CHRIS LAKEY Canaries midfielder Youssef Safri believes Blackpool will struggle to contain Norwich on the slick passing surface at Carrow Road.

CHRIS LAKEY

Canaries midfielder Youssef Safri believes Blackpool will struggle to contain Norwich on the slick passing surface at Carrow Road.

Safri slogged away on a Bloomfield Road pitch that became increasingly cut up on Saturday, but says the Seasiders will find their trip to Norfolk a very different proposition.

“I never make excuses for the pitch or the referee, I never have done, but I am sure it will be really hard for them because it is a lovely surface at Carrow Road, one of the best pitches in England,” he said. “People look forward to playing at Norwich and playing good football.

“Bit I am sure we can beat them if we work really hard, take our chances, take every chance we have to score and if we score first I am sure we will beat them. if we score first they won't get past us.”

Safri admitted Blackpool had given City a game on Saturday.

“It was a really hard game, especially in the second half,” he said. “But you have to look at our players because at one man down I think we did well and worked hard. They created a lot of chances but the pitch made it hard for us.

“It wasn't great for passing, but the work rate and the tackling and the talking and the way we made it hard for them was good.”

Safri was close by when skipper Adam Drury was upended in the penalty area late on - but then booked for diving. And he is adamant that referee Chris Foy got it wrong.

“I was close to him and it was definitely a penalty,” said Safri. “It should have been a penalty - me and Darren Huckerby and a few others were shouting for it straight away.

“But we don't cheat - I think we have great players and personalties and we don't look to cheat to win the game.”