Derby defeat turns up the heat on Roy

THE pressure is piling on Ipswich boss Roy Keane after his side slumped to their fourth successive defeat, hammered 4-1 by rivals Norwich yesterday.

Grant Holt’s hat-trick destroyed Ipswich in the rout at Carrow Road. The striker scored twice in the first half, sandwiching an equaliser from the Tractor Boys’ Irish defender Damien Delaney, who was sent off in the 37th minute for a professional foul on Holt.

Keane’s men rarely threatened an equaliser in the second half and, after Holt completed his treble in the 76th minute, substitute Wes Hoolahan added a fourth two minutes later.

The former Manchester United skipper admitted: “I know there is pressure, losing games creates pressure and you’ve just got to deal with it.

“I analyse my position every single day and I am just going to try to do my best to turn this around.

“It doesn’t get any easier, though, with West Brom at Portman Road in the cup on Wednesday.

“We’ll be looking to bounce back from this but they’ll be on a high after their result at the weekend.

“I’m not sure what sort of side I will be able to put out with suspensions, injuries and the two loan lads (Rory Fallon and Gianni Zuiverloon) not being available.”

Keane admitted Delaney’s dismissal was a huge blow to his side’s hopes of getting back into the game.

He said: “I thought at 2-1 down we were still in the game and causing them a few problems but the sending-off just before half-time changed everything.

“If you defend like that you are not going to win many games of football.

“We haven’t been winning many games with 11 men recently so it was always going to be tough with just 10.”

Norwich boss Paul Lambert reserved special praise for on-loan Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury, whose superb pass allowed Holt to score his second goal.

Lambert added: “The pass he threaded through for the second goal was real quality.

“He took 15 minutes or so to get into the game but after that you saw what he is capable of.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on him but I think he’s going to be a top, top player.”

Meanwhile, Cardiff manager Dave Jones was left fuming as his side were a late penalty appeal during his side’s defeat at title rivals QPR on Saturday.

Jones was adamant his side should have had a spot kick in the 85th minute for a challenge by Matt Connolly on England striker Jay Bothroyd.

QPR were leading 2-1 at the time, and won the match by that scoreline to move five points clear of second-placed Cardiff at the top of the npower Championship.

Jones went to see Friend after the match to seek an explanation.

Jones said: “Everybody in the stadium could see it was a penalty. The reaction of the QPR players tells you that. We feel hard done by.

“I went to see him (the referee) about it afterwards and he asked if I was questioning his integrity. I was questioning his decision.

“Referees have got to be better in games like this. Was the game too big for him? That’s for the referee’s assessor to decide.”

QPR boss Neil Warnock countered by saying: “I thought the referee had a good game. What Dave’s saying is deflecting from the result, and we deserved to win that match.”

Craig Bellamy put Cardiff in front after 13 minutes, but goals from Kaspars Gorkss and Adel Taarabt turned the game around.

Burnley have not won away from Turf Moor in the league this season but pressed their play-off claims courtesy of a 2-1 home victory against Derby. Coventry are also currently in the play-off frame, after a 2-0 win at Scunthorpe.

Gary Speed continues to struggle in his first management job, with his Sheffield United side slumping to a 3-0 defeat at fast-improving Bristol City, while a shut-out by Kasper Schmeichel was Leeds manager Simon Grayson’s consolation as his team were held 0-0 at Reading.