Michael Bailey Canaries winger Lee Croft today admitted it has been shooting practice for the players this week in training after their FA Cup mishap. The Championship side spurned a host of chances during their surprise 1-1 draw with League Two Bury in the third round last Saturday and it took a late equaliser from defender Gary Doherty to spare City's blushes.

Michael Bailey

Canaries winger Lee Croft today admitted it has been shooting practice for the players this week in training after their FA Cup mishap.

The Championship side spurned a host of chances during their surprise 1-1 draw with League Two Bury in the third round last Saturday and it took a late equaliser from defender Gary Doherty to spare City's blushes.

It could have all been different had Croft's first-minute cross been dispatched by Chris Martin from only a few yards out, but what looked a certain goal ended with the City striker putting the ball wide. The game didn't get any better for Norwich from then on.

“It was very disappointing; not only result-wise but also performance-wise,” Croft told the official club website. “After going away to Crystal Palace and having a really good game, it was just disappointing.

“It was something we didn't need and we've got a reply at Bury now, but we'll just have to make sure we go and finish the job there.

“Obviously Chrissy Martin's put it wide. I don't know quite what happened, whether Curo blocked his line of the ball, because it just went over his head as well.

“If that goal goes in, we maybe go on to win the game, but it wasn't just that chance, it wasn't just Chris, there were a few other chances in the game.

“We've been doing a lot of work this week emphasising on finishing chances off and if that would've gone in, it would've been a different story I think.”

City's failure to beat a team two divisions below them has left a tricky looking reply at Bury next week. However, Croft doesn't expect the game to be a shock to the system for the players.

“It's not difficult, we're used to playing midweek games so there won't be any difference there,” said the 22-year-old. “It's just a game which we should've won at home, and the benefits of that would've been that there's not another game we're going to have to play. But we'll go there and give it our all and we should win the game.”

Croft wasn't about to claim the players ignored Monday's FA Cup fourth round draw, even though City are by no means certain to feature against Southampton at St Mary's.

“Obviously you look at it,” admitted Croft. “We've looked at the draw and we'll be playing Bury - we've got to get through that - and then away to Southampton. I think we play them on a Saturday and then on the Tuesday now, so that'll be a tough draw but one we'll look forward too. But we've got to get through this one first.”

First of all, City return to league action on Saturday when they take on Barnsley at Oakwell and alth-ough the Canaries completed a league double over the Tykes last season, the northerners have only lost one home match this term.

“It's a difficult place to go, but we had a good result there last year and it's a place where we can go and win if we're all on our game, and that's what we've got to look at now. We've got to put the bad result behind us from the weekend and carry on with the league form we've had over the last month.

“I scored there and had a good game there, but the overall performance there last year was brilliant and we scored a few goals, so that would be nice this weekend.”