David Cuffley Goalkeeper David Marshall reflected on a potentially fatal home defeat for Norwich City and admitted: “We didn't do enough.”

David Cuffley

Goalkeeper David Marshall reflected on a potentially fatal home defeat for Norwich City and admitted: “We didn't do enough.”

The Canaries are on the brink of dropping into League One after they were beaten for the ninth time this season at Carrow Road, promotion-chasing Reading securing a 2-0 victory in last night's televised game courtesy of two Shane Long goals in the second half.

While Reading still have a good chance of securing automatic promotion, Bryan Gunn's men are doomed to third-flight football unless they win at relegated Charlton on Sunday, and fourth-from-bottom Barnsley lose at Plymouth.

Last night's result means Plymouth and Nottingham Forest are out of danger.

After City's fourth defeat in five Championship matches, Marshall, City's only ever-present player this season, conceded: “We never really looked like scoring. The fans deserve better and we hoped to win the game, but we never played well enough to win it so it was a disappointing night.

“We expected to at least have chances but I don't think we've made (Marcus) Hahnemann work at all so that's probably the most disappointing thing about the night.

“It's not through lack of effort by the boys. It's not as if we chucked in the towel tonight. We kept going but it's hard.

“I think the first goal flattened us. But to be fair to Reading, they're a good team, one of the best in the division.

“Our fans were brilliant but it's just human nature. A goal deflates the whole crowd.”

But Marshall said it was City's poor season as a whole, rather than last night's defeat, that had cost them.

“It's not just down to this game. It's a long season so you cannot just look at that,” he said.

“It's not just on tonight's performance. This game won't relegate us. We've had 45 games up to now and we have one more on Sunday. We've got to look at that as a whole.”

The Scotland international praised supporters who stayed for the squad's post-match lap of the pitch.

“It's the first time I've had to do something like that in the position we're in. You can understand the people who left but a lot of people stayed to clap. The fans have been brilliant all season.

“We're getting 25,000 close to every home game and they're not just coming here and sitting, they're coming here and giving us the support.”

But Marshall is confident City can lift themselves for the final match at The Valley on Sunday (1.15pm).

“It's not going to be a problem to lift ourselves,” he said. “We have to win at Charlton and hope Barnsley get beaten. It's not over - stranger things have happened so there will be no problem the boys getting themselves up for it. We just have to win to give ourselves a chance.

“All we can do is win our game and hope."