Norwich 3 Ipswich 0: Norwich move top of Championship by thumping Ipswich as Paul Lambert is sent off after touchline bust-up
Daniel Farke's side breeze past rock bottom Ipswich on an unhappy return to Carrow Road for Paul Lambert who saw red after a touchline fracas
NORWICH are top of the Championship after cruising past Ipswich in the East Anglian derby.
Onel Hernandez and a Teemu Pukki double did the damage to make it an afternoon to forget for former Canaries boss Paul Lambert who was sent off after a touchline fracas.
The home side got off to a flier when Hernandez punished some slack defending to score inside two minutes.
Both sides were forced into changes before the break with the Canaries losing Mario Vranic and the Tractor Boys withdrew Freddie Sears.
Then the controversial moment Jon Nolan crunched into Max Arons near the technical area sparking a melee between both benches.
Tempers flared and when order was restored referee Peter Banks sent off the Lambert and Canaries coach Chris Domogalla.
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After the break, Alan Judge went close for Ipswich as they finally began to get a foothold in the game.
But it was short-lived as they were punished on the break when Emiliano Buendia fed Pukki and the Canaries top scorer found the bottom corner with a precise, low drive.
Pukki though he got his second of the game minutes later when he headed from a corner, but his strike was ruled out for offside.
But Pukki eventually got his brace and City’s third Buendia wriggled free of a challenge, surged forward and fed Pukki who poked home his second of the game and 20th league strike of the season.
The win takes City back to the top of the Championship ahead of Leeds United who dropped points at Middlesbrough.