A 1-1 draw at Carrow Road against promotion rivals Derby County should be considered a good point to take, yet many look at it as being more of a case of two points dropped. During a stunning first half performance, the Canaries took the lead via top scorer Cameron Jerome, tapping home from just a few yards out on the half-hour mark after some tremendous team play. The signs were positive; Norwich were in control and looked set to extend their lead, yet the second goal wouldn’t come. However, 1-0 at half time was no less than the hosts deserved; Derby were being made to look distinctly average and very rarely threatened John Ruddy’s goal, if at all. City’s defence looked solid, the midfield was able to control the game, and Wes Hoolahan was battering the Rams’ defence. A one goal lead against a Derby side tipped for automatic promotion is a precarious score line, and that would prove to be the case in the second half.
After the break, the visitors were invigorated and their directness was testing Seb Bassong and Russell Martin to the absolute limits. The tide was beginning to turn; Norwich began to struggle. The midfield was losing their individual battles and passes were frequently going astray, and there seemed no way through Derby’s back four. It didn’t take too long for their pressure to tell, yet of all the ways to concede, this has to be one of the most infuriating and devastating. In a particularly dominant spell, Derby had won a few corners on the bounce. A simple delivery was put into the six-yard box, into Ruddy’s arms. Danger averted, thought the crowd. But what happened next brought heads crashing to hands and moans escaping the jaws of even the most optimistic. Ruddy simply dropped the ball into his own net. Fumbling, the sphere escaped his grasp and tumbled behind him. Such a stupid goal to concede and it absolute showed on a distraught Ruddy, who fell to his knees and punched the ground in unadulterated frustration.
There was a change after that: the goal seemed to kick Norwich back into gear but Derby were content with a point. That’s all they really needed.
Gary Hooper was thrown into the fray and the weaving Wes was creating chances. Whittaker and Olsson regularly came bombing forwards, and Norwich finally had some much-needed width, but unfortunately lacked real pace. The game screamed for the introduction of Redmond but no substitution was forthcoming. Although, it’s not as if Norwich didn’t have chances to win the game; a fantastic Whittaker cross from right on the byline was met by the head of Jerome ten yards out who really should have done better than his effort, which ended up midway up the N&P stand. Then Bradley Johnson – bang in good goal scoring form – should have added to his already impressive tally, but instead diverted a chance from six yards out well over the bar. Disappointment around Carrow Road as the final whistle echoed, but chants for John Ruddy eclipsed any doom and gloom. A good point against a very good Derby side, yet it felt like the win was there for the taking and City had not managed it.
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[statsfc-player-rater key=”n3hIsXGmdJ6AnSMKzUo6i09cnqzZIPNpYYb7QNmF” team=”Norwich” date=”2015-03-14″]
