City double Oldham!

Norwich City 2 Oldham 0
 
Norwich produced another wonderful display of patient and attacking 
football to deal with the latest challenge at fortress Carrow Road, to 
see off Oldham Athletic and maintain their grip on third place in the 
league.
 
The 2-0 scoreline could and should have been higher as Paul Lambert's 
side carved out chance after chance in the first half. Leading marksman 
Grant Holt opened the scoring after twenty minutes after a pinpoint 
cross from Chris Martin. Wes Hoolahan doubled the advantage 13 minutes 
before half-time with a sublime curling left-foot shot.
 
After the break the Canaries never really reached the heights of the 
first half and were indebted to Fraser Forster who produced two great 
saves to protect his side's lead.
 
The City boss made just one change, with the unfortunate Stephen 
Hughes dropping to the bench to accommodate the fit-again Darel 
Russell, at the base of the successful midfield diamond.
 
Adam Drury had recovered from the injury that prevented him from 
starting the second half in the midweek victory at Southend.
 
Oldham's Dave Penny, who has nearly a starting side out injured, had 
to make more changes to face the in-form Canaries. Joe Jacobson started 
in place of the suspended Alex Marrow, while surprisingly Dale Stephens 
made his first start since joining the club in 2008. 
 
Oldham kicked off towards the Barclay end, but immediately lost 
possession to their hosts who carved out the first opportunity of the 
game. Lappin's left wing cross evaded Chris Martin, with the diving 
Grant Holt inches away from connecting with the ball at the far post.
 
From a free-kick, following a foul on Wes Hoolahan just inside the 
Oldham half, Martin was released through the inside right channel and 
although pushed wide, he got his low shot on target, but not past the 
outstretched dive of Darryl Flahaven.
 
In the sixth minute the Canaries earned the game's first corner and 
with Oldham struggling to get out of their half, they could do nothing 
to prevent City winning two more.
 
As the game entered the 10th minute the Lactics just couldn't get hold 
of the ball as City stroked it around their penalty area. The move 
ended with Russell's shot deflecting off a defender, although Flahaven 
on loan from Championship Crystal Palace, dived to his left to safely 
gather it. 
 
In the 12th minute Drury left Sean Gregan seeing stars, with his 
venomous left foot shot hitting the Lactics' captain straight in the 
face. But after treatment he continued showing no ill effects.
 
Oldham's first shot at goal didn't come until the 20th minute and then 
Dean Furman would have wished the ground could have opened and 
swallowed him up, as the ball went out for a throw in front of his own 
fans!
 
In the very next minute, the City players showed him how to do it! In 
a swift break from the back Russell Martin, making his home debut, 
found his City namesake Chris who charged down the right wing. He 
delivered the perfect cross to the far post for his striking partner, 
Holt, who headed it back past the keeper into the roof of the net. 
 
In the 28th minute the home side came very close to doubling their 
lead. Russell floated a free-kick to the back of the Oldham area, where 
Jens Berthel Askou rose to head towards the near post. With Flahaven 
stranded Martin's header glanced off Jacobsen to deflect it past the 
far-post.
 
City did deservedly double their lead in the 32nd minute after another 
glorious sweeping move that Oldham could do nothing about. Lappin found 
the over-lapping Drury wide on the left, before City's left-back 
crossed to the far side of the area, where Korey Smith controlled and 
found the lurking Hoolahan. He cut inside the defender before planting 
a curling left-foot shot past Flahaven's despairing dive to his right, 
with Gregan's head only helping it on its way into the net.
 
In the 41st minute Oldham's left-back Paul Black found himself in 
space just outside the City area and for a split second it looked as 
though the 19-year-old's cross was going to catch Fraser Forster out. 
But the City keeper watched it go harmlessly over the bar.
 
But the first half ended with City once again dominating the play, 
producing some wonderful flowing football. Two of these moves 
culminated in Hoolahan having shots blocked, with the second falling to 
the astute Martin who from a tight angle had his shot blocked by the 
keeper. 
 
HALF-TIME:
 
There was no change as the second half got under way with City pushing 
Oldham back into their own area. This time it was Academy graduate 
Smith who latched onto Hoolahan's ball in behind the defence, although 
his second touch let him down as his shot went over.
 
This prompted Penny into making a change with the ineffective on-loan 
striker Paul Heffernan being replaced by Keigan Parker in only the 49th 
minute.
 
In the 55th minute Chris Martin's snapshot from well outside the 
Lactic's area had Flahaven frantically diving across his goal, but 
fortunately for the veteran keeper it drifted over the bar.
 
City continued in complete control of the game and had the Oldham 
players chasing shadows with their fans ironically shouting 'we've only 
had one shot so far'. Twice within two minutes Martin and then Smith 
went close with headers.
 
Holt's persistence won his side another corner in the 66th minute and 
although initially cleared, the rampant Canaries attacked again. The 
ball crossed from right to left with Russell, Russell Martin and Lappin 
all involved to set Holt up, but the striker cleverly dummied it for 
Martin. The Beccles born striker's shot was blocked by the prone 
Gregan.
 
For the first time in the game the referee incurred the wrath of a 
very jubilant Barclay end as he missed a clear elbow by Parker in the 
face of Drury on the edge of the Lactic's area, having not even given a 
free-kick.
 
Another first in the game occurred in the 71st minute as Forster had 
to make a save to deny Parker who had broken free of the Canaries 
defence. They recovered their steely composure to easily deal with the 
resulting corner.
 
The Oldham boss then made another change, replacing Furman with Ryan 
Brooke. Lambert followed suit shortly afterwards bringing on the pacey 
Luke Daley in place of Martin.
 
Gregan then received a caution for a crude challenge, that left City's 
leading striker Holt writhing on the floor. This was followed by 
Anthony McNamee, on loan from Swindon, making his Norwich City debut, 
in a like-for-like switch for Hoolahan, who received a well-deserved 
standing ovation.   
 
In the 86th minute Forster was alert as Oldham produced a late spurt, 
but he responded with a one-handed stop to deny Danny Whitacker, to 
preserve his seventh clean sheet of the season.
 
Deep into the four minutes of added time the lively Daley set City up 
on another attack, finding Russell Martin pushing forward on the right. 
His cross was well controlled by Holt waiting in the area, who twice 
lifted the ball over a defender, but just couldn't get the ball down to 
have a strike at goal.  
 
FULL-TIME: City 2 Oldham 0
 
 
TEAM LINE-UPS:
 
City:  Forster (GK), Drury, Martin R, Holt C, Doherty, Hoolahan 
(McNamee 82), Martin C (Daley 78), Lappin, Russell, Smith, Berthel 
Askou
 
Unused Subs:  Steer (gk), Nelson, Hughes, Adeyemi, McDonald.
 
 
Oldham:  Flahaven, Whitacker, Smalley, Lomax, Furman (Brooke 74), 
Gregan C, Stephens, Black, Colbeck, Heffernan (Parker 49)
 
Unused Subs:  Brill (GK), Lee, Rowney, Blackman, McKerr
 
 
GOALS:
 
City:  Holt (21) Hoolahan (32)
Oldham: None
 
DISCIPLINE:
 
City: None
Oldham: Furman (27), Gregan (79)
 
 
Referee:  Mr David Phillips
 
Attendance:  24,404