Howson delivered a MOTM performance as well as scoring early on in the second half, while Graham Dorrans rectified his missed penalty by sealing the deal late on. The three points gained mean Norwich retain their position in second, and remain in the mix for the top two spots as the Championship nears its unpredictable end.
After the madness that unfolded at Bolton, with Hooper’s Jackson-esque winner in the ninety-third minute, the attention naturally turned to the next game – Leeds United away from home. Four games to go, each of equal significance, with the Canaries likely requiring all 12 points to get automatic promotion. This match against Leeds was never going to be an easy one – none of them are – yet it would be a real test of character with the current fixture congestion and the scale of the encounter itself.
The match began in classic Tuesday night fashion; nervy, scrappy and highly contested.
Norwich struggled to break down a resilient Leeds team who worked forward and back as a unit. Leeds pressed Norwich high up the field, and left the likes of Graham Dorrans and Alex Tettey with little time to operate. Most passes were forced to be played either sideways or backwards, and when opportunity to deliver the ball into more dangerous areas materialised, the end product was either sloppy or non-existent.
Leeds peppered crosses into the Norwich area but Ruddy was equal to the task, claiming nearly everything that was airborne in his vicinity. He had a lot to do, but wasn’t actually faced with any difficult shots on goal. In fact, it was a similar story at the other end, but generally Norwich’s attacks were breaking down before they had even got started. Redmond had a couple of embarrassing moments, miscueing crosses which sailed hopelessly into the home end behind the intended goal.
Jerome was equally quiet, offering little in terms of holding up the ball, which in a 4-3-2-1 formation, is a fundamental requirement to bring together the attack in the final third.
To add to City fans’ growing frustrations was the lack of sympathy from both referee and linesman. Olsson got himself booked for berating the linesman for his failure to recognise a blatant foul down by the corner flag. Tettey also went into the book before the break and it seemed evermore likely that a sending off would occur at some point during the match.
The one genuinely dangerous move Norwich put together finally culminated in something. Ex-Leeds captain Howson received the ball in the box, and twisting and turning, drew the foul from Liam Cooper. Penalty! A huge opportunity, perhaps unwarranted given Norwich’s performance to this point, but a huge opportunity nonetheless. Up stepped Graham Dorrans. Why? I’m not sure. Neither Grabban nor Hooper were on the pitch, but Hoolahan (who was City’s penalty taker for years under Lambert) was. Dorrans tentatively stepped up and placed the ball down the middle, but unconvincingly too high. It smacked against the underside of the bar before being lashed away by Leeds defenders.
Minutes later, Dorrans was given the opportunity to rectify his miss when a Jerome cross ricocheted back towards the edge of the box, but the West Brom loanee lashed it over the bar, as if the penalty was still churning around in his mind.
The teams went into the break with the score still 0-0. I can only imagine Alex Neil had one of his ‘wee chats’ to try and reignite a nervy Norwich side. Whatever he said, it appeared to work.
In the second half there was a new urgency, and this was evident from the offset as Hoolahan tried to play a through-ball to Jerome. It went beyond him, but it was clear Norwich wanted to deliver the more intuitive passes they had been missing in the first half.
On the fiftieth minute, Luke Murphy fouled Hoolahan in the left back position, and the central attacking midfielder was eager (as always) to play it short. Luckily he refrained, and then delivered a very dangerous ball into the box which caused chaos. Eventually it sprung to Russell Martin who attempted to curl the ball towards the far post, but to his dismay Silvestri parried effectively.
However, the increased tempo was causing Leeds all sorts of problems. Dorrans supplied Tettey who nearly pulled out a blockbuster from 25 yards; his shot although well hit, was marginally too high.
The breakthrough came just moments later, and it was an excellent move. Redmond drove in from the left, committing more players to the middle, consequently leaving Howson unmarked on the right side of the box. Unselfishly Redmond gave it to him, and with the outside of the foot, the ex-Leeds man delightfully planted the ball beyond Silvestri. Two arms were graciously raised in respect as he walked towards a far more animated away end. A crucial goal, made all the sourer for Leeds fans with it being their former captain, something the Norwich fans were keen to remind the home end for the remainder of the game.
Martin then made a fabulous block almost immediately after the opening goal, preventing Scott Wootton from spoiling the raucous celebrations at the other end of the field. Tettey and Whittaker both skewed ambitious efforts wide before Ruddy was called into action, and boy did he deliver. A Leeds corner came out as far as Alex Mowatt, and his goal-bound shot deflected off a Norwich leg. It looked a certain goal, but Ruddy’s razor sharp reactions allowed him to make a terrific save, much to the disbelief of the home end.
Gary Hooper and Elliott Bennett made substitute appearances but it was Cameron Jerome who was influential in the final goal. His hustling and bustling allowed him to dispossess Gaetano Berardi and lay off to Dorrans, who made no mistake this time firing hard and low. 2-0; let the pandemonium begin in the away end. Dorrans encouraged such ecstatic celebrations (which were born more out of relief than anything else) as he jumped into the crowd with his shirt over his head, typifying the overall spirit of the club.
“We are going up” were the cries, along with much taunting and teasing of the remaining Leeds fans.
Three games to go, three more victories required, and judging by the showings of this match Norwich have both the ability and determination to get promoted. Alex Neil just keeps on surpassing all former expectations; what a ride it has been.
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