Norwich City U18 1, Southampton U18 0: A goal nine minutes before full time from Danish international Dario Dumic was enough to give City's Academy side a slender 1-0 victory over Southampton at Colney yesterday afternoon and in doing so it saw Ricky Martin's side leapfrog the Saints into third place in the league.

FA Premier Academy U18 league

Norwich City U18 1, Southampton U18 0

A goal nine minutes before full time from Danish international Dario Dumic was enough to give City's Academy side a slender 1-0 victory over Southampton at Colney yesterday afternoon and in doing so it saw Ricky Martin's side leapfrog the Saints into third place in the league.

In front of a healthy Colney crowd Norwich should have won the game by a far greater margin hitting the woodwork twice in the first half as well as missing a number of gilt-edge chances and this almost cost them dear when in injury time Southampton had them on the back foot.

City made all the early running with Luke Daley causing havoc in the Saints' penalty area with a mazy run that ended with a City corner that saw Dumic head wide of the target.

City continued to pin the visitors back in their own half and Southampton keeper Andrej Pernecky had his hands stung with a rasping shot from Tom Adeyemi.

The woodwork then foiled Korey Smith, the Canaries captain, jinking his way into the area before pushing the ball beyond the reach of Pernecky only to see his effort come back off the upright.

Next it was the turn of Dumic to be denied by the woodwork when he saw a header cannon back off the crossbar and then Pernecky produced a super save to deny David Stephens who had latched onto the rebound.

Later in the half Southampton were once again saved by their keeper who stretched full length to scramble away a Danny Kelly header.

The visitors were more purposeful at the start of the second half but City soon reasserted their superiority with Daly and Smith both going close once again.

The only goal of the game came on 81 minutes when fullback George Francomb sent in a right-wing free-kick that Dumic met at the near post to head the ball past Southampton's substitute keeper Liam Hogan.

Referee Mr Feerick played nine minutes of injury time following a nasty looking injury to Southampton's Michael Dolinajec and although City had a couple of anxious moments they held on to all three points.

t Norwich City: Rudd, Francomb, Lathrope, Adeyemi, Dumic, Stephens, Clarke (Davey 66), Smith, Daley, Kelly, Dawkin (Omoregie 90).

Subs not used: Steer, Brindley, Drmolar.

t Southampton: Pernecky (Hogan 45), Argent, Reeves, Doble, Harper, Tafazoll, Keegan (Foot 88), McLean, Dolinajec (Spooner 60), McNish, Preen.

Sub not used: Scott.

t Norwich City MoM: Korey Smith.