DAVID CUFFLEY Attack may be the best form of defence for Norwich City as they look to haul themselves up the Coca-Cola Championship table - and winger Lee Croft is hoping to get the chance to prove it.

DAVID CUFFLEY

Attack may be the best form of defence for Norwich City as they look to haul themselves up the Coca-Cola Championship table - and winger Lee Croft is hoping to get the chance to prove it.

Croft was in manager Peter Grant's starting line-up for the first time in six matches in the 1-0 Carling Cup defeat at Manchester City on Tuesday.

Despite a disappointing scoreline, the 22-year-old forward produced a lively performance against his former club. And he reckons the Canaries' positive approach at the City of Manchester Stadium needs to be carried into the televised home game against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday (5.20pm) if they are to improve on a run or four defeats in five Championship games, which has left them 20th in the table.

Said Croft: “I think we've been going into games maybe a bit negative. It was good to go into this game and play football, attacking football and I'm glad I was a part of it.

“I got a bit tired towards the end because I've not played many minutes in the last few weeks. But we looked as if we were creating chances, so maybe we could have got a bit more out of the game.”

Croft had special praise for Michael Spillane, 18, and Rossi Jarvis, 19, who were each given a rare 90-minute outing in midfield and stood out in elevated company.

With City's injury and suspension problems - now affecting up to nine senior players - the two teenagers have a fair chance of facing the Owls.

“I'm glad the young lads have come in and put their foot on the ball and started playing a bit. I'm sure it all bodes well for the coming games,” said Croft.

“They were different class. They came in a few times for us last season. They've got no fear, they just come in and play football and it's a joy to play with them at times because they just want to get on the ball and they want to bring other players into it, and I hope they get a few more opportunities.

“I said to them before the game, you know, we're not playing well at the moment, we're not passing the ball, we're not getting on the ball. So you can come here tonight, with no pressure on you in a lovely stadium against a Premier League side. They've done themselves no harm.”

A last-minute goal from Greek striker Georgios Samaras ended the Canaries' involvement in the Carling Cup for another year and Croft admitted: “It was heartbreaking. We would have liked to have taken them into extra time, but the main thing we'll take out of it is the performance. We passed the ball well, which we haven't been doing. We played attacking football, which we haven't been doing.

“We'll be on a high. I hope we'll take that into training on Thursday and Friday and that will rub off in the game on Saturday and we can go and put on a good performance on TV.”

Croft, whose last goal for the Canaries came at Barnsley in March, had one chance in the second half to open the scoring but it went begging when he tried to set up Jamie Cureton instead.

“I think maybe I should have shot but I tried to cut it back to Curo and it hit him the body so he was unlucky, but maybe I should have had a dig myself,” he said.