MATCH STATS NORWICH CITY: Green, Colin, Drury, Shackell, Fleming, Marney, Hughes, Safri, Brennan, Ashton, McVeigh. Subs: Gallacher, Doherty, Jarrett, Lisbie (for McVeigh, 72), Henderson (for Marney, 82). PLYMOUTH ARGYLE: Larrieu, Barness, Brevett, West, Aljofree, Norris, Doumbe, Wotton, Djordjic, Chadwick, Evans. Subs: McCormick, Buzsaky (for Djordjic, 82), Capaldi (for Brevett, 75), Gudjonsson, Derbyshire (for Chadwick, 73). SCORERS: Norwich: Doumbe (og, 20), Ashton (37) TOP CANARY: EDP: Andy Hughes Pink Un: Dean Ashton PinkUn Poll: Paul McVeigh (36%) ATTENDANCE: 23,981 REFEREE: Barry Knight (Kent) YELLOW CARDS: Norwich: Colin (44, unsporting behaviour) Plymouth: Evans (44, unsporting behaviour) RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: Norwich 5, Plymouth 5 SHOTS OFF TARGET: Norwich 8, Plymouth 6 CORNERS: Norwich 9, Plymouth 7 FOULS:  Norwich 18, Plymouth 19 OFFSIDES:  Norwich 5, Plymouth 0

Saturday September 10
RICK WAGHORN

Norwich City finally got back to winning ways with a relatively comfortable 2-0 home success over Plymouth Argyle.

An own goal from Matthias Doumbe set Norwich on their way and once Dean Ashton had grabbed his fourth goal in seven league games, so the result was never really in much danger.

Indeed, Ashton almost capped an excellent individual performance with two more goals after the interval, only to be denied on both occasions by the width of a post.

In fairness to managerless Argyle, they too twice saw the woodwork denying them, while Robert Green needed to be at his very best to push a searing drive from the Pilgrims’ skipper Paul Wotton wide shortly before the interval.

But in the end, with a clutch of fine individual performances across the team, Norwich held on and a much-relieved Carrow Road crowd could go home hoping that City’s new found confidence — not to mention that first set of three points — will hold them in good stead come Tuesday night’s trip to Watford.

As the Canaries continued in their desperate quest to wrap up their first league victory of the new season at the seventh attempt, so all eyes were on the substitutes bench where new loan signing Kevin Lisbie waited to make his Norwich debut.

With both Leon McKenzie and Peter Thorne out for at least a month with their respective knee and ankle injuries, the large situations vacant sign alongside Dean Ashton found Paul McVeigh operating in the hole behind City’s £3m man.

Further changes came in the shape of Adam Drury’s return at left back following Simon Charlton’s injury, whilst Darren Huckerby’s two match ban enabled Andy Hughes to return to central midfield as Dean Marney switched away to the right.

Paul McVeigh (above) lets fly with the effort that eventually ended up in the back of the net courtesy of Mathias Kouo-Doumbe (below).

Plymouth arrived with their own share of problems after this week’s dismissal of manager Bobby Williamson.

In charge for the televised clash was Williamson’s number two, Jocky Scott who was handed a free reign in his caretaker role and had little hesitation in throwing both Nick Chadwick and Hasney Aljofree back into his starting plans in a new-look 3-5-2 formation.

With the visitors kicking off, it was Norwich who opened the game the brighter with Hughes sweeping an excellent third minute ball out wide to Ashton, only for the City striker’s low cross to be intercepted by the first defender, as McVeigh lurked on the edge of the six-yard box.

Urged on by some fantastic home support, City’s best chance of the opening spell arrived in the 11th minute when a wonderful flick from McVeigh over the last defender set Ashton on his way to goal.

Once again the ball did the Canary striker few favours as it held up beneath his feet — more troubling was the arrival of Matthias Doumbe with the faintest of nudges into Ashton’s back that had the desired effect as the Canary front man went tumbling deep in the Plymouth box.

Referee Barry Knight was, however, wholly unimpressed at Norwich’s long and loud appeals for a penalty and once again Ashton was left to ponder what might have been.

By now Norwich were firmly in command as they forced three corners on the back of Marney and Safri’s clever prompting.

From the third, Marney’s deep corner found Ashton rising high above West at the far post only for his forceful header to fly a yard over Romain Larrieu’s bar.

In fairness to the Pilgrims they almost responded in spectacular fashion when Argyle skipper Paul Wotton latched on to a loose ball 10-yards outside the City box and sent a swirling 25-yard shot against Robert Green’s left hand upright.

Buoyed by that shot Plymouth forced a corner of their own and it needed two desperate blocks from first Drury and then Shackell to avert the danger. Moments later, however, and Norwich nerves eased slightly when the home side took the lead.

Norwich City players congratulate Paul McVeigh for creating Norwich City's opener against Plymouth Argyle.

Hughes had the foresight to sweep the ball wide to McVeigh, who was granted the freedom of the right hand side, and had little hesitation in darting into the Plymouth box.

His final shot found Larrieu palming the ball away — right into the knees of the covering Doumbe who watched in horror as the ball trickled into the bottom corner from little more than five yards out.

It was precisely the piece of good fortune that Norwich had been crying out for — likewise it probably summed up a miserable afternoon for the Devon side.

The question now of course was whether Norwich could build on that early success and go on and claim their first three points of the campaign.

With Jurgen Colin pushing forward to far better effect, Norwich continued to look good value for their lead as the contest ticked past the half hour mark.

There was, however, a real sense that a second goal would calm everyone’s nerves — the prospect of Norwich letting their grip on the game slip again was just too awful to contemplate.

