Town 0-1 Norwich - Half-Time Saturday, 23rd Aug 2014 13:19 Lewis Grabban’s 24th minute goal sees the Blues trailing Norwich City 1-0 at half-time at Portman Road in the East Anglian derby. David McGoldrick’s expected return to the starting line-up was the only change from the team which drew at Birmingham in midweek with Conor Sammon dropping to the bench. Norwich included former Town academy schoolboy Ryan Bennett at the centre of their defence. The Blues were first to threaten after Tyrone Mings was fouled on the left. Jay Tabb sent in the freekick and, after Paul Anderson had been unable to direct a header goalwards, Cole Skuse scraped a shot wide. There was an early outing for Town’s stretcher tractor in the fifth minute after Canaries’ defender Bennett suffered what looked to be a foot injury in a challenge with Daryl Murphy. Javier Garrido replaced the former Blues schoolboy with skipper Russell Martin moving to the centre of the defence. On 10 Murphy sent McGoldrick away on the left, the Blues number 10 cutting in and sending over a deep cross which Anderson nodded across to Tabb, who headed on to Murphy, the Irishman looping a shot well over. Right-back Steven Whittaker struck the Canaries’ first effort in the 18th minute but his cross-shot failed to trouble Dean Gerken. At the other end, Hyam played Mings into space down the left but his low ball found John Ruddy’s arms. Town had had the better of the first quarter of the game with the Norwich backline having failed to clear their lines on several occasions. Canaries striker Grabban hit a low 20-yard strike which Gerken saved well down to his right on 23 but a minute later the visitors went in front. A corner from the right was cleared to Alexander Tettey on the edge of the box from where he nodded the ball back towards the edge of the six-yard area. As Skuse and Gerken left the ball for one another Grabban flicked a header into the net with the grounded Christophe Berra playing the goalscorer onside. It was another goal every bit as poor as those conceded at Reading and Birmingham. Grabban should never have been allowed to get to what should have been an easily defended nod back into the area. Town quickly went about getting back on terms. McGoldrick shot just past the post after a cleverly-worked freekick was played to him just outside the box. Soon after Skuse was booked for a foul on Lafferty. The Canaries were presenting the greater threat as the game moved towards the half hour, Tetty seeing a shot blocked, then Lafferty hitting his rebound well wide. The Northern Irishman was booked shortly afterwards for a foul on Tabb. Tabb laid the ball back to Murphy in the 37th minute but his shot was straight at Ruddy, then moments later McGoldrick brought the ball in from the left but his well-struck effort flew over. On 43 Tabb’s drilled corner was missed by Anderson when he had a free header, the ball eventually falling to Skuse, who looped over from the edge of the box. A minute later, Lafferty flicked a header wide from a freekick on the left. In seven minutes of injury time, largely as a result of Bennett’s early injury, McGoldrick sent in a dangerous cross which was put behind just ahead of Tabb. From the corner, the ball fell to Anderson 25 yards out but the winger lashed high and wide. Moments before the half-time whistle McGoldrick failed to make contact as he tried an overhead kick after Berra had nodded down Tabb’s freekick from deep. Town had huffed and puffed but had never really looked that close to grabbing an equaliser after Grabban’s very preventable goal. Despite not looking entirely comfortable at the back at times, Ruddy had never really been tested, while Redmond and Grabban were a threat when the Canaries were on the counter-attack. Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Hyam, Anderson, Tabb, McGoldrick, Murphy. Subs: Bialkowski, Parr, Hewitt, Henshall, Bru, Bajner, Sammon. Norwich: Ruddy, Martin (c), R Bennett (Garrido 5), Turner, Whittaker, Tettey, Johnson, Hoolahan, Redmond, Lafferty, Grabban. Subs: Rudd, Cuellar, Jerome, E Bennett, Murphy, O’Neil. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).
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