Norwich vs Coventry Preview

Norwich Vs Coventry Preview
Ko 12:45 7/5/11
Watch: extended highlights on the football league show,
Listen: Local Radio

Norwich Team News
Rob Edwards has been recalled by parent Club Blackpool so therefore will not be involved in squad for game vs Coventry. no new injury concerns.

possible starting 11
Ruddy,R.Martn,Ward,Whitbread,Tierney,Crofts,Fox,Surman,Hoolahan,Holt,Jackson

Notes from Press conference
PL - It's brilliant, it's a miracle as I have said. I could write a book about what's happened here in the last 2 years
PL - It's the last year for the loan lads and I have got to thank them for their contribution
PL - It's the first time before a game where I can sit back and think 'we've done brilliantly'. But we still want to win
PL - I think the Premier League has moved on since last time Norwich were in it. Money's got bigger and game's got faster
'It was a great month for the team' - npower Championship April player of the month Simeon Jackson http://yfrog.com/h39dwyuj


Coventry Team News
Kieran Westwood has failed to recover from a shoulder injury in time for the last game of the season and now looks to have played his last game for coventry

Possible starting 11
Quirke,Clarke,Crainie,Keogh,Hussey,Baker,Bell,Clingan,Gunnarsson,King,Jutkiewicz

Last Meeting- was a 2-1 win for norwich on December 18th 2010

Last Game at Carrow Road- was a narrow 2-1 victory for Coventry way back in February 2009

Current Records

Norwich City
Norwich City are in decent form at home, having won four and drawn two of their last six games, These high-scoring games have yielded a total of 16 goals for the Canaries, with 6 goals against.
Norwich City are holding the final promotion place in the Npower Championship, and have accumulated 83 points from the 45 games they have played so far.
and have been promoted to the Premiership for the first time in 6 years
A Norwich victory would see them register five consecutive wins in the second tier for the first time since December 2005.
They have won their last four home games, and are unbeaten in 11 at Carrow Road.
Norwich have scored 81 times in the league this season and had 596 attempts on goal.
Russell Martin, who is set to make his 250th career start, is one of five outfield players to have played in every minute of every one of his team's Championship games.
Martin and Elliott Ward are set to face their former club.
Ward and Andrew Surman are in line for their 200th career league appearances.

Won 4 successive home games.
5 games since last home draw.
Won their latest 4 matches.
Not drawn a match in their last 4 .

Coventry
Coventry City have an average recent record on the road, collecting 1 win and 3 draws from the last six played. The Sky Blues's have a narrow positive goal difference over these games, with 10 goals for and 9 against.
Coventry City find themselves struggling down in 17th position in the league having picked up 54 points from their 45 matches.
On average, Coventry have scored a goal this season every 5.98 shots on target. It is the poorest ratio in the division.
They have the shortest goalscorers list in the Championship. Only 12 Coventry players have netted league goals this season.
Richard Keogh is another of the five outfield players to have played in every minute of every one of his team's Championship games.
Coventry have not won a single match this season after being behind, and have recouped a mere three points from losing positions.
David Bell and Sammy Clingan could face their former club.

No win in the 3 most recent games


Officials
D.DEADMAN
M.Buonassisi and G S. Evetts
4th Official- M A.Naylor

Match Odds from 888bet.com
Home win (Norwich) 1/2
Draw 3/1
Away win (coventry) 5/1

Norwich City 2, Coventry City 2

Skipper Grant Holt celebrated his second successive player of the year award with his 23rd goal of the season as promoted Norwich City wrapped up their campaign with an entertaining score-draw against Coventry.

Four goals came in the space of 11 minutes early in the second half of a Championship match played throughout in a carnival atmosphere.

Richard Keogh forced home an untidy opener for Coventry eight minutes after the break, but Norwich were level three minutes later when Holt headed home from Marc Tierney’s cross before leaving the pitch to a great ovation.

His replacement, Dani Pacheco, put the Canaries 2-1 up with a superb finish after 62 minutes, but the Sky Blues were level again inside two minutes.

Lukas Jutkiewicz secured a point for the visitors when he tucked home a cross from Chris Hussey.

Paul Lambert’s Championship runners-up had chances to wrap up victory in the closing stages, but they had done the hard work five days earlier by clinching promotion at Portsmouth, and the City boss grabbed the microphone after the final whistle to acknowledge supporters’ part in his team’s success.

Lambert named the same eleven who started the 1-0 victory at Portsmouth that clinched promotion five days earlier, with just one enforced change in the squad of 18.

With defender Rob Edwards recalled by Blackpool from his loan spell, full-back Adam Drury returned to the substitutes’ bench.

Coventry were again without goalkeeper Kieren Westwood, ruled out by a shoulder injury, so fielded the same eleven who drew 0-0 against Reading last Saturday.

Two ex-Canaries featured in the starting line-up in midfield pair Sammy Clingan and David Bell.

Before kick-off, Simeon Jackson was presented with the player of the month award for April, and skipper and top scorer Holt collected the Barry Butler Memorial Trophy as player of the season for the second season in a row – the eighth player to win the award twice - with defender Russell Martin voted runner-up and Wes Hoolahan third in the poll.

