MATCH STATS NORWICH CITY: Green, Colin, Drury, Doherty, Davenport, Marney, Hughes, Safri, Huckerby, McVeigh, Lisbie. Subs: Ward, Fleming, Charlton (for Huckerby, 81), Brennan (for Marney, 58), Henderson (for Safri, 45). BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION: Henderson, Reid, Mayo, Carole, Butters, Oatway, McShane, Hammond, Jarrett, Knight, Kazim-Richards. Subs: Blayney, Frutos (for Jarrett, 54), Robinson (for Mayo, 58), Hart (for Oatway, 58), Elphick SCORERS: Brighton: Frutos (67) Norwich: Huckerby (22), McVeigh (41), Henderson (85) TOP CANARY: Pink Un: Gary Doherty PinkUn Poll: Huckerby (40%) ATTENDANCE: 6,624 REFEREE: Phil Joslin (Nottinghamshire) YELLOW CARDS: Brighton: Jarrett (14, foul on McVeigh), Kazim-Richards (19, foul on Drury). Norwich: Henderson (49, foul on Mayo), McVeigh (87, time-wasting). RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: Brighton 2, Norwich 5 SHOTS OFF TARGET: Brighton 9, Norwich 7 CORNERS: Brighton 5, Norwich 4 FOULS:  Brighton 6, Norwich 12 OFFSIDES:  Brighton 1, Norwich 6

Saturday October 1, 2005

RICK WAGHORN

The upsurge in Norwich City’s fortunes continued in no uncertain fashion at Brighton and Hove Albion, as the Canaries cruised to a 3-1 success.

A stunning second-half strike from Albion substitute Alexandre Frutos briefly threatened to derail Norwich’s smooth passage towards their second away success of the season, but once Ian Henderson had swept home his first goal in two years to restore City two-goal advantage, so the result was never really in any doubt following those first- half strikes from first Darren Huckerby and then Paul McVeigh.

City manager Nigel Worthington had set his sights on back-to-back league wins straight after the midweek success over Hull.

Today his players answered that call in impressive fashion and left the Canaries in a buoyant mood going into the international break.

With Dean Ashton set to return for Norwich’s next game – at home to Millwall on October 15 – the world looks a very different place from those dark days of Watford away when the Canaries looked a million miles away from being genuine promotion contenders.

As the Canaries began their quest for back-to-back league wins ahead of this month’s two week international break, so the side that ran out at a Withdean Stadium basked in late autumn sunshine was very much as expected.

There was, of course, no Dean Ashton as City’s £3m man stepped out of the fray in a bid to enable that depressed fracture of his frontal sinus time to recover, otherwise it was the same side that performed so effectively against Hull in midweek with everyone recovered from the bumps and knocks they sustained in that 2-1 victory.

The only other change of note came on the bench where a fit-again Simon Charlton returned.

The home side were likewise unchanged from the side that racked up their seventh draw of the season at Leicester City in midweek.

Their only change of note came on the bench where virus victim Gary Hart was included among the substitutes having missed the trip to the Walkers’ Stadium.

With the Seagulls kicking off, it was the home side that were swifter out of the blocks and almost stole into an early lead as Albert Jarrett’s left-wing cross arrowed straight through the Canary box and with striker Colin Kazim-Richards just failing to get the faintest of touches, so the ball skipped merrily on its way and beyond Robert Green’s left- hand post.

Darren Huckerby gives Norwich City the lead with a precise finish which bounced in off the far post.

At the other end Huckerby teed up Paul McVeigh for an ambitious effort at goal, only for the City striker’s back-to-goal effort to fly high and wide of the target.

Moments later and Huckerby, now back in his favoured left-wing role, was racing away from Paul Reid only for his low cross to be just intercepted as the fast-arriving Kevin Lisbie charged headlong into the Seagulls’ box.

