Norwich 2 - 0 Tranmere Rovers : The going gets tough, but the tough get going!

The main event today was Aviva handing over shirt sponsorship for the day to EACH – East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, and a very worthy cause it is to and causes a warm feeling knowing that the canaries care about the community.

Grant Holt said “That is what football is all about, it’s fantastic, and if the children go back to school telling all their mates about the next couple of days, that is just fantastic. It’s hard for charity’s to collect money this is a brilliant way of raise awareness and collecting money for EACH.”

Also needed to make the day complete was three points against a Tranmere Rovers side on the slide with no manager after John Barnes talking did not do the walking!! Instead a caretaker manager who normally is looking after the injuries and recording Christmas tunes (yes, this is true!), that man is the small figure of club physio Les Parry, quite the character in his retro shorts he wears any weather.

Anyone who said they would come and sit behind the ball, and put everyone back?! You were spot on!

The master plan in the first half hour of the game looked to be Rovers undoing, as the canaries had so much time with the ball even they found it hard to pick the right pass’s or the killer ball.

It was the first game this season when Forster has been able to just roll the ball to Askou to bring out or Doherty making up the midfield. This was very much the case but however much the canaries stormed forward they were met with a final stand by Rovers back four.

The best chance and really for all the time with the ball, came on the half hour mark when Lappin floated in a corner from the left for the League ones player of the month Grant Holt to fling himself at the ball, only to see his trade mark header blocked on the line by Jamaican International Ian Goodison.

The last fifteen minutes changed the rhythm of the game with Tranmere being bit more braver with the ball the main man for them Chris Shuker, just before half time a quick counter attack down the Norwich left saw three on three, only for Forster to make a world class save the canaries would have been cursing over the oranges at half time.

Tranmere to their credit in the second half finished how they had left off, even hitting the outside of the City post with ten minutes gone.

Then the breakthrough everyone who had braved the cold wind and rain was waiting for. The ball found its self on the left side of Rovers box Adam Drury tried to cross it was blocked only to fall to the canaries loyal left back who charging in hit full on the volley and up went John Welsh arms, that was enough for Mr Deadman’s whistle – Penalty!!!

Up stepped Wes Hoolahan, who fired his penalty into the bottom right hand corner of the net with Luke Daniels guessing the right way just not the speed of the ball? They had finally found the edge and from this never look backed.

 

It would then be left to a un likely face to kill the game off late on. The ball found it self down the left of their box with lappin who crossed and found Hoolahan who neatly passed in to the six yard area only for a cheeky back flick from the Doc to kill the game. Now we know why the canary faithful call him the ginger pele.

With the clock ticking away Holt still had time to have a header which was going into the top left hand corner just tip over by Luke Daniels.

Lambert said “In games like this real players don’t hide away. That is a true sign of character when teams come here and put eleven players behind the ball and they have to work hard to break them down, that’s what we tell them don’t hide away be hungry. Today all my lads done that, not one hid away.”

The canaries get ever closer to the chasing pack, Tranmere sit second from bottom with no full time manager just a care taker manager.

Les Parry went on to say “I thought my lads done really well today. Maybe if the whistle did not go for the pen it would be different result, who can tell? We had two late pull outs due to illness and child birth so we were bare bones but the lads done well.”

Does he want the job? “I’ve told the chairman I would love the job, he knows my plan to take this club forward. We will have to see, I will be in charge of the game mid week.”

Something tells me Mr Perry might want to be writing his next single and dusting down his deep heat.

What of that Christmas single? “It’s not very good. They are either good or really bad, and you don’t want to have a good one do you?”