In a Carrow Crowd first, this week’s match review of yesterday’s clash with former Canaries’ manager, Chris Hughton’s Brighton will be somewhat different in format – on account of the fact that for varying circumstances, none of our feature writers managed to experience the match first hand… Regardless, our Norwich City coverage stops for nothing so here we go.
Heading into this match, it was impossible not to look at it in the context of the bigger picture, the playoff race was a seven team affair – with the Yellows in an excellent position to clinch an automatic position come the end of the season were they to win. With that potential having been realised come the final whistle at the Amex with a 1-0 win, Neil and his side have propelled themselves to third position with a total of 73 points. So how did this come about?
It took just three minutes for the away side to test Stockdale, the man, Bradley Johnson yet again with an excellent strike – perhaps a sighter for later in the game? The yellows would find the target another three times before the ten minute mark, but the Brighton keeper managed to bar all chances from crossing the line, including a shot from a clear through Hoolahan. It takes nearly half an hour for the home side to test Ruddy who’s first real action of the game is claiming a dangerous low cross from O’Grady.
It was at around this point that the Yellows lapsed into the sloppy 15 minute spell which we’ve been prone to at some point in seemingly every game all season long. Luckily, the Seagulls weren’t offensively proficient enough to take advantage of the Canaries slipping of their perch despite having some excellent chances and so it remained 0-0 going at the climax of the first half, with the away side very much in the ascendency.
Neither Neil or Hughton elected to make any changes at the break, but it was the Norwich helmsman who acted first in the 56th minute, deciding to substitute the Irish Messi for the recent international goal scorer, Nathan Redmond, a substitution that would prove crucial just moments later. It took just five minutes for the England U21’s winger to roast the Brighton left back before cleaving a path inside where we played a simple, yet pin-point cross to an unmarked Bradley Johnson around 15 yards who quite simple couldn’t miss. Excellent build up, sumptuous finish, 1-0 to the away side.
Norwich were dominant for the next ten minutes in a similar manner to what they had been all game, but Stephen’s deflected free-kick sent Ruddy scrambling just prior to the 70 minute mark. Still, the goliath was being a barricade as usual and claimed it solidly. It was clear the 3124 travelling supporters were buoying the boys on in the final stretch and after what seemed a relatively comfortable 20 minutes featuring controlled, collected passing game and further decent chances the Canaries realised their aim of all three points and beginning a fresh winning streak.
Full time: 0-1
All in all, a relatively comfortable win for the Yellows. Perhaps we should’ve made the score line flatter us more, then again, the performance wasn’t consistent for the full 90 minutes and as Hughton said in his post-match interview: “we deserved more from the game”; although, haven’t we heard that a few times before? Regardless, three points is three points and with precious few games left in our promotion push – now is a better time than most to have a surge in form.
