NORWICH CITY RESERVES 3-0 COVENTRY CITY RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
Three goals in three minutes saw City Reserves fell to defeat at Norwich.
Now even I have to admit that a trek to deepest East Anglia on a Monday night just before Christmas is a mad one even for my standards.
But Norwich are the newest members of the FA Premier League and as City have not played them at reserve team level at Carrow Road since the 1960's, I thought why not.
Unfortunately my attitude is not shared by the current first team manager who is reported to have told players that they don't have to turn out for the reserves and that he was particularly not too concerned with watching the reserves, hardly a way of inspiring confidence and better performances from those who do play for Steve Ogrizovic's side.
A mad dash up the A14 and A11 saw us arrive at Carrow Road,pay the £3.50 admission price and 20p for a team sheet and get into the brand new stand with seconds to spare.
Coventry with Eric Deloumeaux and Isaac Osbourne at the back were under pressure from the start as Norwich won two very early corners and in the fifth minute,Osbourne cleared from a poor kick out from Scott Shearer.
With yours truly attracting the attention of a jobsworth steward who wanted to know what I was up to,a 17th minute cross from Andy Hall,deflected by Craig Reid, was headed on to his own crossbar by Adam Gusterson.
The Canaries defence banged up and won a corner.
In the 19th minute,Ryan Jarvis got in between Osbourne and Deloumeaux and drove a low left footed shot from twelve yards which Scott Shearer superbly dived to his right to block.
Ten minutes later.Tim Partridge who looked lively down the right,found Kevin Thornton. The Irishman cut in side to push the ball in the direction of Craig Reid who was about to shoot when Olly Willis took the ball off the Coventry kid's feet.
Neil Wood along with Claus Jorgensen were controlling the midfield allowing the Sky Blues to raise the tempo.
The lively Reid was fed by Wood in the 34th minute,he choose to pass to Thornton who sent a thirty yard shot a couple of feet wide.
Both teams then won corners with Norwich's being cleared by Deloumeaux to Neil Wood. A deft ball found Reid who rounded the keeper but under pressure from two defenders fired into the side netting.
Two minutes before the break on a freezing cold night,Norwich striker Ryan Jarvis raced forward,found Deloumeaux in his path and went over the French man's out-stretched leg and Deloumeaux was cautioned by referee Mr Sutton.
Steve Ogrizovic team came out on the attack in the second half with Reid jinking through the home defence and hitting a close range shot which Norwich keeper Darren Ward somehow dived to push away for a 47th minute corner. Wood's flag kick was swung over and fell for Osbourne to hit a shot which Darren Ward and then Gusterson cleared off the line.
Graham Barrett won a corner,Reid won two more and both Osbourne and Jorgensen got in shots as the Sky Blues looked comfortable and likely to come away with at least a point.
Norwich boss Keith Webb made two changes on the hour mark and this changed the course of the game.
In the 68th minute and with Coventry not now winning the second ball, a lapse in midfield allowed Jim Brennan to cross from the right and Ryan Jarvis poked the ball past Shearer from six yards.
I was still cursing the players who allowed this to happen when just over a minute later, Norwich went further ahead when Kevin Thornton lost possession in midfield, Danny Crow raced through shrugged off Deloumeaux and fired low into the net for his seventh goal of the season.
The Norwich supporters in a crowd of 1,483 had just retaken their seats when they were back on their feet applauding a ball from substitute Andrew Bunn who passed for Ryan Jarvis to curl round Scott Shearer's out-stretched left arm and into the net from the edge of the area.
City tried to get back in the match with Wood aiming a free kick straight at Ward and in the 75th minute, Graham Barrett's close range shot saw Ward get down to his right to save, Craig Reid,who has received interest from a Northern Irish Premier Division club, raced in for the loose ball and was clearly shoved, however,nothing was forthcoming from the match official.
Like Reid,Claus Jorgensen was having a good game and in the 83rd minute,he capitalised on a good turn from the Coventry kid and rifled in a right footed effort which Ward dived to push round for a corner.
Andy Hall had received treatment earlier for a knock but it was Neil Wood who was replaced in the 84th minute by Andy Gooding.
With four minutes left,City's Faroe Islander crashed a stunning twenty yard shot against the crossbar with Ward well beaten.
Andy Hall wasted two good chances late on as City crashed to a defeat that they should not have done.
HT NCFC 0-0 CCFC FT NCFC 3-0 CCFC
ATT 1438
GOALS Ryan Jarvis (68,71)
Danny Crow (69)
Booked Eric Deloumeaux
Man of The Match - Craig Reid was a constant threat and Tim Partridge had a good solid game.
TEAM
Shearer,Partridge,Nicell,Jorgensen,Osbourne,
Deloumeaux,Hall,Wood (Gooding 84),Barrett, Reid,Thornton SNU Davis,Belford,Wall,O'Toole
Norwich
Ward,Willis,Drury,A.Smith (L.Smith 59),Shackell,Gusterson,Blackburn,Crow,Jarvis, McVeigh (Bunn 59),Brennan SNU Howell,Holman
