Lambert desperate for home comforts

David Cuffley City boss Paul Lambert will be desperately hoping for a home tie when the next Johnstone's Paint Trophy draw is made on Saturday.The Canaries' latest cup-tie away day brought a penalty shoot-out victory at Swindon and took them into the area semi-finals of the competition, just two rounds from the final at Wembley.

David Cuffley

City boss Paul Lambert will be desperately hoping for a home tie when the next Johnstone's Paint Trophy draw is made on Saturday.

The Canaries' latest cup-tie away day brought a penalty shoot-out victory at Swindon and took them into the area semi-finals of the competition, just two rounds from the final at Wembley.

Their next opponents could be MK Dons, Hereford or the winners of tonight's Southampton v Charlton tie, but whoever they are paired with, the manager is praying for a Carrow Road date in the week starting December 14.

“Home? Where is that?” joked Lambert as the City players and 850 supporters prepared to head home from Wiltshire last night. “It would be really nice, for the fans as well as ourselves.”

After Johnstone's Paint Trophy trips to Gillingham and Swindon, plus the FA Cup first round tie at Paulton Rovers and a second round date to come at Carlisle or Morecambe, City are overdue for some home comfort.

Lambert paid tribute to those who travelled to the County Ground on a bleak November night.

He said: “It's phenomenal. That's one thing you can say about this football club. It's a phenomenal fan base and I'm just delighted for those that come and watch us.

“I think we've travelled to the moon and back in the last few days and still they come in their droves.”

Despite the implications for the fixture list, Lambert would love to be able to lead City out at Wembley in March.

He said: “It would be great if we could get there. We're giving it one hell of a fight, that's for sure and the way we're performing and the way we've played, I think there is a terrific feeling about the football club.

“The fans and the players are the ones that have pulled it together, nobody else.”

Full-back Jon Otsemobor returned to action last night after playing only one of the previous eight games because of a hamstring injury, and completed nearly an hour before making way for senior debutant Dario Dumic, a change made to keep him fresh for the League One visit of Tranmere.

“I had to take him off for that period of time. We didn't want to tire him. We've got Saturday to look forward to as well, so you have to protect him a little bit,” said Lambert.