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Norwich City 2-0 Town - Match Report
Sunday, 1st Mar 2015 16:05

A goal in either half from Bradley Johnson and Lewis Grabban gave Norwich City a 2-0 victory over Town in the East Anglian derby at Carrow Road. Johnson opened the scoring on 24 with a strike off the underside of the bar with Grabban adding the second in the 62nd minute.

Town boss Mick McCarthy handed Richard Chaplow his full Blues debut at the most advanced point of a midfield diamond ahead of Cole Skuse with Kevin Bru on the right and Jay Tabb on the left.

Paul Anderson and Jonny Parr dropped to the bench, while Teddy Bishop missed out with the ankle injury he suffered in training.

David McGoldrick (thigh), Darren Ambrose, Stephen Hunt (both hamstring), Noel Hunt and Luke Hyam (knee) had all previously been ruled out. Former Northgate High School pupil Hyam watched the game fro the away end.

Chris Wood, who signed on loan from Leicester on Friday, was on the bench alongside 17-year-old first-year scholar Kundai Benyu, who was in the matchday 18 for the first time.

The game started in a swirling wind with the home side threatening first in the third minute when Lewis Grabban was found on the right of the area, but Tyrone Mings got across to muscle him off the ball.

Norwich felt they ought to have been awarded a penalty in the seventh minute when Grabban was tackled by Tommy Smith. Referee Paul Tierney awarded a corner but replays suggested the Canaries might have had a case. From the second of two flag-kicks the ball was cleared to Jonny Howson, who volleyed well wide.

There was a scare for the Blues on 13 when Chaplow allowed Howson to send over a cross from the left after a corner from the right had been sent too deep. Norwich Johnson flicked a header which Berra blocked, then Murphy cleared the loose ball.

Skuse picked up the game’s first booking in the 16th minute for catching Johnson with a high boot as the home side broke on halfway.

The majority of the first 20 minutes had been played in the Norwich half but without the Blues having been able to create a chance. When in decent areas all too often a pass had been lacking at the crucial moment.

Much the same was the case in the 23rd minute when Chaplow won the ball on the right and broke into the area but failed to find Murphy with his cross.


A minute later the home side went in front. Wes Hoolahan fed Grabban on the right and the striker’s low cross caught Berra’s heel and found Johnson rushing into the area on the left, from where he smashed a shot into the net off the underside of the bar.

The Blues looked to hit straight back but Murphy failed to get anything on a shot from the edge of the box and Norwich keeper Ruddy claimed comfortably.

Town weren’t far away from an equaliser in the 31st minute when Bru won the ball midway inside the Blues’ half and sent Murphy away down the left. The Irishman crossed low to Sears, who touched the ball past his defender before shooting. However, the touch had allowed Ruddy time to come off his line and the keeper blocked.

Sears hit a 20-yard strike from the left which Ruddy saved to his left on 35, then three minutes later Hoolahan hit a looping effort from further out which Bartosz Bialkowski claimed.

Neither side threatened again before referee Tierney’s whistle signalled the half-time break.

Having gone in front the home side had largely been on top without particularly threatening to add to their lead. The well-worked goal was the one time they had cut through the Blues during the first half.

But Town were far form out of it, having continued to battle away in their usual manner and they might well have been on terms but for Ruddy’s impressive save from Sears.

Aside from that and Sears’s effort from distance soon after, Town hadn’t managed to test the home keeper on too many more occasions in a derby of few chances at either end.

Luke Varney replaced Chaplow at start of the second half and the Blues went close soon after the restart when Johnson inadvertently smashed Tabb’s freekick in from the left over his own crossbar.

On 53 Berra did well to cut out Grabban’s cross from the left, then from the corner Johnson headed wide. Two minutes later Grabban hit a low shot through to Bialkowski which failed to trouble the Polish keeper.

Sears saw a strike blocked on 58 with Town beginning to put the home side under a bit of pressure. Three minutes later, Norwich swapped Nathan Redmond for Cameron Jerome.

Within a minute of coming on the former Cardiff man inadvertently created the second goal for Grabban. Having been forced wide to the left by Berra, Jerome cut in and hit a shot which struck Mings, deflected off Grabban and trickled over the line.

As the Blues looked to get back into the game Ruddy saved from Sears from distance on 67, then two minutes later Parr replaced Bru in the Blues midfield.

It might have been 3-0 in the 73rd minute when Jerome was threaded through on goal but Bialkowski came off his line quickly to save.

Despite the match appearing lost the Blues kept going and twice threatened in the 76th minute. After Ruddy had dropped a cross, the ball was returned into the box and Sears and then Parr both had shots blocked.

With 11 minutes left on the clock new signing Wood took over from 21-goal Championship top scorer Murphy.

Sears almost created a goal for Town in the 81st minute. Tabb took a quick freekick and the former Colchester man chipped a cross over Ruddy but Johnson headed off the line and Sebastian Bassong nodded over.

