MATCH STATS NORWICH CITY: Green, Colin, Fleming, Shackell, Charlton, Brennan, Marney, Safri, Huckerby, McKenzie, Ashton. Subs: Doherty (for Colin, 78), McVeigh (for Charlton, 87), Ward, Jarrett, Henderson. LEEDS UNITED: Bennett, Kelly, Butler, Gregan, Harding, Richardson, Einarsson, Derry, Lewis, Healy, Hulse. Subs: Cresswell (for Healy, 78), Douglas (for Hulse, 80), Sullivan, Kilgallon, Blake. SCORERS: Leeds: Hulse (67) TOP CANARY: EN: Jim Brennan EDP: Youssef Safri PinkUn Poll: Brennan/Safri (37%) ATTENDANCE: 25,015 REFEREE: Uriah Rennie (South Yorkshire) EXTRA TIME: First half: 2 mins Second half: 2 mins YELLOW CARDS: Leeds: Hulse (49, elbow caught Shackell's face), Lewis (83, time-wasting) RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: Norwich 7, Leeds 2 SHOTS OFF TARGET: Norwich 11, Leeds 6 CORNERS: Norwich 6, Leeds 11 FOULS:  Norwich 10, Leeds 14 OFFSIDES:  Norwich 2, Leeds 2

Saturday August 27, 2005
RICK WAGHORN

Norwich City’s Championship woes mounted as they slumped to a narrow, 1-0 defeat at home to likely promotion contenders Leeds United.

Buoyed by Dean Ashton’s new signature on a long-term contract, Canary spirits should have been soaring with the stage perfectly set for Ashton to show his worth.

Instead it was Rob Hulse who stole the City striker’s script when he smashed home the game’s only goal after 67 minutes to stretch Norwich’s winless run to five thoroughly frustrating games.

For once again it was not as if Norwich did not create chances — the best of which fell to Ashton just before the break following a stunning cross-field ball from man of the match Jim Brennan. But once the ball somehow got caught up beneath Ashton’s feet and Leeds keeper Ian Bennett stopped Ashton’s eventual stabbed shot with his feet so yet another glorious chance went begging — that moment, that miss summed up perfectly Norwich’s increasingly wretched start to their Championship campaign.

As the two teams were announced, there was little surprise as to whose name was greeted by the loudest cheer from yet another Carrow Road full-house. It was, of course, Dean Ashton whose decision to extend his City contract until the summer of 2009 not only kept a clutch of Premiership vultures at bay but also found the Canaries in buoyant mood.

Teamwise, it came as little surprise to see both Ashton and Huckerby swiftly restored to Nigel Worthington's starting plans after both successfully shrugged off the minor knocks that ruled them out of the midweek Cup success at MK Dons.

Of more surprise was the way City lined-up with the return of Leon McKenzie alongside Ashton, finding Huckerby patrolling on the right-hand side of midfield with Jim Brennan's impressive recent form earning him Huckerby's traditional slot on the left.

In the continuing absence of the injured Andy Hughes, the on-loan Spurs youngster Dean Marney continued in his preferred role of centre-midfield

For the visitors, whose team sheet read like a Who's Who of championship veterans, manager Kevin Blackwell decided not to hand a first start to £1 million new recruit Richard Cresswell who could only open his Leeds career with a place on the bench.

Instead one-time Canary transfer target Rob Hulse partnered one-time Norwich loan signing David Healy with former Wolves skipper Paul Butler returning to the side after missing United's midweek Carling Cup game.

It was Leeds who forced the first clear chance of the half as a second minute corner finally fell to Shaun Derry on the edge of the Canary box but his first-time shot flew high and wide of its mark.

At the other end both Ashton and McKenzie looked bright and lively while Huckerby, too, appeared intent on rifling through his bag of tricks only for the ball to just run away from him at the crucial moment.

In what was fast proving to be a tight and evenly matched contest, City's first clear sight of Ian Bennett's goal arrived in the 18th minute when Marney's pin-point corner found City skipper Craig Fleming peeling off unmarked by the penalty spot and his header looped easily into Bennett's arms two-yards to his right.

In what was a cagey opening from both sides the principal talking point was the success or otherwise of switching Huckerby to the right. Initial impressions were that Huckerby was getting little change out of former Brighton youngster Dan Harding. That said the game still had plenty of positives - in particular a much improved performance from McKenzie who looked bright, lively and sharp. Indeed in the 21st minute McKenzie had City's second effort on goal as he used his formidable strength to wrestle himself free of Harding and meet Ashton's floated cross with a 12-yard header that arced just over.

Jason Shackell receives treatment for what is believed to be a broken nose.

With Norwich beginning to find both the required space and passing to open the visitors up, the game came to a sudden halt on 21 minutes when young Jason Shackell went down heavily following a clash of heads with Hulse which from a distance appeared to leave Shackell dazed and confused.

The arrival of the stretcher hardly boded well either but after several minutes of anxious treatment from Canary physio Neal Reynolds so the game was allowed to continue albeit with Norwich temporarily down to 10 men.

