MATCH STATS COVENTRY CITY: Marshall; Hall, Ward, Page, Whing; Thornton, Hughes, Doyle, Birchall; John, Kyle (4-4-2). Subs: Hutchinson (for Thornton, 69), Cameron (for Kyle, 69), Osbourne (for John, 81), Adebola, Heath. NORWICH CITY: Gallacher; Drury, Shackell, Doherty, Colin; Robinson, Safri, Etuhu; Huckerby, Croft; Earnshaw (4-3-2-1). Subs: McVeigh (for Huckerby, 49), Henderson (for Etuhu, 65), Fleming, Hughes, Camp. SCORERS: Coventry: Birchall (12), Kyle (63), John (67) MAN OF THE MATCH Pink 'Un: Youssef Safri Pink 'Un Poll: Youssef Safri (21%) ATTENDANCE: 20,006 REFEREE: Jonathan Moss ( Yorkshire). His only game involving City was last February’s 1-1 draw at Hull City, in which he issued four yellow cards. ADDED TIME: First half: 3 mins Second half: 3 mins YELLOW CARDS: Coventry: Page (foul on Robinson, 27), Whing (simulation, 29). Norwich: Shackell (foul on John, 2), Etuhu (foul on Birchall, 22), Robinson (foul on Doyle, 27), Croft (foul, 45) RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: Coventry 4, Norwich 4 SHOTS OFF TARGET: Coventry 5, Norwich 8 CORNERS: Coventry 4, Norwich 5 FOULS:  Coventry 15, Norwich 21 OFFSIDES:  Coventry 4, Norwich 5

Saturday September 9, 2006
DAVID CUFFLEY

Norwich City’s bright start to the season was shot to pieces by Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena.

More than 2,500 Norwich fans made the trip to the Midlands in the hope that their side could continue the impressive form that had taken them to second place in the table.

But goals from Chris Birchall, Kevin Kyle and Stern John shattered any hope Norwich may have had of their first away win of the league season.

Birchall struck first after 12 minutes with a swerving, right-foot drive from around 30-yards after latching on to a headed clearance by Jason Shackell.

The Canaries lost ex-Coventry man Darren Huckerby four minutes into the second half and then two goals in the space of four minutes midway through the half finished off the contest.

Kyle, making his home debut, headed home from a cross by John after 63 minutes and then John saw his close-range effort squeeze home via a deflection.

Former Norwich keeper Andy Marshall had barely a worthwhile save to make on a very disappointing afternoon for the Canaries.

Norwich City manager Nigel Worthington was able to name an unchanged side for the sixth successive game.

Striker Robert Earnshaw shrugged off an injury scare after suffering a sprained wrist playing for Wales against Brazil on Wednesday night.

There were changes on the bench with goalkeeper Lee Camp, who signed on a three months loan from Derby yesterday, replacing 18-year-old Joe Lewis, out for at least another three weeks with a fractured cheek bone.

With striker Leon McKenzie having moved to Coventry but not permitted to play against the Canaries, there was also a place on the substitutes’ bench for Ian Henderson.

Coventry made two changes from the 11 who started their 1-0 win at Hull a fortnight ago.

Andy Whing was recalled at right-back, with 20-year-old Kevin Thornton introduced on the left side of midfield.

There was also a home debut for striker Kevin Kyle, a £600,000 signing from Sunderland, who shrugged off a thigh injury which had been troubling him earlier in the week.

Coventry included former Norwich goalkeeper Andy Marshall, their only senior keeper at the moment, and therefore named five outfield players as substitutes.

Coventry kicked off in bright sunshine and there was an early free-kick for the Canaries when Robinson suffered a bang on the head following a clash with Doyle and the Norwich midfielder was checked over by physio Neal Reynolds before continuing.

Immediately afterwards, there was an angry reaction from the home players and the crowd when Shackell sent John crashing to the ground. Referee Moss showed the Norwich defender a yellow card while home supporters were calling for a red one.

From the resulting free-kick, Page headed the ball back across the Norwich area but the flag was up for offside.

It was a bad tempered start and Stephen Hughes was spoken to by the official following a foul on Croft.

Page was next to concede a free-kick with a challenge on his Welsh team-mate Earnshaw but as the Canaries took it quickly, Etuhu’s diagonal pass towards Croft was just too long for the winger to take advantage.

With seven minutes gone Birchall broke down the right flank and Gallacher had to come out at his near post to gather the midfielder’s low centre.

Another cross from Stephen Hughes from the opposite flank was easier for the Norwich keeper to collect.

There were plenty of free-kicks at this stage and Whing upended Huckerby as Norwich attacked down the left. Huckerby took the dead ball kick himself but in attempting to find Doherty at the far post he over-hit his effort and it went out for a goal kick.

Chris Birchall opens the scoring for Coventry with a 30-yard thunderbolt at the Ricoh Arena. Paul Gallacher has the ball in his sights but can’t prevent it going in.

With 11 minutes gone, the Sky Blues took the lead with a superb goal from Birchall. There seemed little immediate danger when Birchall collected the diagonal pass from the left but from around 30-yards he struck a swerving right-foot shot which squeezed just between Gallacher and the keeper’s right-hand post.

Norwich pushed forward quickly from the re-start and won a corner on the left, Huckerby picking out Doherty, whose header was blocked. The centre-half regained possession but then had his right-foot shot charged down.

Norwich looked a little nervous at the back and Gallacher had to scramble out to prevent a corner when Colin’s back-header left him a little short.

Safri tried his luck from around 30-yards after beating Thornton to a loose ball but Marshall, who had not been seriously troubled up to now, was able to watch the long-range effort sail wide.

