Peter Grant was left to bemoan the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde characteristics in his team again yesterday as the Canaries came close to producing the perfect game of two halves.

Peter Grant was left to bemoan the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde characteristics in his team again yesterday as the Canaries came close to producing the perfect game of two halves.

Sloppy defending allowed Wednesday to take a two-goal lead before the break, while Tony Warner was beaten by a bouncing back pass for a third early in the second half.

But Robert Earnshaw and the old warhorse Dion Dublin, who was moved up front after the break, made the scoreline more respectable as City finally found their footing and produced a performance that made the journey just about worthwhile for a travelling army of more than 2,000 fans.

Grant was sympathetic to Warner's plight after the keeper, on loan from Fulham, earned himself a place alongside Bryan Gunn in the Norwich City School of Infamy.

"It's probably the first mistake he has made since he came," said Grant. "He has been excellent for us.

"The first half we looked out of sorts, couldn't get the ball down. We know it was windy, we know it was bobbly, but that would be making excuses - it was the same for both side.

"Let's get back to the football - once we put Dion up front we looked a better team, but unfortunately with injuries we have had we have not been able to do that early enough in the game.

"That's where ideally I would like to be playing him, but I can't take that chance putting a young midfielder (Michael Spillane) at centre half for us early in the game against good players - Burton, Tudgay and MacLean. Once we did that there was only one team in it.

"I think the two halves summed it up, Jekyll and Hyde. Some performances have been excellent, some performances have been awful.

"But all in all I haven't used it as an excuse during the season but I can use it now - I'd like anybody else to go with the injuries we have had. That is why we have so many young boys. The three 16-years-olds that have been involved, and you can see the bench again - you just can't live in this league with that.

"Look at the teams that have been successful - look at their bench and they'd be in my first team. The money is coming to the top again, even in this league."

Adam Drury left Hillsborough with his neck in a brace after a fall just before half-time, but Grant said his skipper was going to be replaced at half-time anyway.

"I was going to take him off anyway because I thought he didn't do well in the game," said Grant. "I thought he was allowing Simon Lappin to do all his work for him. He was standing back, he was letting the wide player run at him."

Grant was more enthusiastic about the contribution of Player of the season Darren Huckerby, who tantalised defender Yoann Folly throughout - and was controversially booked in the first half for diving.

"Hucks was fantastic in periods of the game today," said Grant. "I am sure the full back was delighted when the whistle went. But that booking was unbelievable - unbelievable. They talk about having skill in the game - he goes down and he gets booked of it."