Canaries in Seventh Heaven

Last updated : 20 December 2009 By Mark Burchett and John Maiden

Norwich City showed a lot of self-belief to overcome a well-organised
and hard-working Huddersfield, running out eventual 3-0 winners.

The Yorkshire side dominated the first half and the Canaries were
fortunate to go in at the break still level.  But a solo-effort from
Wes Hoolahan set Paul Lambert’s side on their way, with further strikes
from Chris Martin and Gary Doherty.

With Jens Berthal Askou and Korey Smith not recovering from the
injuries that kept them out of the Johnstone’s Paint defeat at
Southampton, Lambert named an unchanged line up.

Stephen Hughes had recovered from the calf injury that kept him out of
contention at Southampton to re-join the bench and played a key-role in
City’s second half goal-spree!

For the visitors, former City First Team Coach Lee Clark, made two
changes to the side that beat Gillingham. Antony Kay was suspended and
replaced by Jim Goodwin, while Lionel Ainsworth dropped to the bench to
make way for Anthony Pilkington.

Huddersfield kicked off towards the Barclay end and within the first
two minutes had forced the games first corner, although Adam Drury
headed it well clear.

It wasn’t until the 7th minute that City even got going, culminating
in Wes Hoolahan’s left foot shot from just outside the area, going just
wide of Alex Smithies’ left hand post.

The home defence gave Huddersfield’s striker Jordan Rhodes far too
much space in the box in the 11th minute, as he was able to head what
he must have expected to be the opening goal. But he didn’t count on
Fraser Forster standing up to him to block the danger.

In the 18th minute City won their first corner after Simon Lappin’s
free-kick was headed out. Unfortunately they couldn’t make that, or,
the subsequent one they earned, count.

Against the run of play Darel Russell broke up play in midfield and
fed Chris Martin who was free on the right. As he charged down the wing
Grant Holt and Hoolahan arrived in the middle, but the young striker
attempted to catch Smithies out with a curling shot for the far top
corner, which admittedly had the keeper at full stretch to deny the
Canaries a goal.

Play immediately switched back to the other end, where Rhodes had a
low snap shot that was inches wide of Forster’s right hand post,
although the City keeper had it covered.

Grant Holt was the first to get his head to a 32nd minute corner, but
the second was that of Peter Clarke for the Terriers to clear the
danger.

For the first time in the game, following Darel Russell’s 35th minute
free-kick, the Canaries forced Huddersfield into making errors at the
back.

The home fans thought the tide had finally turned, but Michael Nelson
conceded possession far too easily to Rhodes and suddenly the visitors
out numbered City, but fortunately the City defender got back to redeem
himself and regain possession.

Doherty was penalised for what looked a perfectly fair claim of the
ball, but referee Christopher Sarginson felt he got Anthony Pilkington
first. However, from the free-kick just outside the penalty area and a
yard inside the by-line, the City defence stood firm

That injustice, as the home fans saw it, got them animated for the
first time on a raw December afternoon.

The half ended with the Canaries at last on a par with the aptly named
Terriers.

HALF TIME: City 0 Huddersfield 0

The second half got underway with Stephen Hughes replacing young
Adeyemi, to give City more terrier like bite in midfield.

But Huddersfield continued to take the game to City, although the home
side had a glorious chance to open the scoring in the 52nd minute, but
somehow Chris Martin put it wide when he only had the keeper to beat.

Excellent work by Lappin and Hoolahan on the left hand side of the
Huddersfield area, allowed the Irishman to get in behind Lee Pettier
and cross to the unmarked Chris Martin just outside of the six-yard
area.

But just five minutes later, Hoolahan spared him the embarrassment, to
put City into the lead. He received Lappin’s pass and carried the ball
to the opposition’s area, where he skipped around Peter Clarke before
unleashing a low left foot shot which beat Smithies to his left,

City conceded an unnecessary free kick on the left, but Forster was
alert to catch Nathan Clarke’s goal-bound header.

Then, following a spell of pressure initiated by Holt down the left
and Hughes had done much to keep possession on the right, Russell saw
his 25 yard shot deflect inches wide of Smithies right hand post.
Huddersfield regrouped however, to easily deal with the resulting
corner.

A scything tackle by ex-Ipswich midfielder, Gary Roberts, on Hoolahan,
quite rightly earned him a booking. From the resulting free kick, Holt
controlled the knock down, but could only direct his weak shot straight
at the keeper.

Martin made up for his glaring miss, himself in the 74th minute. He
was very alert to run onto Hoolahan’s long ball, which put him clear of
the defence with only Smithies to beat. Arguably this was a far harder
chance than his earlier miss, but he put the ball confidently past the
keeper’s right.

This brought about am immediate reaction from Lee Clarke, making a
double substitution.  Theo Robinson and Tom Clarke replacing Novak and
Goodwin.

However, it made no difference as Doherty extended City’s lead still
further in the 79th minute, earning him chants from the Barclay of
‘Ginger Pele’! From Lappin’s well-delivered corner from in front of the
snake-pit, Holt got his head to it and as the ball fell the defender
smashed a powerful left foot strike into the back of the net, giving
Smithies no chance at all.

The keeper was then at full stretch to deny Martin a second when he
hit a firm right foot shot from outside the ‘D’ and even then he could
only fumble it out for a corner.

In the 83rd minute Pilkington’s frustration saw him cautioned for a
very late tackle on Hughes.

Desperate Huddersfield defending denied City a fourth goal as both
Hughes and Holt had shots were blocked.

Deep into the four minutes of added-time Holt was still full of
running and chased a long ball, which Smithies rushed to the edge of
his area to claim off the striker’s feet.

FULL-TIME:  City 3 Huddersfield 0



Line-ups:

City:
Forster, Drury, Nelson, Martin, Holt ©, Doherty, Hoolahan, Adeyemi
(Hughes 46), Lapin, Russell

Unused Subs: Steer (gk), Ostemobor, Gill, McNamee, McDonald, Dawkin


Huddersfield:
Smithies, Peltier, Skarz, Collins, P Clarke ©, N Clarke, Roberts,
Goodwin (T Clarke 75), Rhodes, Pilkington, Novak (Robinson 75)

Unused Subs:  Glennon (gk), Butler, Berrett, Drinkwater, Ainsworth

Goals:
City: Hoolahan (57), Martin (74), Doherty (79)
Huddersfield:  None

Discipline:
City:
Yellow Card:  Doherty (41)

Huddersfield
Yellow cards:  Peltier (52), Roberts (72), Pilkington (83)

Referee: Mr Christopher Sarginson

Attendance: 25, 004