With 21 minutes gone Etuhu was next to be shown a yellow card for a high challenge on Birchall.

As the Canaries won yet another free-kick, Shackell rose to head just wide from Safri’s cross and the defender took a bang just above his left eye and needed treatment before continuing.

Birchall posed more problems for Norwich with a mazy run before his cross was hacked clear and the visitors quickly broke through Huckerby.

His cross to the far post was deflected out for a corner by Page but as the flag-kick found its way out to Earnshaw, the little striker was way off target with a left-foot shot.

Robinson earned the third booking for Norwich for a foul on Doyle and moments later, the referee stopped play again to show Coventry’s Page a yellow for an arm raised against Robinson.

With 28 minutes gone, referee Moss made it five yellow cards. Whing burst into the Norwich area and went down under a challenge from Safri but instead of the penalty the home crowd were screaming for, he instead booked the Coventry fullback for what he considered to be a dive.

With half an hour gone Norwich had not really managed to get their passing game going and Earnshaw was having something of a fruitless afternoon. There appeared to be one opportunity for him when Etuhu sent him clear but the flag was up for offside.

Norwich strung together one promising move involving Etuhu, Robinson and Colin but when Croft’s centre was swung across from the right Page was there to head clear.

As Coventry pushed forward again, Shackell had to be alert to whip the ball away from John after Thornton attempted to put the striker clear.
Colin then spoiled an impressive burst down the right with a poor cross to the near post that was cut out by Ward.

The Sky Blues were defending in numbers whenever Norwich counter-attacked and first Earnshaw then Huckerby found too many bodies in their path as they tried to find an opening.

Marshall came out confidently to gather a free-kick from Safri at the far post as Norwich continued to look for an equaliser.

Norwich, however, were not really getting the time and space they had enjoyed in their previous few matches and it had generally been a disappointing half, summed up when Etuhu’s attempted pass to Colin went straight into touch.

In time added on Norwich were awarded another corner but, as Shackell connected with a firm header, the referee blew for an infringement.

Croft earned his third booking of the season in stoppage time when he unended Hall to concede the 20th free-kick of the half.

Half-time: Coventry City 1, Norwich City 0

Two minutes after the re-start Safri tried to set Huckerby clear on the left but once again the Canaries were thwarted by an offside decision.

After 49 minutes, Worthington made his first change of the afternoon when McVeigh was sent on in place of Huckerby, much to the delight of the home crowd. It appeared that the former Coventry man was struggling with an injury.

A long-range effort from Robinson was deflected wide for a corner as Norwich threatened again but their wastefulness from dead-ball situations continued. Safri was next to try his luck from well over 30-yards and his venomous drive flew off the head of Ward and out for another corner.

As Coventry counter-attacked, John almost set up Thornton but Gallacher raced out to kick-clear.

After 58 minutes Safri and Etuhu combined well to create an opening for Earnshaw and the Welsh international attempted a curling effort with the outside of his right-foot but it was some way wide and no threat to Marshall’s goal.

Colin played a one-two with Robinson before pushing the ball wide to Croft but when the winger’s cross came in, Robinson’s first-time shot flew over the top.

It’s all over now: The despair is evident as Norwich concede the third goal.

There was no lack of vocal support for the Canaries from the fans behind Marshall’s goal but they were silenced after 62 minutes when Coventry stretched their lead through Kyle. Kyle started the move with a pass to striking partner John wide on the left and when John’s centre came in, Kyle rose majestically to head past Gallacher.

It was very nearly 3-0 just moments later when an error of judgment by Shackell let in John and his right-foot shot was only inches wide. Colin let fly from outside the area as Norwich attempted to cut the deficit but his effort struck Earnshaw and ricocheted wide.

It was pretty much all over for Norwich after 66 minutes when John made it 3-0. Wriggling past a couple of half-hearted challenges in a packed penalty area, John manage to squeeze in a shot which appeared to take a deflection off a defender’s heel and trickled inside Gallacher’s right-hand post.

By now, Norwich had introduced Henderson for Etuhu and McVeigh moved into a more central position. Immediately, Croft managed to find McVeigh, who was only just off target with a right-foot shot from a narrow angle.

Coventry were now so much in command that they were able to afford the luxury of a double substitution with more than 20 minutes remaining, with Thornton and goal scorer Kyle making way for Cameron and the veteran Hutchison.

Robinson was left hobbling after another challenge on his Welsh team-mate Page but it was Coventry who were awarded the free-kick.

With 15 minutes left, Norwich were looking a well-beaten side and a pale shadow of the team that had performed so impressively in August.

There were so many free-kicks that it was difficult for the game to flow and Doherty was next to be penalised for a shove in the back of Ward.

As the Sky Blues went looking for a fourth goal Hutchison attempted a neat lob in the direction of John but Norwich were again saved by the offside flag.

There was a brief flare-up involving Henderson when the substitute went down in the Coventry area and Page reacted angrily and appeared to duck his head towards the Norwich player. There were one or two niggles going on and Henderson was enjoying something of a shoving match with Whing.

Coventry made their third change with nine minutes left when another of the day’s goal scorers departed the scene with John replaced by Osbourne.

Norwich were now looking only for a consolation goal and a free-kick from Safri could have provided it but Robinson’s header was off target.

McVeigh got into a shooting position but had two efforts, one after the other, blocked in the six-yard area.

Hughes attempted to stretch the home side’s lead three minutes from time with a left-foot drive but it flew harmlessly over the top.

In time added on, Henderson flashed a right-foot shot wide, City’s last chance on a day when they were succinctly second best.

Result: Coventry City 3, Norwich City 0