City had a real escape in the 32nd minute when Hulse was allowed to meet an Eddie Lewis corner unchallenged and his thumping 10-yard header smashed straight against the front of Green's crossbar. Even then the danger wasn't over as Hulse looked to pounce on the rebound and it needed a hasty clearance from Brennan for the danger to be averted.

At the other end both Ashton and McKenzie found themselves with the ball at their feet and facing goal only for first Ashton to over-hit his pass to his strike partner before McKenzie drilled a 22-yard shot three-yards wide of Bennett's left-hand post.

It was proving to be something of a dour contest and needed someone or something to light the blue touch paper as half-time approached.

Five minutes before the break and City were slowly starting to make their presence felt.

First Marney whipped in an excellent free-kick from the inside-right channel which flew just wide of Bennett's left-upright.

A minute later and the Canaries enjoyed a man over as Huckerby, Ashton and McKenzie broke free against a back-pedalling Gregan and Butler. From the edge of the Leeds box Huckerby opted to thread the ball to Ashton, only for the ball to somehow get lost beneath his feet as Butler lunged in. In the end, the ball did fall to the England Under-21 striker, only for Ashton to blast his 12-yard chance high over Bennett's bar.

Two minutes before the break and a better chance presented itself after Brennan drilled a fabulous 40-yard ball over the head of Gregan and on perfectly into Ashton's path. Once again it just didn't quite sit up as well as the Canary striker would have liked and as Bennett charged out of his goal so Ashton could only clip a half-hit shot against the Leeds keeper's legs and the opportunity was gone.

Half-time: Norwich City 0, Leeds United 0

As the two teams reappeared unchanged for the second period so Canary youngster Shackell was sporting two cotton wool splints on his nose following his first half challenge with Hulse.

Two minutes later and the same two players were clashing again and once again the 21-year-old City centre-half was coming off the worse as Hulse's elbow smashed into his face and sent him flying. That prompted the first yellow card of the afternoon as referee Rennie called Hulse over.

By that stage City had already come close to breaking the deadlock as Huckerby seized on a slip from Gregan and produced a magnificent, first-time drive which arrowed no more than a foot wide of the junction of Bennett's post and bar.

Rob Hulse celebrates his 67th-minute winner with David Healy.

City had a further scare to survive in the 53rd minute when Kelly launched a deep free-kick towards the far post when Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Einarsson rose above Colin to send a looping header just wide of Green's right-hand post.

As the second half continued, however, it was Norwich who appeared to be stepping up a further gear even if clear-cut chances continued to elude them.

Ashton forced a 63rd minute corner which Huckerby gathered at a second attempt and having jinked his way into the United box saw Harding deflect his shot into the side netting. From the subsequent corner Ashton rose high above everyone only for his header to loop high and wide.

Twice in the space of a couple of minutes Brennan would find himself free through the inside-left channel; twice in the space of a couple of minutes Brennan would fire wide as the goal opened up before him.

Norwich would pay a heavy price for their generosity in front of the Leeds goal when the visitors took an unexpected lead in the 67th minute. Kelly’s deep cross to the far post found the ball popping out through a collection of bodies and as Fleming desperately threw himself into the block so Hulse smashed it home from little more than four-yards out.

City almost responded immediately via a piece of Huckerby brilliance as he tricked and teased his way beyond two white shirts and having cut into the Leeds box his final, deflected shot looped up off the last Leeds defender and on into the waiting arms of a grateful Bennett.

Blackwell opted to make his first change of the afternoon and it sums up Leeds’ current strength in depth that he was able to whistle up a £1 million striker in new-boy Cresswell to replace the tiring Healy.

Norwich continued to press forward and McKenzie was unlucky to see his looping header headed clear by Kelly in front of his own post.

Referee Uriah Rennie acts as a peace-maker as Leon McKenzie and Darren Huckerby take Leeds to task for their time-wasting.

Seconds later and it was Worthington’s turn to ring the changes as Doherty replaced Colin at the back as Norwich switched to three centre-halves and pushed Marney away on the right and tucked Huckerby in between Ashton and McKenzie. The switch almost bore fruit as Huckerby darted goalward in the 80th minute only for Butler to slam the door shut on the edge of the Leeds box.

Blackwell followed suit when on-loan Blackburn youngster Jonathon Douglas replaced goal scorer Hulse.

American Lewis became the next Leeds player in the book in the 83rd minute when he saw yellow for time wasting.

By now Norwich were throwing themselves forward as time and again City would fire either high or wide but rarely on target. McKenzie made a loud appeal for a penalty after he tumbled over Butler, while the same player would flash high into the River End after being released by Huckerby.

In the 87th minute City made their second change as McVeigh replaced Charlton away on the left-hand side of the City midfield.

By now it would take something special for Norwich to prise Leeds apart. Substitute Doherty had a sharp far-post header which Bennett saved comfortably to his left and with two minutes of normal time remaining Norwich were camped firmly in the Leeds box only for the white wall to hold firm.

There was just time for a brief and frank exchange of views between McKenzie and Butler before referee Rennie blew for the final whistle and Norwich had slumped to their second successive Championship defeat.

Result: Norwich City 0, Leeds United 1