Three minutes later Mings was booked for a foul on Howson. From the freekick, Canaries skipper Russell Martin stabbed into the side-netting at the far post.

Wood flicked a header wide from a Parr cross after a Town freekick in the 86th minute with the Blues continuing to look for a goal which would never come.

Paul Tierney’s whistle signalled Norwich’s victory - their fourth derby in a row for the first time in their history - a result which sees the Canaries move up to third and the Blues remain in sixth.

While there wasn’t a huge amount in the game and Town had one or two chances, the home side played the more controlled football for the most part and took their best first-half chance, while the Blues failed to take theirs.

The somewhat flukey second goal came at a time when Town were starting to impose themselves on the game. The Blues kept pushing and carved out one or two half-chances but never really looked like getting back into the game once they had gone two goals behind.

Norwich: Ruddy, Whittaker, Martin (c), Bassong, Olsson, Tettey, Johnson, Redmond (Jerome 61 (Hooper 90)), Howson, Hoolahan (Dorrans 83), Grabban. Unused: Rudd, Turner, Hooper, Andreu, Garrido.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bru (Parr 69), Chaplow (Varney 46), Bru, Murphy, Sears. Unused: Gerken, Clarke, Anderson, Benyu. Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire). Attendance: 27,005.


Photo: Action Images



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town93 added 16:06 - Mar 1
It is as simple as this. We are not good enough.
12

IpswichFan26 added 16:07 - Mar 1
So sick of losing to Norwich. Especially with the two deflected goals, they had more luck than us and more quality in midfield. I thought both teams were pretty poor today. But the season isn't over! Let's enjoy the trip to Leeds and go back to our winning ways! Coyb
18

cartman1972 added 16:08 - Mar 1
Absolutely fu@king shi@e, no endeavour, only sears looked up for it. Mings is sadly overrated, tabb is atrocious hoofball is getting boring, will end 8th.
-9

bellazzurri79 added 16:10 - Mar 1
Today was an inexcusable display!

Anyone who puts a positive spin on today was not watching this passionless and gutless performance

Thank fcuk we have somehow managed to get 60 points on the board cos that town team looked no better than Millwall or Blackpool !!!

-3

senduntd added 16:11 - Mar 1
Cartman were you listening to the same game as me? Mings had a great game.
3

superblues9 added 16:11 - Mar 1
Town93 has hit the nail on the head that is a simple fact
-4

TractorBoy666 added 16:12 - Mar 1
Simply our midfield is not good enough. It was so horrible to watch when our midfield have the ball, they do not know what to do with it. The amount of times the midfield have time to bring the ball down and instead they head it to nobody or just put their foot through it. It's so evident we need somebody like Jonny Williams, Bishop is yet the finished article. As for Tabb being on the corners, dear oh dear did the ball actually reach over the first man? Only positive I could take out of that was Sears who probably should have scored his first chance but still the most stand our player in that team today. But remember when we lost to the scum earlier on in the season, we went on to lose 1 in 20, same again now please!
27

Walk_the_Wark added 16:12 - Mar 1
About right- only the idiots on here expected more- sigh.
-1

LowestoftBlue13 added 16:13 - Mar 1
Pathetic performance. Filling the central midfield just doesn't work, we need to play with wingers and give Murphy something to feed off. Drop Smith as he really isn't up to it, play Chambers centre back (his best position) and Parr, an actual full back, at right back.
11

markyh added 16:14 - Mar 1
Totally agree.
Frigging crap. My boys under 9's team would have put more effort in,
-7

GoldieBlue added 16:14 - Mar 1
Getting fed up with these huff & puff performances. Too defensive from the start. Chaplow starting bringing on varney at half time??? Then taking off our best midfielder and the championships top scorer?? Parr should have started. Play our best 11 Mick not your favourites
20

CharlieITFC added 16:14 - Mar 1
Actually not too downbeat, yes we lost, but they weren't exactly miles better. When we lost the derby earlier in the season we wet on to only lose 1 of the next 20. Our fate is still in our own hands, but the lads will need our full support - not people spouting rubbish like "Absolutely fu@king shi@e, no endeavour, only sears looked up for it. Mings is sadly overrated, tabb is atrocious is getting boring, will end 8th."
Onto Leeds on Wednesday, let's get back to winning ways! COYB
12

Satt_Man added 16:14 - Mar 1
First post. That was appalling. What is the point of our midfield? The ball goes over there head al the time and yes you can argue thats the defenders fault however which one of them is running around demanding the ball at feet. Sears was our only good player today. Skuse is a waste of time in midfield. Tabb is a ridiculous excuse for a footballer. Mccarthy why do you buy wingers if you never play them ie stewart, henshall, connolly. We have Murphy whose a beast in the air and the guys who can cross to him are at home playing Fifa because you are too ignorant too play them. Yes they may not defend however they may not have too do as much if we play proper football through the middle or wings. Im appreciative for what youve done saving us from the brink, but man the f**k up and play the correct players not your favourites. Thanks for that town going to be a great sunday night and im looking forward too work tomorrow. Pathetic
15

itfc1981 added 16:15 - Mar 1
They played very poorly, yet we could not take advantage. If we had leveled with Sears from Murphy sure we would have gone on to win.