With the Canaries beginning to string the odd decent move together and with Huckerby, in particular, involved in most of Norwich’s better spells, so the game produced its first booking in the 14th minute when Jarrett pulled McVeigh to the floor with a neck-high arm lock – it didn’t need too much thinking on the referee Phil Joslin’s part before he reached for his yellow card.

Five minutes later and a second yellow card followed as Kazim-Richards slid hard and late in on Adam Drury – a challenge that found City full-back requiring the urgent services of physio Neal Reynolds before he was eventually cleared to carry on.

With the open bowl that is the Withdean Stadium producing the same pre-season friendly atmosphere that accompanied Norwich’s last visit, chances were few and far between – right up until the 22nd minute when Huckerby swept Norwich ahead.

City captain Andy Hughes and Darren Huckerby celebrate City's opening goal.

It took a smashing ball from man of the moment Youssef Safri to wholly unlock the Seagulls’ defence as to a man, the Brighton defence stepped up and appealed for offside only for Huckerby’s perfectly-timed run to see the Canary winger charge clear through the inside left channel.

As Brighton keeper Wayne Henderson advanced, so Huckerby angled in to the penalty area and taking aim, picked the perfect spot off the inside of the far post to claim his third goal in less than a fortnight.

Having secured that early advantage City’s next task was to either grab a second goal to largely kill the contest, or, failing that, at least ensure that they went in at the interval still a goal to the good.

For Brighton, to their credit, were still full of attacking intent and it needed an excellent piece of defending from Gary Doherty in the 29th minute to slam the door shut on Jarrett — albeit at the expense of a corner.

The City centre half had to be alert again in the 35th minute when a swiftly-taken Brighton free-kick following a Safri handball found Doherty heading the ball clear. The danger was, however, far from over as from a second free-kick moments later, the ball eventually fell to young Brighton midfield prospect Dean Hammond who from 12 yards out, could only blaze his shot high over the Norwich bar with a sea of players blocking the goal in front of him.

Darren Huckerby celebrates his opening goal with his City team-mates and the away supporters.

With chances starting to fall at either end, an excellent forward run from Jurgen Colin forced a City corner from which McVeigh’s near-post volley was hurriedly blocked.

On the 39th minute Marney had an even better opportunity to extend City’s lead when Drury’s deep cross found the on-loan Spurs star escaping the attentions of his marker, only to see his half-hit volley bobble a yard wide of Henderson’s right hand post.

Two minutes later Norwich’s dreams of a second potentially killer goal were answered when McVeigh grabbed his first goal of the season.

Davenport’s deep free-kick found Seagulls’ left-back Kerry Mayo having a complete nightmare in front of a lurking Marney who could scarcely believe his luck as the Seagulls’ defender hopelessly misjudged the flight and having been granted the freedom of the Brighton box, Marney calmly picked out McVeigh who managed to bundle the ball home ahead of Paul McShane from no more than four yards out.

It was McVeigh’s first goal since his fabulous strike at Manchester United last August. More importantly it put the Canaries within easy reach of a much needed, back-to-back league win.

Deep into first half injury time the Canaries had a perfect opportunity to wrap the game up as McVeigh’s ball wide to Huckerby again found Reid struggling and as the Canary winger once more found himself bursting in unmarked into the Seagulls’ box, so his second goal of the afternoon appeared to be beckoning.

Unfortunately, despite having a better angle than the one for his earlier strike, Huckerby’s aim was twoyards off as the ball skidded away beyond the far upright.

Half-time: Brighton 0, Norwich City 2

As the two teams re-emerged for the second period, it was swiftly clear that City boss Worthington had been obliged to make his first change of the afternoon with young Ian Henderson replacing Safri.

Paul McVeigh forces home City's second goal past Brighton goalkeeper Wayne Henderson.

It can only have been injury related with the Moroccan international reported to have been feeling a slight groin strain in the run-up to this afternoon’s game.

