Norwich City column: Leaving Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town without defeat would feel like a moral victory

For a long time, the footballing landscape in East Anglia has been painted gloriously in two colours, yellow and green.

While just 40-odd miles separate Norwich and Ipswich geographically, it has felt like the two clubs have been light-years apart.

From Grant Holt to Teemu Pukki, from Timm Klose to Bradley Johnson, the modern era has brought little more than pain, misery and suffering for those at the other end of the A140.

A club famed for past glories, forced to live in the shadow of its nearest rivals and watch on enviously as their club stagnated and then rotted in League One.

But those days in the abyss are over. The Tractor Boys are well and truly back, motoring relentlessly towards the Premier League.

It would be rude not to give them credit. The job Kieran McKenna has done is nothing short of remarkable.

And after years of suffering, who can blame their fans for enjoying their day in sun?

But for all the new-found glory, the one thing they still desperately crave is a derby victory. Not since April 19, 2009 have the bragging rights belonged to Ipswich.

Gordon Brown was still prime minister, Avatar had yet to be released and Instagram didn’t even exist.

And you can bet that it is eating them up inside.

It goes without saying, McKenna's side head into tomorrow’s match as huge favourites. That brings with it serious pressure, particularly in the circumstances.

For Norwich, the greatest hope is that our neighbours play the occasion and not the game, getting caught up in the emotion of a ferocious atmosphere.

And as sad as it is to say, to escape without defeat - and preserve this long and beautiful unbeaten record - would feel like a moral victory.

But to have even he faintest chance of achieving that, David Wagner's boys need to really stand up and be counted for.