Match Review 2011 - 2012

Back to proper football after the weekend off for international games. Todays visitors Swansea City had also made a decent start to their Premier League season,sitting just 1 point behind the Canaries. Norwich,coming off a brave defeat at Old Trafford, kept the same team for the third straight game. Swansea, with a lot of attacking talent on show,set up with Sinclair, Dyer, Routledge and Graham who are all dangerous on the attack.

Norwich made an ideal start to the game taking the lead after 48 seconds, Bennetts deep cross was superbly knocked down by Morison to Pilkington who smashing home from 7 yards out. Norwich's dream start continued when Russell Martin nodded in a great Fox inswinging free kick. With Norwich in a great position Swansea hit back virtually straight away, Sinclair was double marked on the left he managed to squeeze past both markers and looked like he was fouled in the box, he kept going and pulled the ball back to Graham who's shot hit the far post and went in. A little bit sloppy when you consider how well we'd done to get 2 goals up. This gave Swansea a lift and they started keeping the ball very well with Routledge looking very sharp getting in some really good positions in between out back 4 and midfield. Morison had a decent chance on 22 minutes but his long range shot went well wide, Morison looked to get the better of the Swansea back 4 running the channels well and winning the majority of his headers. While Swansea were having a lot of the ball they weren't really creating anything, Swansea did have a decent shout for a penalty when a Swansea player went down in the box, it could've easily been given seconds later another Swansea player went down but this time he definitely went down too easy. In injury time Bennetts cross hit the bar on it's way out.

Overall,great start by the Canaries but let Swansea right back in the game.the Swans were Dangerous for the remainder of the half with the half time whistle coming at just the right time.

Norwich would have been expecting an onslaught from Swansea but in all fairness it didn't really come,on 56 minutes Pilkingtons great run ended with him shooting high and wide, the quiet Sinclair did well to make half a yard but his shot was poor. Routledge was surprisingly subbed on 60 minutes, I thought he was by far Swansea's best player in the first half and with him going off so did Swansea's major threat . On 63 minutes Norwich got the decisive goal, Barnett challenged for Fox's ball from a corner, the ball looped and dropped to Johnson,it was on to shoot but he showed great composure to play the ball across to Pilkington who swivelled smartly to tap in from 3 yards. The hard working Morison was replaced by Holt. On 71 minutes Holt nearly caught Vorm by surprise with a long range shot,a rebound fell in the path of Hoolahan but Williams did well to make a last ditch tackle. Graham nearly pulled Swansea back into the game, his great run down the right nearly produced a goal but his pull back was miscued by Dobbie who should have done better. To be honest all the pretty play by Swansea didn't really hurt Norwich who were very comfortable second half, Swansea didn't really have a plan B even with the introduction of Lita it didn't change anything.

Overall, a very comfortable second half, Norwich controlled the game and fully deserved the 3 points. Norwich nullified the Swansea threats and Swansea didn't really have an answer.

• Result: Norwich City 3, Swansea City 1

• Norwich City: Ruddy; Naughton, Barnett, Russell Martin, Tierney; Bennett, Fox, Bradley Johnson, Pilkington; Hoolahan (Crofts, 79); Morison (Holt, 67).

 Subs (not used): Rudd, De Laet, Surman, Wilbraham, Jackson.

• Swansea City: Vorm; Rangel, Monk, Williams, Taylor (Richards, 74); Allen, Britton; Routledge (Dobbie, 60); Dyer (Lita, 69), Graham, Sinclair.

 Subs (not used): Tremmel, Moras, Gower, Moore.

• Referee: Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire)

• Attendance: 26,567

• Goals: Norwich: Pilkington (1, 63), Russell Martin (10). Swansea: Graham (12)

• Booking: Swansea: Monk (4)

Elliot Bennett and Naughton put in a unbelievable shift down the right, Bennett one time chasing back 60 yards to make a tackle, Naughton dealt with the dangerous Sinclair without any problems making Sinclair look average on the day.

Pilkington, was in the right place at the right time twice was an outlet all afternoon.

Morison, led the line superbly,won the vast majority of his headers,set up Pilkingtons goal with a deft header,never gave the Swansea centre backs a minute.

Tactically the second half was perfect,the subs that came on helped kill the game.

Russell Martin has been a revelation coming in as centre back,always there to help and talk to Barnett.

It would have been  nice if Morisons play got the goal it deserved.

Naughton-kept Sinclair quiet all afternoon got forward at every opportunity and worked brilliantly with Bennett.

Kyle Naughton

Match report by Darren Huckerby