Norwich City 1, Brentford 0
JOHNSTONE'S PAINT TROPHY: Wembley winner Chris Martin steered Norwich City into the second round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy with the only goal of tonight's tie at Carrow Road.
Martin, who scored in Luton's 3-2 triumph in the final of the same competition against Scunthorpe last season, struck after 30 minutes to give the Canaries victory in front of a very healthy crowd of 12,540.
Manager Paul Lambert made a further seven changes after Saturday's win at Hartlepool, bringing midfielder Darel Russell and striker Goran Maric into his line-up for the first time and recalling goalkeeper Ben Alnwick eight days after he suffered a facial injury in the Carling Cup tie against Sunderland.
Simon Lappin, playing at left-back, was handed the captain's armband with striker Grant Holt rested.
The decisive moment came when Martin, playing as part of a three-man attack, took a pass from Maric, cut inside on to his right foot and rifled in a low drive off the inside of the post from outside the penalty area.
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City could have been ahead twice in the early stages when Martin intercepted a terrible backpass from Brentford skipper Kevin O'Connor but poked the ball across the face of the goal, then when Tom Adeyemi intercepted a poor clearance by goalkeeper Lewis Price and his goalbound effort from 40 yards was cleared off the line by Karleigh Osborne.
Steve Kabba missed two chances for Brentford before the break and they might have levelled after 57 minutes when Alnwick produced a fine save from Marcus Bean's header, following a Sam Saunders corner.
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Martin almost had a second for City when he headed wide from Michael Spillane's cross two minutes later.
Brentford came into the contest much more in the second half, but their late efforts failed to take the tie to a penalty shoot-out.
Bean was shown the yellow card for trying to knock a free-kick from Saunders in with his hand.
City: Alnwick; Spillane, Nelson, Askou, Lappin; Adeyemi, Hughes, Russell; Whaley (Daley, 75), Maric (McDonald, 59), Martin. Subs (not used): Rudd, Otsemobor, Stephens.
Brentford: Price; O'Connor, Osborne, Legge, Foster; Taylor, Bean, Hunt, Weston; Saunders (Wood, 89), Kabba. Subs (not used): Bull, Ferrell, Franks, McCluskey.
Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey)
Attendance: 12,540
Goal: City: Martin (30 )
Booking: Brentford: Bean
