|
| MATCH
STATS |
|  PRESTON:
Lonergan; Pergl, Soley, Chilvers; Hill,
Whaley, McKenna, Pugh, Nugent; Dichio, Wilson.
Subs: Agyemang (for Dichio,
79), St Ledger (for Soley, 82), Mellor (for
Nugent, 85), Sedgwick, Henderson.
|
|  NORWICH
CITY:
Gallacher; Hughes, Dublin, Shackell, Drury;
Doherty, Fotheringham, Lappin, Croft; Brown,
Martin.
Subs: Thorne (for Dublin,
23), McVeigh (for Thorne, 45), Lewis, Eagle,
Colin.
|
 |
| SCORERS:
Preston: Pergl (28), Dichio (43)
Norwich: Shackell (62)
|
|
MAN
OF THE MATCH
EDP: Lee Croft
EN: Chris Martin
NEIL ADAMS: Mark Fotheringham |
|
| ATTENDANCE:
11,601
|
|
REFEREE:
Phil Dowd (Staffs). In the news recently
for his handling of Arsenal’s 2-1
win over Wigan, whose were unhappy at his
decision and his behaviour towards their
players.
Replaced during first half due to
injury.
|
|
| ADDED
TIME:
First
half: 3 mins
Second half: 3 mins |
|
|  YELLOW
CARDS:
Norwich: Fotheringham (dissent, 90)
|
|
|  RED
CARDS:
None
|
|
| SHOTS
ON TARGET:
Preston 5, Norwich 3
|
|
|
| SHOTS
OFF TARGET:
Preston 6, Norwich 7
|
|
CORNERS:
Preston 4, Norwich 6 |
|
FOULS:
Preston 10, Norwich 7
|
|
| OFFSIDES:
Preston 4, Norwich 3
|
|
|
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
PADDY DAVITT
Norwich slipped deeper into the Championship
relegation mire at promotion-chasing Preston.
Peter Grant’s rag tag army paid a heavy price
for a lacklustre opening period as North End went for
the jugular at Deepdale.
Jason Shackell’s goal signalled a concerted second-half
rally after Pavel Pergl and Danny Dichio had cashed
in before the break.
Grant’s mood would hardly have lightened when
news filtered through of priceless victories for Barnsley
and Luton. Leeds and QPR’s dour goal less draw
at Elland Road only served to erode Norwich’s
safety net further.
Rejuvenated Coventry’s Carrow Road visit this
weekend now assumes epic proportions as Norwich strive
to avoid a nerve jangling survival battle.
Dion Dublin’s first-half exit only deepened the
gloom for the depleted visitors.
Grant made four enforced changes from Saturday’s
FA Cup defeat at Chelsea – Norwich’s boss
overhauling the Canaries’ midfield engine room
which had held its own against the Premiership champions.
Mark Fotheringham was given the nod in the absence of
the suspended Dickson Etuhu with Gary Doherty deployed
as the Scot’s minder after Youssef Safri failed
to shake off his weekend exertions. Paul Gallacher deputised
for injured David Marshall between the sticks.
Impressive Beccles teenager Chris Martin earned his
first senior start with Darren Huckerby joining Etuhu
on the sidelines after picking up a fifth booking of
the season in last week’s cup heroics against
Blackpool. Shackell, Lee Croft and Chris Brown all shook
off minor knocks to line up against the promotion-chasing
Lilywhites.
Preston boss Paul Simpson paired experienced target
man Daniele Dichio with England U21 starlet David Nugent
following Michael Ricketts dislocating his shoulder
in Sunday's FA Cup game against Manchester City. Kelvin
Wilson deputised for North End skipper Graham Alexander
at right back with talented wide man Pergl preferred
to Chris Sedgwick.
Dublin nipped to foil Dichio in the opening exchanges
after the dangerous Nugent had out muscled Shackell
before a crunching tackle on the highly rated frontman
earned a stiff lecture from Mr Dowd.
 |
| A worried-looking Dion
Dublin makes an early exit at Deepdale to add to
Peter Grant's injury headache. |
Paul Gallacher came through a crowd scene to decisively
punch Paul McKenna’s free kick clear. The Norwich
stopper beat away Nugent’s angled drive then dropped
on Dichio’s miscue as Preston continued to pen
back the visitors.
Croft jinked down the right flank and cut back an inviting
centre headed over by Martin under pressure from Liam
Chilvers.
Dublin’s header struck the side netting from Simon
Lappin’s quickly taken corner with the Canaries
looking to have weathered the initial onslaught.
