CHRIS LAKEY Peter Grant is demanding his players make the most of their scoring opportunities at set-pieces.The nearest the Canaries have come to scoring from a set-piece this season was the winner at Birmingham, when Darren Huckerby's cross was headed past his own keeper by Mat Sadler.

CHRIS LAKEY

Peter Grant is demanding his players make the most of their scoring opportunities at set-pieces.

The nearest the Canaries have come to scoring from a set-piece this season was the winner at Birmingham, when Darren Huckerby's cross was headed past his own keeper by Mat Sadler.

Whether it's corners or free kicks around the area, City have failed to make them pay - the only time a free kick of any variety has been converted has been Robert Earnshaw's penalties against Barnsley and QPR.

“Some of it has been down to delivery, some of it is down to the movement of players and the determination to get on the end of it, so there are definitely things we have to work on,” said Grant.

The manager has lost the services of ankle injury victim Lee Croft and that could well cause problems with service from the right flank where, before Tuesday's games, the former Manchester City man had put in 67 crosses - more than any other player in the Championship.

But when crosses do get there, the players on the receiving end have managed to waste their opportunities - Dion Dublin and Jason Shackell against Colchester being prime examples.

“The delivery has been poor - apart from the other evening when I thought the delivery was excellent,” said Grant. “The goalkeeper got a free catch, or there was a defensive header to get the ball away or the one the keeper drops and Shacks switches off and thinks the keeper has got it - the ball has dropped and he should have put it in the net. That is what I mean about being ruthless.”

It's on the training ground where Grant can put things right, but since his arrival less than a month ago his concentration has been on the succession of matches that followed. Next week will be the first without a midweek game, and an opportunity to work on the set-piece.

“It's been a problem for players because they have not had much opportunity to work on it because of the amount of games they have had,” he said. “We have to look at delivery and attacking the ball in the box - we have to get much, much better at that.

“It is a big part of the game now, the set-play, because it may be a tight game and could be the difference between winning and losing the game and we have to be better at it - in both areas of the pitch.”