NORWICH City must embrace the occasion of Sunday's East Anglian derby against Ipswich Town at Carrow Road while also focusing on the job in hand.

That's according to the Canaries' Wes Hoolahan, a relative veteran of such contests having featured in eight of them since signing from Blackpool in the summer of 2008.

"We're concentrating on the big game, which is going to be tough," he told the media at Colney Training Centre on Thursday morning.

"Ipswich are well-drilled and organised. Mick [McCarthy] has them playing well now so we expect it to be tough, as it always is.

"The atmosphere is always brilliant and it's a game the players always look forward to. We're going to go out and enjoy it.

"We're on our home ground so hopefully we can show what we can do."

Hoolahan is yet to taste defeat when featuring in the derby, and in the last Carrow Road meeting between the sides it was his penalty which paved the way for City to reach the 2015 play-off final at Wembley.

Keen to extend that run, the 34-year-old Republic of Ireland international added: "We've had a good record against them over the years.

"It's a special occasion, you only get two a year so you've got to enjoy every minute of it. The play-off games were great to be involved in but you move on and worry about the next one.

"Where we are at the moment, we have to win games. We'll take each one as it comes and the next one is Sunday so it's the most important one.

"Everyone's going to be up for it and we're looking forward to the challenge. Hopefully we can get the three points."

WES HOOLAHAN: ENJOY THE DAY, TAKE THE POINTS

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