Final score: Brentford 2 Norwich City 1
The Canaries continued their painful start to life in League One when they were comfortably beaten by Brentford, with their newly appointed manager, Paul Lambert watching from a seat in the stand and no doubt planning a much needed rescue mission.
The Canaries continued their painful start to life in League One when they were comfortably beaten by Brentford, with their newly appointed manager, Paul Lambert watching from a seat in the stand and no doubt planning a much needed rescue mission.
After a lively and even first half in which both sides created chances, the Canaries struggled to cope after the break. The final score-line flattered the Canaries as their West London hosts carved out chance after chance,
Norwich kicked off, with their fans in full voice behind them and immediately put the home side on the back foot with Cody McDonald blasting a shot just over the bar within twenty seconds!
The Bees responded with marksman Myles Weston chipping Ben Alnwick, but fortunately for the Canaries it landed on the roof of the net.
Wes Hoolahan fed McDonald again but Alan Bennett cleared the ball off his feet.
Sam Saunders then showed his prowess out on the left-wing, as he delivered a cross that cried out for a red and white shirt to be on the end of it, but to City’s relief it sailed harmlessly wide of Alnwick’s far post.
Straight from a Brentford corner, Alnwick threw the ball out to Simon Whaley on the halfway line. He cut inside Danny Foster, but fired his shot straight at goalkeeper Lewis Price, on loan from Championship side Derby County.
Brentford earned theirs and the games second corner, which they took short, but as the ball was lofted into the area the ref blew for a foul on Alnwick.
The home side put more pressure on Norwich with Mark Phillips heading David Hunt’s long throw into the penalty area, just inches wide of Alnwick’s near post.
Gary Doherty cut out a cross at the expense of a corner, which was whipped into the area, but Berthel Askou bravely headed it clear.
Danny Foster denied City a clear chance when he intercepted Holt’s cutback to McDonald, when perhaps the ex-Shrewsbury striker should have had a shot. Then Tudor Jones headed Hoolahan’s corner just over the bar.
This lifted City who had been under pressure. Hoolahan showed some clever footwork, which enabled him to get in a drifting cross to the far post where Tudor Jones again met it, but his header was wide this time.
At last City began to put some passes together to force Brentford back. Whaley rounded left-back Ryan Dickson only to see his cross put out for a corner.
Despite treatment, influential defender Alan Bennett limped off after 27 minutes and was replaced by Karleigh Osborne.
Berthel Askou complained that Carl Cort had backed into him and was furious when the free kick, to the right of the City ‘D’ was awarded against him.Foster’s shot rebounded off the wall and when the ball was put back into the area Berthel Askou took no chances as he headed it out of Alnwick’s hands.. Doherty copleted the clearance at the near post.
Tudor Jones' tenacity in midfield then set up the next attack for City. Whaley’s cross was put out for a corner by Mark Phillips and it was Tudor Jones whose header drifted just wide of the far post.
The game had now become more even with the next action in City’s area, but brave goal keeping from Alnwick saw him deny Weston.
In the 39th minute a quick long throw out from Alnwick found Hoolahan who in turn found McDonald, but the ex-Dartford striker was just inches offside.
Saunders went one better at the other end as he picked up a clearance and fired in a volley on the turn, which Alnwick couldn’t reach but was grateful to see land on top of his net.
Osborne conceded a free-kick right on the edge of his area as he tripped Tudor Jones who had picked up the ball after Whaley had managed to get his foot on it as Osborne attempted to usher it out for a goal-kick.
In first-half stoppage time, Holt unleashed a shot from 20 yards that deflected up off a defender, but Price was alert to claim the ball at full stretch above his head to deny Norwich an otherwise certain goal.
The home side kicked off at the start of the second half, but it was Norwich who exerted the early pressure.
They counter-attacked smartly from a Brentford free kick and Tudor Jones' long clearance was perfect for the lively McDonald. Despite having his shirt pulled by Osborne, the ref penalised the City striker.
Then Berthel Askou saw his 49th minute close range shot cleared off the line. However, the resulting corner went straight into the grateful arms of Price.
That early second-half pressure counted for nothing as the Bees took the lead in the 51st minute. From Hunt’s long throw on the right, Ryan Dickson headed past the out-stretched hand of Alnwick diving to his right.
Holt was then back helping out his defence, taking the ball from Saunders and clearing it over the halfway line.
The whole of the City side had to be very alert as the home side piled on the pressure. A brave block by Drury left him in a heap and Alnwick denied Foster with his out-stretched foot.
City midfielder Gill showed some persistence and won a corner, which gave the vsitors a much needed respite, but Brentford easily dealt with the flag kick and much to the delight of the vociferous home crowd forced the Canaries back into their own half.
Hunt caused the City defence more problems with another of his long throws into the heart of the City defence. As Gill attempted to head it clear, it bounced off his arm and the referee didn’t hesitate to award a free-kick right on the edge of the area. Hunt then stepped up and fired a venomous shot right through the wall, which gave Alnwick no chance at all.
This brought chants from the happy Brentford fans of "we want seven!"
Moments later Norwich made the first change of the evening with Stephen Hughes replacing a largely ineffectual Gill. This prompted the Bees' boss Andy Scott into action as he introduced Steve Kabba to replace Weston, who left the field to a deserved standing ovation.
Frustration got the better of Holt in the 81st minute, which earned him the games first booking.
Ian Butterworth took what could have been his last decision as a Norwich City employee, sending on Jon Ostemobor in place of Spillane.
Martin then forced Price into action with a shot that the ex-Ipswich keeper could only turn round the post. Unfortunately, the resulting corner was not of the same quality..
Brentford made their second change with Cleveland Taylor coming on for Saunders who also received a very well deserved standing ovation from the home faithful.
In the 90th minute the game took a bizarre twist when firstly the fourth official held up the board showing 4 minutes extra time and then, following a foul on Holt, the Canaries grabbed an unlikely consolation goal. Tudor Jones capped off one of the better performances b kicky finding the back of the net with a deflected free kick.
The drama continued as Hoolahan was booked for a foul on Cort, and then Doherty in the six-yard area was only a whisker away from getting his head to the ball ahead of Price.
Line-ups:
Brentford:
Price, O’Connor, Dickson, Phillips, Bennett (Osborne 27), Saunders, Cort, Weston, Hunt, Foster, Wood.
Unused Subs. Bull, Bean, Kabba, Taylor,
Norwich City:
Alnwick, Drury, Gill (Hughes 75), Tudor Jones, Holt, Whaley (Martin 72), Doherty, Hoolahan, Spillane (Ostemobor 83), McDonald, Berthel Askou.
Unused Subs: Theoklitos, Nelson, Lappin, Maric.