Marney was again enjoying himself and it was a sign of his growing confidence that he opted for a spectacular shot at goal in the 32nd minute which flew well over the Argyle bar.

Right on cue the second goal arrived in the 37th minute and who else but Ashton was there to score it — his fourth goal in seven games.

Dean Ashton gets the better of Plymouth defender Doumbe to volley home Norwich City's second and his fourth goal of the season.

Once again much credit has to go to Colin and Hughes who worked themselves into an excellent position down the right hand side before the Dutchman swept a teasing ball along the edge of the Pilgrims’ six-yard box.

Even then Ashton looked second best as Doumbe covered. But once the Plymouth defender got himself into an almighty tangle, so the Canary striker was presented with the simplest of first time volleys to stab the ball beyond a horribly stranded Larrieu.

With the confidence visibly flowing back into the home side, Ashton almost drilled home the third in the 41st minute following another excellent City move.

Marney’s smart angled ball into the feet of McVeigh onto the edge of the Plymouth box found the City striker teeing up Ashton perfectly for a first time, left foot strike that arrowed to Larrieu’s right and forced the Plymouth keeper into a fine save.

The first sign of Plymouth’s growing frustrations arrived in the 42nd minute when long serving striker Micky Evans became entangled with Colin as Plymouth looked to take an indirect free-kick inside the Norwich box.

That prompted a large scale push and shove session with Brevett and Safri also exchanging words.

In the end referee Knight settled for just two yellows — one to Colin and one to Evans. When the free-kick was finally taken, the ball was eventually rolled out to skipper Wotton and his fierce shot through a crowd of advancing Norwich players found Green in top class form as he produced a wonderful, one handed stop to his right with an alert Jason Shackell on hand to clear the rebound.

Half-time: Norwich City 2, Plymouth Argyle 0

Within three minutes of the restart Norwich came agonisingly close to grabbing the third goal that would effectively end the contest.

Once again it was the product of some excellent enterprising football and McVeigh and Brennan broke down the left before the former switched the ball into Ashton’s path on the edge of the City box.

With nigh on everyone expecting a shot, Ashton instead dinked a delightful little lob over the final defender and into the path of Brennan who was making an angled run across the Plymouth box.

Dean Ashton and Paul McVeigh celebrate Norwich City's second goal.

With his first touch the Canadian international looked briefly to have flicked the ball up and over the advancing Argyle keeper leaving him with an empty net.

Unfortunately the Pilgrims’ number one reacted quickly and with an outstretched hand, pushed the ball off and away.

As if to prove there was still life in the contest yet, on 50 minutes Argyle again hit the Norwich woodwork. Bojan Djordjic fired a left wing cross which appeared to be sailing harmlessly over, only for the ball to drop against the Norwich bar and fall, fortunately off to safety.

City had an even bigger scare in the 53rd minute when striker Chadwick beat Green to another deep, left wing cross only for his header to fly across City’s exposed goal. That third goal could not come soon enough.

It almost arrived in the 55th minute when Ashton picked the ball up on the edge of the Plymouth box and having darted inside, he drilled a rising, 18-yard drive slap, bang against Larrieu’s right upright.

In what was fast developing into something of a nerve-jangling encounter, Green twice had to be on his toes to push first Djordjic’s free-kick around his post before safely clinging on to Anthony Barness’ hopeful 25-yard effort seconds later.

City had one more moment of brief alarm on the hour mark when Green called for the magic spray on what looked like his left knee with City’s third choice keeper Paul Gallacher being a slight surprise inclusion on the bench in the absence of regular number two Darren Ward, an injury to Green was something Norwich could have firmly done without — as they could when Ashton tumbled heavily to the ground following an accidental clash with Wotton which once again required treatment from physio Neal Reynolds.

The two stoppages together interrupted the game’s flow, though few Canary fans would worry about that as long as City maintain their two goal advantage for the next 25-odd minutes.

In the 70th minute Ashton almost scored a thunderous second when his sheer, dogged persistence finally found him with a clear strike on goal through the inside right channel, only for his thumping effort to flick off the far post.

Kevin Lisbie makes his City debut by replacing Paul McVeigh.

In the 72nd minute City boss Nigel Worthington made a long predicted change when new Canary loan signing Lisbie arrived in place of McVeigh.

Quite rightly given his bright and intelligent effort, McVeigh was granted a standing ovation as he left the field.

Plymouth followed suit when they first replaced on-loan Blackburn youngster Matt Derbyshire for Chadwick, whilst two minutes later Northern Ireland hero Tony Capaldi replaced Brevett.

In between time Lisbie had almost marked his first appearance in fine style when he headed home Brennan’s bouncing shot, only for the linesman’s flag to cut short his celebrations for offside.

Seconds later and the Charlton man had a further clear chance when he latched on to a Brennan tackle and sped clear into the Plymouth box, only for a lofty final touch to enable the covering defender and keeper to cover.

With eight minutes of normal time remaining, Marney made way for Ian Henderson while Plymouth made their third and final change of the afternoon when Djordjic was replaced by Akos Buzsaky.

In fairness to Plymouth, they were still pushing for the one goal that might offer them a way back into proceedings and it needed a fine covering tackle from City skipper Fleming to block Derbyshire’s dart into the Norwich six-yard box.

At the other end a wonderful through ball from Safri almost set Lisbie free, only for a more alert defender to whip the ball off his toes with an outstretched leg.

Two minutes of added on time was over and that was that — job done, City had won 2-0 and hopefully that was their season up and running.

Result: Norwich City 2, Plymouth Argyle 0