The game kicked off in warm sunshine and amid a deafening wall of noise as a full house celebrated City’s return to the Premier League.

Ex-Canary Bell had the first shot of the afternoon but his mishit effort was easily blocked by former Coventry man Ward.

Gunnarsson tried his luck from long range but his low effort rolled wide of Ruddy’s right-hand post.

Holt was just unable to get on the end of a cross from Russell Martin after a driving run by Crofts and, as Coventry counter-attacked, Ruddy had to dive to his left to push away a powerful shot from Hussey.

Jackson sliced a shot into the crowd in the eighth minute from Norwich’s best opening yet, then Hoolahan burst through the middle but fired well wide from the edge of the area.

A foul by Cranie on Jackson gave the Canaries a free-kick on the right-hand side of the penalty area, but Surman curled his dead-ball kick straight out of play.

Bell provided Baker with a good opening in the 11th minute and it took a sliding challenge from Russell Martin to divert Baker’s shot over the bar for a corner.

Cranie got his head to Clingan’s kick but was well off target.

Hoolahan won a corner when he burst into the penalty area and as Fox’s kick came across, Whitbread’s goalbound header was blocked.

Whitbread was further off target moments later with an overhead kick from Hoolahan’s cross.

Coventry looked enterprising and after a mix-up between Crofts and Fox, Bell struck a low drive that Ward did well to block.

Jackson had a shot blocked at the other end after a one-two with Surman but after a busy start at both ends, there was a drinks break as Jutkiewicz received attention after a knock.

Clingan conceded a corner after a cross by Russell Martin caused problems and Holt headed wide from Surman’s flag-kick.

Ruddy dived to his left to stop a shot from Jutkiewicz as Coventry pushed forward again, and King fired high and wide in the next attack.

Surman was booked for a late tackle on Baker on halfway and as Coventry pressed again, Clingan swung in a corner that Ward headed clear.

A neat passing move ended disappointingly when Hoolahan found Crofts but his attempted chip cleared the bar by a distance.

Jackson won a corner when his ambitious effort looped behind off Keogh, but Norwich were unable to profit from the flag-kick and at the other end, Baker’s long-range shot was hopelessly high after a break by Clingan.

City came very close to taking the lead four minutes before the break when Holt connected with Tierney’s cross but goalkeeper Quirke managed to block his goalbound header with his leg and as Crofts followed up, Clarke hacked the ball clear.

The Canaries forced a corner in the final minute of the half, Holt heading over from Surman’s kick.


• HALF-TIME: Norwich City 0, Coventry City 0


Jackson earned a corner three minutes into the second half, when Clarke headed behind from his cross, but as Holt got his head to Fox’s kick, the referee ruled that Keogh had been fouled.

Hussey’s cross-shot was diverted out for a corner after he skated into the Norwich area, and as the Sky Blues won another corner, they took the lead with an untidy goal.

The corner was played shot to Baker whose cross was met by a header from Gunnarsson that was half-cleared to Jutkiewicz, whose low shot appeared to be touched home by Keogh on the line.

Within three minutes, however, City were level as skipper Holt scored his 23rd goal of the season.

Tierney took Surman’s pass wide on the left and sent over the perfect cross for Holt to beat Quirke with a firm header.

Before play restarted, Holt made his exit, to be replaced by Pacheco and the player of the year departed to a standing ovation.

On the hour, Lambert made a second change, Lansbury replacing Surman.

Ruddy saved a long-range effort from Jutkiewicz as Coventry looked to restore their lead.

But it was the Canaries who struck the third goal in nine minutes as the two substitutes combined to produce a classic.

Lansbury held the ball up just inside the Coventry area being slipping a reverse pass to Pacheco, and the Spaniard produced a neat sidestep and perfect finish by tucking a right-foot shot past Quirke for his second goal for the club.

It became four goals in 11 minutes as Jutkiewicz brought the Sky Blues level.

Baker found Hussey on the left and his low cross into the six-yard box presented Jutkiewicz with a simple sidefoot finish.

A foul on Jackson by Clarke left him needing treatment for a bang on the head, but the resulting free-kick almost restored Norwich’s lead.

Pacheco curled the kick against the crossbar and Whitbread missed a golden opportunity when he put the rebound just the wrong side of the post.

City’s seventh corner found the head of Ward but his effort was blocked by Clingan, guarding the post.

With 18 minutes left, Lambert made his final change by giving Drury his first outing since February in place of Tierney.

Drury advanced and had a shot blocked as the home crowd urged the longest-serving player to get on the scoresheet.

Hoolahan sliced a shot wide after Pacheco’s pass played him into space on the left side of the penalty area.

Lansbury earned a ticking-off from referee Deadman after kicking the ball down the touchline after it ran out of play and exchanging words with Clingan.

With three minutes to go, great work by Pacheco carved out an opening for Jackson, but it was clearly not to be his day and he jabbed his shot the wrong side of the post.

Pacheco had a shot blocked by Wood as he looked for his second goal of the afternoon.