Gallacher’s desperate parry evaded the predatory
Nugent inside the six-yard box after the overlapping
Matty Hill had outgunned Andy Hughes.
Martin’s classy turn outfoxed Pugh but Andy Lonergan
easily pouched the confident youngster’s long
range strike.
Shackell’s miscued back pass from the edge of
the box caused momentary alarm with Gallacher left a
stranded spectator as the ball sailed narrowly wide
of his unguarded net.
Doherty’s defensive nous mugged McKenna with the
Lilywhites’ skipper on a powerful midfield surge.
Dichio won his titanic aerial duel with Dublin but
headed over. Norwich’s talisman departed seconds
later. Peter Thorne’s introduction triggering
a domino effect – Doherty switching to Dublin’s
central defensive watch with Martin moved to left midfield
as Lappin partnered Fotheringham.
Croft’s speculative effort just shy of the half-hour
had Lonergan scrambling to his right.
 |
| Paul Gallacher is beaten
by Pavel Pergl's shot. |
Preston profited from Norwich’s positional
switch when Pergl tiptoed through the Canaries’
midfield before unleashing a right-footer from 25 yards
that flashed past Gallacher.
Shackell headed a sharp chance wide on the restart.
Referee Phil Dowd exited stage left clutching his hamstring
with mocking cries of "you’re not fit to
referee" ringing in the high profile official’s
ears.
Simon Whaley was inches from doubling the home side’s
lead on 34 minutes after latching onto Nugent’s
reverse pass but the winger’s lash slammed Gallacher’s
side netting.
Brown dragged Croft’s drilled pass out of the
air but volleyed over from 20 yards as the Norwich strikeforce
continued to forage on scraps with Preston’s youthful
midfield bossing proceedings.
Dichio doubled the pain three minutes from the
interval – pouncing on indecision inside the Canary
box to sidefoot past Gallacher.
Half-time: Preston North End 2, Norwich
City 0
Peter Grant signalled his intent to launch a second half
fightback with Thorne hooked after only a 20-minute run-out
in favour of Paul McVeigh.
Adam Drury’s point-blank block prevented Wilson
from delivering a knock-out punch in rapid fire restart.
The skipper earned a pat on the back from his grateful
keeper who went full length to grasp Whaley’s towering
header seconds later as Norwich wobbled.
Croft was a coat of paint from dragging the visitors’
back into the contest on 54 minutes. The Lancastrian’s
scuffed strike from eight yards rattled Lonegan’s
left-hand post after Brown’s physical prowess unsettled
the Preston backline.
The marauding Nugent’s one-man assault continued
but the back pedalling Doherty did enough to thwart the
striker.
 |
| Jason Shackell's first
goal for Norwich City could not save the Canaries
from defeat. |
Shackell’s back-post header cannoned off Whaley
after Croft’s urgings had dragged Norwich into enemy
territory.
The big central defender made no mistake from Fotheringham’s
follow up set piece with a deadly near-post header from
six yards sparking celebrations among the diehard travelling
support.
Pergl’s block prevented McVeigh from snatching a
second after Croft had galloped down right before Lappin
skied over as the home faithful began to voice their disapproval
at the Canaries’ sheer impudence.
Lonergan parried Fotheringham’s swinging free kick
before clawing away the rebound with Brown sniffing an
equaliser as Norwich looked to prolong their purple patch.
Dichio’s acrobatic half-volley rolled a yard wide
then the hugely influential Whaley’s 20 yard free
kick hit a sturdy brick in the Canary wall.
 |
| Goal provider Mark Fotheringham
congratulates goalscorer Jason Shackell. |
Chilvers kicked Lappin’s swinger off the home line
as both clubs regressed into win-or-bust FA Cup mode.
McVeigh’s cute angled flick sailed out after Lappin’s
vision had pierced the Preston rearguard.
Lilywhites’ boss Simpson withdrew his twin strikeforce
for fresh legs in an effort to repel Norwich’s late
onslaught.
Sean St Ledger marked his arrival with a timely interception
as the menacing Brown looked to test Lonergan from Hughes’
hanging cross.
Preston’s stopper hared out of his area to hammer
McKenna’s wayward pass upfield as the North End
support berated their skipper.
St Ledger fired past Gallacher’s post with Norwich
piling men forward in search of a stoppage time leveller.
Preston’s lack of ambition was all too apparent
when McKenna opted for a spell of keep ball after Fotheringham
had hacked down Whaley.
Result: Preston North End 2,
Norwich City 1
|