Once again the Rams did not look out of place trading blows with one of the leagues best. A brave performance should have earned a point but the referee decided he wouldn’t blow the whistle until the Canaries had won.
Monday 26th April
Carrow Road
Ref:A. Haines
Crowd:
26,078
Teams:
Canaries:
Ruddy, R Martin, Whitbread (Edwards 57), Crofts, Holt, Jackson, Surman (Pacheco 71), Hoolahan, Fox (Lansbury 67), Ward, Tierney.
Unused Substitutes: Rudd, C Martin, Lappin, McNamee
Yellow Cards: Lansbury
Goals: Jackson (45, 60, 90+5)
The Rams:
Jones, Brayford, Barker, Ayala, Roberts (Anderson 90), Savage (Hendrick 88), Bailey, Pearson, Robinson, Bueno, S Davies (Ball 79).
Unused Substitutes: Atkins, Addison, Doyle, B Davies.
Yellow Cards: Ayala, Savage, Pearson
Goals: S Davies (54), Bueno (63)
Match Stats:
Possession: Canaries 54% v Rams 46%
Shots On Target: Canaries 12 v Rams 5
Shots Off Target: Canaries 5 v Rams 3
Corners: Canaries 6 v Derby 4
Fouls: Canaries 14 v Derby 11
Most Fouls: Holt (4) v Savage (3)
I. Saw’s Match Report – Ref Running On Fergie Time
Gutted, that’s how we felt as we left Carrow Road yesterday.
Derby had fought back twice and thoroughly deserved a point only to concede a third goal in the additional extra time over the original additional five minutes already signalled and played.
Clearly Fergie time extends to Norfolk. And what a farce the final goal was. With the ball pinging around and a flock of white shirts herded into the six yard box, the ball is cleared off the line before it hits the one Canary in amongst the sheep.
Sod’s Law, the ball ricochets past the budgerigar blue, Brad Jones, and into the net to seal the celebrations of the home side.
Simeon Jackson was that Canary, and perhaps I’m doing him an injustice when I say he knew little about the goal. He certainly was in the right place and the Canadian firecracker had exploded past the Derby defence on numerous occasions beating Gareth Roberts in the air to score the first and delightfully lobbing the flat footed Jones for the second to earn the man of the match award form the home supporters.
It certainly was rough justice on the Rams who had stepped up their game after a disappointing first half, the highlights of which were the head injury when Shaun Barker and Daniel Ayala clashed in the early minutes, a couple of long range shots from both sides and watching Wes Hoolahan dictate play from his role behind the two strikers of Grant Holt and Jackson.
Hoolahan, the young Irish lad was so composed he was certainly my man of the half if not the match, Robbie Savage and James Bailey never got near him all afternoon.
Oh that and of course Norwich’s injury time goal. John Brayford plays the ball out for a throw, Holt takes it quickly, Brayford’s cut-out, Barker not fast enough to cover and the cross into is headed home by 5’8” Jackson who leaps higher than Gareth Roberts with keeper Jones static on the line.
The second half started better, more up-tempo, yet it still came as a surprise when Alberto Bueno’s floated cross found the head of Steven Davies and the striker found the net with his first telling contribution of the afternoon.
Derby’s equalizer lifted the travelling fans and players alike and the game opened up into a cracking contest.
That man Jackson, restored the Canaries lead, spotting Jones off his line, he curled a beautiful effort the flight of which Jones was late in reacting too and the ball nestled in the net with Jones well beaten.
Bueno worked his magic again, this time as scorer as he hit a low shot just inside the keeper’s left hand post to pull the match back to two all.
Norwich by now were all out attack, Derby brought Callum Ball on for Davies and Jeff Hendrick for the legless Savage, two games in two days clear had taken their toll before Russell Anderson came on for Roberts who was carrying a knock.
With five minutes of injury time signalled and the sixth being played, Jackson finally got his hat-trick with the ball bouncing off him into the net.
Cue celebrations, cue the obligatory yellow card for running into the crowd, cue the final whistle, and cue Stephen Pearson earning a yellow for mouthing off at the referee.
Ultimately Scunthorpe losing at Millwall meant the Rams are safe from relegation so the result at Carrow Road mattered little. Except to the team, the management and the fans all of which must have left Norwich feeling gutted.
No amount of sunshine can change that feeling.
So now it’s time for Barker to head off for a knee op, new signings and looking forward to next season.
Nigel Clough wants six new players, we are told. Let’s hope that’s on top of Jamie Ward, Theo Robinson and Frank Fielding.
If it’s not then I predict another long, long season.
Managers Reaction:
Nigel Clough was pleased to be safe but gutted not to have ay least earned a point:
"The late goals have cost us in so many games and todays summed up the last eight months. It has been a recurring theme, but it is something we can address with better players and more experience next season.”
"We felt a bit unlucky today and the lads were a bit frustrated about the amount of time that was added on. We just have to be better in the final minutes of games.”
"This season we have seen a big improvement in our form against the top sides and we deservedly equalised twice today. In the first half we lacked a cutting edge, but in the second half we looked very dangerous and both goals we scored were brilliant.”
"It is just a shame we got nothing from the game."
"We felt Alberto would be well-suited in this sort of game to get on the ball and make things happen, and he did that by making one and scoring one."
"It would have been nice to secure safety off our own backs, but we're safe which is the most important thing. It has been out priority to do that for the last two months or so."
Nigel also felt that now the Rams are safe that it they can really get stuck into preparing for next season:
"We are safe – it's full steam ahead for next season, next season now becomes our priority. We are safe and the first feeling is relief. Six or eight weeks ago we were on a terrible run and plummeting towards the bottom three."
"We dragged it round in the last six weeks with some good performances and great results. Safety was the priority once we got on that terrible run. I think if you'd asked us in January and February, we would have taken safety.”
"It is not the extent of our expectations or hopes but we are safe and there are some big clubs that aren't and haven't been in the past. Norwich weren't a couple of seasons ago and it is unbelieveable how they have turned it round.”
"But they had to dip into League One, as Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City did, and Southampton are down there while Sheffield United might be.”
"But we managed to avoid it. I think Tom Glick said we are at the stage now where we have done this for the last two or three seasons, now we have to move on.”
"Despite being where we are in the League we have got so many positives as we saw against Norwich. We are 17 places behind Norwich. Are we that much worse? I am not sure we are."
Derby County vs. Bristol City
3pm Saturday 30th April
Pride Park Stadium – Derbyshire