Ipswich Town's 9-0 loss at the hands of Manchester United in 1995 remains one of the darkest day in the Suffolk club's history and is still their joint heaviest margin of defeat.

However, 15 years prior to that outing, the Tractor Boys produced one of their most memorable performances of all time as they routed the Red Devils.

It was on this day in 1980 that United made the trip to East Anglia, with an even encounter widely anticipated. After all, the visitors sat in second spot, while Bobby Robson's hosts were five only points adrift in third.

Yet, from the moment that Ipswich centre-forward Alan Brazil beat the United offside trap to put his side in front, it was anything but a close contest.

Brazil then turned provider soon after when he rolled the ball into the path of Paul Mariner, who fired a low shot inside Gary Bailey's near post.

The home side continued to attack and in the 27th minute, it was 3-0. The United rearguard failed to clear a cross from Eric Gates and Mariner was on hand to slam in his second goal of the game.

There was to be plenty more drama before the half was brought to a close, as United goalkeeper Bailey, the son of former Ipswich custodian Roy, took centre stage.

The South Africa-born stopper denied Frans Thijssen from the penalty spot, only for Ipswich to win themselves another penalty soon after.

The responsibility on this occasion was handed to Kevin Beattie, but he was also thwarted by Bailey. The Ipswich defender was given a second bite of the cherry, though, with the referee having judged that some United players had encroached before the ball had been struck.

Would it be third time lucky for Ipswich? Bailey had other ideas, diving to his left to hold Beattie's second tame attempt to keep the scoreline at 3-0 to the hosts.

Despite his heroics during the first half, Bailey was powerless to prevent his side from suffering a hammering after the restart as the Ipswich onslaught continued.

Brazil claimed his second goal of the encounter as he bounced a shot in from close range, before Thijssen slammed the ball in following some slack defending by the away side.

The scoring was completed five minutes from time as United winger Steve Coppell's pass was intercepted by Gates. He rolled the ball across the face of goal for Mariner, who had a simple finish to score his hat-trick.

Ipswich: Cooper; Osman, Butcher, Mills, Burley; Beattie, Gates, Muhren, Thijssen; Mariner, Brazil

Man United: Bailey; Houston, McQueen, Buchan, Nicholl; Sloan, Macari, McIlroy, Coppell; Jordan, Grimes