With a huge World Cup qualifier to come against Tunisia next weekend, and more importantly with the Canaries 2-0 up, the Canary boss obviously decided not to risk his star asset any further and off he went.

Formation wise that found Marney stepping inside to partner Hughes with Henderson adopting his usual role on the right-hand side of the midfield.

Henderson soon made his presence felt when he became City’s first player in the book in the 49th minute as he found himself tangling with Mayo.

Indeed, Henderson could consider himself slightly lucky that it was only a yellow after aiming a sly backheel kick at Mayo as the two briefly wrestled in front of the referee.

As for the football action it was Brighton threatening but with Doherty, in particular, in typically commanding form, so Green had yet to make a save of note.

The first of a flurry of substitution arrived in the 54th minute when Jarrett was replaced by Alexandre Frutos.

Four minutes later and the fourth official was even busier as Jim Brennan replaced Marney who was suffering from what appeared to be a left ankle problem, while the Seagulls made a double substitution when Hart and Jake Robinson replaced Mayo and Charlie Oatway.

Paul McVeigh celebrates scoring his first goal since the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford last season.

In amongst all this, City had their best chance of the second period when Colin’s deep free-kick towards the penalty spot found Henderson coming and missing with a punch enabling a brave Lisbie to send a looping header towards an empty goalmouth, only for the ball to loop tantalisingly wide of the keeper’s left hand post.

Twice in the space of a minute City almost ended the contest. First a brilliant piece of individual skill from Lisbie left McShane for dead as he released Huckerby in behind the Seagulls’ back four.

Having reached the by-line, his pullback found Henderson arriving on the penalty spot and his first-time effort needed a fine diving save off the legs of namesake Wayne Henderson for the danger to be cleared.

Even then City were back knocking on his door as from Huckerby’s swiftly-taken corner, the Canary winger floated a gentle cross along the edge of the Brighton six-yard box where McVeigh’s glancing header found the Seagulls’ keeper producing a second excellent save.

Whether Norwich would have cause to regret such misses became something of a key point in the 67th minute when Brighton pulled a goal back through substitute Frutos.

Once again the City defence had successfully cleared their lines – or at least so they thought, only for the newly arrived Frenchman to produce a glorious 25-yard shot that smashed high into the top right-hand corner of Green’s goal.

From looking as if it was going to be a comfortable afternoon’s work at the Withdean, suddenly the nerves were jangling as Brighton pushed forward in search of a leveller.

With the alarm bells starting to ring every time Brighton moved into the City half, Norwich were leaning heavily on the Doc’s defensive durability.
Likewise they also had to hope that as Brighton charged forward, so Norwich could catch them on the counter – a hope that almost materialised in the 79th minute as Lisbie, Hughes and Huckerby broke clear, only for McShane to save the situation with an excellent last-ditch tackle on the Canary winger.

The tackle appeared to leave Huckerby feeling a knock for within two minutes he was off and Simon Charlton was on as the Canaries were forced to reshuffle their pack yet again.

With seven minutes of normal time remaining, Green needed to be at his alert best as Knight sent a dipping shot goalward, forcing the Canary keeper into a fine one-handed tip over his bar.

With five minutes of the game remaining the Canaries finally made sure of the points when Henderson grabbed City’s third.

It owed much to McVeigh’s vision as his first-time flick set Henderson free and after racing into the Brighton box, so the England U21 striker finished with real aplomb as he sent a fine left- foot shot away beyond Wayne Henderson’s despairing dive.

Before the end there was still time for one more booking as McVeigh found himself incurring the referee’s wrath for a spot of time-wasting – a rare blemish on an otherwise tidy afternoon for the Canary striker.

With the fourth official announcing that there would be a minimum of three minutes of added-on time, the visitors had a little more work to do but with Doherty in such commanding form alongside his new pal Davenport, so the Canaries were cruising to a comfortable away-day success.

Result: Brighton 1, Norwich City 3