Their first goal came out of the blue and the deflection made it for the scumster. Second goal typical jammy scum goal.

More intelligent play would have seen us win today, we were not really troubled at the back, Bart 's first real save was from Jerome in the 70min. says it all really

10

BoredWithThisNow added 16:15 - Mar 1
Totally inept and insipid. We are so devoid of ideas and lack the ability to play anything resembling decent football. No plan B, just hoof, hoof, hoof.
3

bellazzurri79 added 16:15 - Mar 1
I'm shocked how anyone can talk positively about any player on the town side today

We must accept that in some matches we should talk honestly and we were an embarrassment today

-7

Kieron_FJ added 16:16 - Mar 1
Poor, today was a painful day, not just due to the fact we lost to the scum but in the manner we lost, once again Norwich get handed a great amount of luck ,deflection and one moment of simply switching off, McCarthy needs to know that the formation and starting XI needs to be change, today tabb and smith were absolutely poor, smith in my opinion needs to be dropped, give him a break for a short while and give him some competition.Put chambers back in the centre and start an attacking full back like parr, dylan connelly and Cameron stewart left out of the squad again when in my opinion they r the only wingers in the club with some flair, Sears is brilliant however and I would be gutted as well as many fans if he is dropped when mcgoldrick is back, mick needs to find a system which is consistent and plays players in their correct position.Still a large amount of the season left to gain points but with the likes of Norwich Around us I still think this is at least one season too early to be promoted. Anyhow onwards and upwards we need a response in the next two games, if not I can unfortunately see us barely achieving top 6.
10

jcITFC added 16:16 - Mar 1
I'll try and keep this rant short..

Sears our best player because he actually ran at defenders and took shots on.
No pace in the team bar sears.
Couldn't string 3 passes together other than along the back four.
Varney on for us, Jerome on for them, no comment.
We panic and boot it long in hope just like a Sunday league team.
We *need* a proven midfielder instead of outcasts from lower teams.
And PACE!
10

airliner added 16:16 - Mar 1
They have a near premiership squad let's not be too despondent onwards and upwards .disappointing but not the end of the world. let this just show how we should have spent a little bit more than we did.
3

DebsyAngel added 16:16 - Mar 1
Gutless. Sears and Murph not given the service. Parr bought on far too late. Couple of lucky moments for Norwich, which of course went their way. Not that impressed with Vardey but this IS his first game, so maybe being a little hasty. Wood will be a decent player once he is over his rustiness. We need to get back on track Wednesday - and FAST.
3

tractorboybig added 16:16 - Mar 1
they have a manager who can read and change a game, a goal keeper who commands the box and a team that pass the ball to each other. Unfortuantly in complete control and look like a team going up
2

Lightningboy added 16:17 - Mar 1
Don't think we really deserved to lose but some of our players look absolutely shot:

Chambers - is NOT A RIGHT BACK,cannot make simple passes or cross.
Smith - has been awful since costing us the Derby game,poor distribution,far too hesitant,needs dropping.
Bru - headless chicken,too lightweight.
Tabb - another headless chicken.
Skuse - too lightweight.
Chaplow - ???!
Varney - see above.

Thought Sears was outstanding,chased everything,unlucky not to score.
Parr needs to play at RIGHT BACK from here on.
We need Hyam's energy back in the middle.

Maybe if Mick gave his eyebrows a trim he'd see all this.
5

Pip50 added 16:17 - Mar 1
Sadly they were there for the taking except we had no game plan no width or quality. Selection and some of the subs. what the fcuk. Hopefully he will resign.
-9

btrevelyan added 16:17 - Mar 1
A poor game from both sides really. I think our biggest problem is that we don't have a plan B. When teams suss us out and counter our direct style of play we don't change anything. We continue to hoof it to Murphy. Happened against Reading, Derby and plenty of others that we've lost to including Norwich today. We need a plan B when things aren't going our way.
11

Vizslaraner added 16:18 - Mar 1
Reason=money! They have players we have cast offs. Today showed skuse right up! All this he does the dirty stuff and protects is garbage! Tabb tries hard but is not gd enough. This will get down votes but the truth is Tommy needs to be dropped and chambo back in the middle. Parr right back. Every time it goes to his right foot I fill my pants, so unaware of what is around him! Midfield with exception of bru and bish is very poor. If we dnt get out of this division soon we will struggle even more due to no cash. Time to go to holland and the lower leagues and find some gems like Sears who was gd today. Murphy will come again. Still proud to be blue but f......d off losing to this f lot
12


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