Norwich City

MK Dons 2, Norwich City 1

By Chris Lakey

Monday, 14 August 2009
Coca Cola League One

Chris Martin went from hero to villain as City failed their biggest test of the season so far.

Martin put City ahead with only 17 seconds on the clock, but conceded the second-half penalty which gave MK Dons the lead and the points.

The young striker will feel aggrieved when he sees the TV replays, which appeared to show him winning the ball fairly, but the hosts were worth their win as they dominated large parts of a match in which City were struck by bad luck at regular intervals.

It was a night of firsts for City: the first time they have been behind in the league under manager Paul Lambert, the first time they have tasted defeat under him - and the first night for a long time that they have lost three players to injury.

Instead of looking at a spot on the edge of the play-off zone, City find themselves in mid-table - and with leaders Charlton providing arguably an even sterner task at Carrow Road on Saturday.

Lambert sprang a surprise before kick-off, with Luke Daley coming in for his full league debut in place of Paul McVeigh on the right flank.

McVeigh was dropped to the bench, along with Jamie Cureton, who had started all three of Lambert's previous league managers but lost out to Martin last night. The remaining nine had all featured in City's previous two games - the 2-0 win at Hartlepool and the goalless draw at home to Walsall.

It was Martin who stunned the home team and fans and set the yellow and green corner alight within the first minute, taking possession after left-back Dean Lewington tried to play a square ball, but failed miserably to find his man. Martin cut inside from the City left, as he prefers, and then fired low into the bottom right-hand corner.

City's hosts were clearly shaken, and Lewis Gobern clattered into left-back Adam Drury and earned himself a ticking off as MK struggled to settle.

Daley then forced a corner, which MK failed to clear, and the pressure was only relieved when Simon Lappin got his cross horribly wrong.

It took MK 10 minutes to get out of their own half, although Michael Nelson did well to deny Lewington a header from Stephen Gleeson's cross.

Martin could - and probably should - have had a second in the 13th minute, heading wide from Jon Otsemobor's deflected cross, although Grant Holt appeared to have his shirt tugged in the area.

Two chances, both to Martin, and one goal - and with plenty of the game to go it looked good for City at that stage. Holt confirmed that with a back post header from Lappin's cross that got a touch for a corner and moments later he got round the back of a static defence, but couldn't quite get on to the end of Hughes' cross, with Lewington dangerously close to giving away a penalty with a push.

The hosts were making few inroads, and former City midfielder Luke Chadwick showed his frustration with a hack on Hughes that earned him a yellow card - and Hughes a trip down the tunnel on a stretcher.

McVeigh came on and went straight in to the right side of the middle three playing in front of Korey Smith, who was doing a good job of shielding his defence.

There was more frustration on 25 minutes when Darren Powell and Holt tangled as City defended a corner, but referee Roger East turned a blind eye.

Having lost Hughes, City were forced into another change on 26 minutes when Drury limped off, having failed to overcome a knock sustained earlier in the game. Tom Adeyemi came into midfield, with Lappin dropping to left-back, and from then on City struggled to maintain their early superiority.

Jason Puncheon forced Fraser Forster into his first save soon after, with a shot from distance straight at the keeper, although Holt proved MK were still nervous, robbing right- back Mathias Doumbe, but losing possession as he headed into the area.

With half-time approaching MK enjoyed their best period of possession as City sat deep. Fortunately for them, the hosts were wasteful in attack - Puncheon's shot that went well over Forster's crossbar perhaps an example of their anxiety in the final third.

He was more accurate a minute or two before the break when he kept the ball in play following a corner and turned to fire in a low shot which Forster smothered at his near post.

Nelson halted Lewington's jinking run in time added on, but City managed to hold out, although Lambert's hands were tied as far as half-time changes were concerned.

HALF-TIME: MK Dons 0, Norwich City 1

MK Dons came out fighting, although Stephen Gleeson's shot was off target and Chadwick and Jabo Ibehre both failed to get meaningful touches on it as they poked out their respective boots.

Lambert's heart must have been in his mouth when Nelson went down with a right ankle injury as he chased Ibehre into the corner - although the central defender was able to carry on.

The City defence had been rocking for some time and on 57 minutes it gave way, Adeyemi conceding a free-kick on the right, just outside the area, and Puncheon lashing in a superb left-footer into the top right-hand corner.

Nelson limped off before the game resumed, replaced by Michael Spillane, as City's hopes began to evaporate in front of their own eyes.

Holt thought otherwise, his header from McVeigh's cross forcing Willy Gueret to tip over for a corner.

But for possibly the first time during Lambert's reign, City were really up against it - and with a relatively inexperienced team in front of him. It was almost like watching a side down to 10 men.

Johnson fired one just wide of Forster's right-hand post as City backed off and then Gleeson failed to find the target after a mistake by Adeyemi.

Then disaster struck: Martin looked like he was shepherding Lewis Gobern out of the area, but then put in a challenge which referee East appeared to be happy with - TV replays showed he was right - until he saw his linesman Dave Naylor waving his flag and City were behind when substitute Leven, who had only been on the pitch for eight minutes, converted the spot kick.

Martin almost redeemed himself on 85 minutes when his free-kick crept through the wall, taking a deflection along the way, but Gueret scrambled down to smother.

Lappin had a chance in time added on after a foul by Doumbe on Holt on the edge of the box but he couldn't put his free-kick on target - and that was it for City.

RESULT: MK Dons 2, Norwich City 1