In the final minute, Coventry made their third change, Eastwood replacing King.

Norwich forced one late corner as Russell Martin headed over from Fox’s kick.

Then it was all over and the celebrations could begin, Tierney capturing the mood with a succession of cartwheels on the pitch before Lambert came out to address fans.


• RESULT: Norwich City 2, Coventry City 2


• Norwich City: Ruddy; Russell Martin, Ward, Whitbread, Tierney (Drury, 72); Fox; Crofts, Surman (Lansbury, 60); Hoolahan; Jackson, Holt (Pacheco, 57).

Subs (not used): Rudd, Lappin, McNamee, Chris Martin.

• Coventry City: Quirke; Clarke (Wood, 81), Keogh, Cranie, Hussey; Clingan; Gunnarsson, Baker (Deegan, 77); Bell; King (Eastwood, 90), Jutkiewicz.

Subs (not used): Burge, O’Halloran, Cameron, Bigirimana.


• Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire)


• Attendance: 26,268


• Goals: Norwich: Holt (56), Pacheco (62). Coventry: Keogh (53), Jutkiewicz (64)


• Bookings: Norwich: Surman (32)

Promotion to the Premier League was celebrated in style at Carrow Road today, with a fantastic party atmosphere.

With promotion to the Premier League secured away at Portsmouth on Monday night, the final Championship game at home to Coventry turned into a yellow and green knees-up.

The 2-2 draw with the Sky Blues took second billing to the party atmosphere at Carrow Road as more than 20,000 supporters celebrated the remarkable achievements of boss Paul Lambert and his team.

Following the game, yellow and green ticker tape was shot into the air as the triumphant team and the backroom staff took a bow.

The players danced along as Depeche Mode’s Just Can’t Get Enough, which has became something of a terrace favourite this season, blasted out over the loudspeakers.

They then did a lap of honour around the stadium, with many of the players’ children joining in the fun, while there was an extra special round of applause for manager Lambert.

Defender Marc Tierney showed off his agility with a string of somersaults, while on-loan Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury recreated his notorious ‘dougie’ dance first seen when he scored in the 2-2 draw with Leeds.

See the Evening News and EDP on Monday for fantastic pictures from the celebration.

Grant Holt named Norwich City player of the season

Norwich City striker Grant Holt has been named as the club’s player of the season.

The 30-year-old, who netted 23 goals in all competitions this season, was awarded the Anglian Home Improvements Player of the Season award just before kick-off in today’s final Championship clash at home to Coventry.
Amid a sea of yellow and green, the club captain picked up the Barry Butler Memorial Trophy, as voted for by the supporters.

The striker, who joined the Canaries from Shrewsbury in 2009, beat second place defender Russell Martin and midfield wizard Wes Hoolahan to the award.

Holt made absolutely certain of his place in the heart of Norwich City supporters when he scored a hat-trick against Ipswich in the 4-1 win at Carrow Road in November.

He also won the award last season after becoming just the fifth Canary in the club’s history to score 30 goals in a season.

Holt scored with his last touch of the season to grab an equaliser at Carrow Road this afternoon, before he was substituted to a standing ovation.

Norwich City boss Lambert savours the moment

Paul Lambert was “milking the moment” as Norwich City’s Championship campaign came to a glorious end in front of a packed Carrow Road.

The City boss stood almost motionless in front of the Barclay Stand for several minutes and soaked up the atmosphere generated by more than 26,000 noisy fans celebrating promotion to the Premier League.

The 2-2 draw with Coventry City was almost an afterthought as Lambert, his coaching staff and the City squad completed a lap of acknowledgement.

“These things you don’t see very often and when you do get something like that you have got to enjoy the moment,” he said.

“When you have special moments like that you make sure you milk it.

“We’ve been probably spoilt in the last two years, it has happened to us in successive seasons. I am pretty sure it will live long in the memory of people. They have seen their team go up to the Premier League, best league in the world, best players, best stadia, best teams and we have earned the right to go and play against them.”

The job of building a Premier League side has already started, with Lambert determined to build a squad in the image of the ones that have taken City to successive promotions.

“First and foremost this is a really tight group, but that wasn’t just made, we had to work hard to bring the right people in,” said Lambert. “Their ability is up there, no doubt about it. You try to marry the two, Football is psychological, it’s in your brain. I have worked for some unbelievable managers at the very top level and you take little bits from them and I like to think I can get in people’s heads a bit.”

City skipper Grant Holt was named Player of the Season, ahead of Russell Martin and Wes Hoolahan – but Lambert had his own view of the prestigious prize.

“I’d have given it to the whole team,” he said.

The match itself wasn’t even discussed in Lambert’s post-match press conference – it was all about the future. And it’s a future that Coventry boss Andy Thorn wants to buy into.

“When you see that atmosphere, that is what we want to aim for and if we keep doing what we are doing and we add and we tweak it here and there, then there is no reason why we can’t do that because we pitted our wits against some of the better teams in the Championship in those 10 games and we have come out with a lot of credit,” he said. “I was proud of them again today – I thought it was a real entertaining game.”