Norwich City 1 Stoke 0

After losing to local rivals Crewe in midweek the last team City wanted to face next was top of the table Norwich. However, the Potters put in a brave and determined performance and could have snatched a point.

Stoke were without 5 key players. Gifton Noel-Williams, John Eustace and Lewis Neal are all still to recover from their injuries and Sebastian Svard and Marcus Hall joined them on the sidelines after injuring themselves during the midweek defeat.

It was no surprise that Norwich made all of the early running then. They were controlling play but Stoke were looking solid at the back and the first time the Canaries had a sight of goal was through Darren Huckerby after 18 minutes but Ed De Goey saved well. Huckerby dragged another shot wide of goal before Stoke’s best spell of the match.

City were coming into the match and Peter Hoekstra tested the ‘keeper from 18 yards. It looked as if they would go in at half time on level terms until Damien Francis found space down the left to cross for Mathia Svensson who shot into the roof of the net from six yards out right on the stroke of half time.

Five minutes into the second half it looked like it was all over when Gerry Taggart was harshly adjudged to have brought down Gary Holt inside the penalty area. Darren Huckerby got up to take the penalty but De Goey saved superbly, tipping the ball around the post for a corner.

This spurred the Potters on and there was real hope of returning home with a point. Kris Commons was brought on to replace Brynjar Gunnarsson and the added width caused the Canaries problems. The front two for City were working hard but it must be said the team misses Noel-Williams as Asaba and Akinbiyi once again failed to look like a decent partnership.

Norwich came close again through Francis and substitute Iwan Roberts but Stoke must have thought they had a point with 15 minutes to go. Akinbiyi was fouled on the edge of the area and Kris Commons lined up to take the free kick. He crossed for Gerry Taggart who’s header seemed destined for the back of the net until a world-class save from Robert Green showed why he has been called up to the full England squad.

After this, the Potters goal threat disintegrated as Norwich defended stubbornly and showed why they are top of the table with a professional performance in the last quarter of an hour so.

City were unlucky not to get a point but will kick themselves for conceding when they did. However it was a good performance from an under-strength side and it was good to see us matching another top side in the division.