Norwich City 3 Yeovil 0
Mark Burchett and John Maiden report on City's 14th home win
The Canaries extended their lead over Leeds at the top of League One to 7 points with a comfortable home victory over Yeovil.
The home side got off to the perfect start with Wes Hoolahan scoring after just 104 seconds and although they didn’t create much more before the break, City took a stranglehold in the second half. Goals from strike partners Chris Martin and Gary Holt sealed the win.
Paul Lambert had only made one change from the squad that came away victorious from Oldham last week. Stephen Elliott on loan from Championship side Preston took Tom Adeyemi’s place on the bench and made a 13-minute appearance to lead the line with Johnson.
For the visitors, Terry Skiverton, also only made one change, with striker Dean Bowditch replaced by Ryan Mason, who came on for the ex- Ipswich man suffering from a hamstring injury last week at home to MK Dons. This meant they only had six on the bench and no goalkeeper.
Although Yeovil kicked off towards the Barclay end, the league leaders were immediately on the offensive winning a corner in only the second minute and then opening the scoring from it. Anthony McNamee’s out- swinging flag-kick from in front off the Aviva Community Stand was met with a firm header by Gary Holt at the near post. Although it was blocked on the line, with Yeovil’s keeper Alex McCarthy stranded, Hoolahan tapped it home from one-yard out. It was the Irishman’s first goal since the Boxing Day win over Millwall.
Then in the 10th minute a long diagonal ball from Michel Rose into the area was met by Chris Martin, but his glancing header wasn’t powerful enough to trouble Yeovil’s keeper.
A combination of Holt, McNamee and Hoolahan opened up Yeovil again in the 14th minute, but Chris Martin’s centre was weakly volleyed wide by McNamee and Lappin was unable to retrieve the ball before going out for a goal-kick.
A rare Yeovil attach resulted in them winning their first corner in the 15th minute. Arron Davies took it, but Russell Martin kicked it up high, before it was eventually cleared.
The action switched back to the other end, where Holt produced a swerving shot from 20 yards out that McCarthy did well to hold low down to his left.
Craig Alcock held Russell Martin back as he shaped up to cross from the right by-line. The City right-back took resulting free kick, but Chris Martin’s strong side footed shot was blocked by a very packed visitors’ defence.
More pressure from City resulted in a careless clearance by Arron Davies gifting the Canaries a 21st minute corner. This time however, a commanding McCarthy rose to claim McNamee’s kick.
After that whirlwind start, as the game reached the halfway point of the half, the home side continued to have the lion’s share of the play without getting a clear sight of McCarthy’s goal.
The best were a 33rd minute McNamee corner that was met perfectly by Holt, but this time his header looped over the visitor’s bar. Then McNamee tried his luck with a curling shot from the inside right channel but McCarthy was wise to it, claiming the ball safely above his head.
City should have ended the half as they began it, but their leading striker somehow put his shot into the side netting of an empty goal. Even after a neat 1-2 with Chris Martin, Holt still had a lot of work to do, but he moved away from the defence and coolly went around the keeper, before he missed, hanging his head in embarrassment.
HALF-TIME: City 1 Yeovil 0
Yeovil made a double change at the start of the second period with Davies and Mason replaced by Andy Welsh and Aiden Downes. For Downes, it was his first appearance of the season having had the double frustration of a cruciate ligament and shoulder injuries last summer!
These changes made little difference to the pattern of play as they struggled to prevent City’s domination of the game.
There was a break in play in the 60th minute when Rose needed treatment after taking a knock to the head. Immediately after this the home crowd were sparked into life, not by the goalmouth action on the pitch, but news filtering through of Leeds going behind at home to Brentford.
The ball was changed in the 65th minute after the referee felt it was too soft.
Then followed the best move of the second half. After a quick interchange of passes between Hoolahan and Lappin, the Scottish midfielder floated his shot to the far top corner of McCarthy’s goal, which the keeper at full stretch could only push over for another City corner.
This raised the self-belief of the Canaries and in the next minute they doubled their lead. McNamee’s cross saw Chris Martin rise to head it away from McCarthy and the ball fell very nicely for Holt to double his side’s lead and atone for his miss in the first half.
The Canaries sealed the victory in the 75th minute, when Chris Martin exchanged passes with Holt to set the Beccles born striker up with just McCarthy to beat. Although the keeper dived low to his left the ball had enough power on it to go underneath McCarthy’s body and over the line.
Lambert then changed his strike force replacing Chris Martin and Holt with Oli Johnson and Stephen Elliott, respectively.
Jean-Paul Kalala earned the games only booking in the 83rd minute for a late challenge on Korey Smith. The industrious midfielder was the next to have a strike at goal, from over 25 yards, which was blocked by Steven Caulker.
Matt Gill then came on for only his 9th appearance of the season, replacing Hoolahan who deservedly received a standing ovation from the capacity home crowd. The Yeovil boss followed suit, substituting Tomlin for Kieran Murtagh.
Elliott showed some skill to get round left-back Nathan Smith, before testing the Yeovil Keeper. Although it lacked any real power and was a comfortable take for McCarthy.
FULL-TIME: City 3 Yeovil 0
TEAMS: City: Forster (GK), Rose, Nelson, Doherty, Russell Martin, Hoolahan (Gill 87), Lappin, Smith, McNamee, Chris Martin (Johnson 77), Holt (Elliott 77)
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