoy back-to-back away league wins at Bristol City for only the second time ever, previously doing so in 2011.

• Bristol City have both scored and conceded in nine of their past 10 home league games, the exception a 0-0 draw with Charlton in August.

• Ipswich have won just one of their past 13 away league games (D5 L7), a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth in April.

• Bristol City are unbeaten in their past eight midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (W4 D4) since a 0-1 defeat to Watford in November 2024.

Image source, Rex Features

Boss Kieran McKenna spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk following Ipswich Town's 2-1 win against Portsmouth.

"It felt like a pretty dominant performance, and we were two ahead for a large part of the game and looking like the more likely team to get the third goal," he said.

"It's important to keep building these blocks with performances and results, so whichever way the scoreline comes, as long as we got the win today it's a good one.

"There were some good things in the performance and some things to improve - to go and actually turn the control and domination in the game into a scoreline where the game is done, because at 2-0 it is never done."

Portsmouth will seek yet more away game celebrations when they visit Ipswich Town on Saturday (15:00 BST) for their first meeting in over a decade.

Pompey won just three games on the road last season compared to 11 at Fratton Park but are seeing a reversal this season, with the side losing two games at home but none away from home.

Ipswich will be keen to deliver that first away defeat and add a successive second win to their season - albeit the side were struggling against Blackburn Rovers last time out before the unruly weather forced an abandonment.

• Ipswich are unbeaten in their last four league games against Portsmouth (W2 D2), all in League One between 2021 and 2022.

• This will be the first Championship meeting between Ipswich and Portsmouth since 2011-12, with the Tractor Boys winning 1-0 home and away that season.

• Following a 5-0 win against Sheffield United last time out, Ipswich are looking to win consecutive league games for the first time since May 2024.

• Having lost 11 of their 12 away league games from December to April 9th (W1), Portsmouth are now unbeaten in five on the road (W2 D3).

• No team's Championship games this season have seen fewer goals than Portsmouth's (9 – F4 A5). Indeed, only Sheffield United (1.4%) have a lower shot conversion rate than Pompey (4.9%).