HUCKERBY SLAYS DOZY DEFENCE

Huckerby slays dozy defence

Burnley 3 Norwich City 5

Independent

The 2,500 Norwich City supporters who braved a typically rainswept Turf Moor afternoon would have been quite happy to win by a scruffy own goal in return for the three-point lead they now enjoy in the Nationwide First Division. Instead, they were treated to a seesawing spectacle in which relegation-threatened Burnley led three times before Norwich's extra quality at last triumphed.

Neil Wood, David May and Robbie Blake all underlined Burnley's attacking strengths during a five-goal first half, after which the final outcome left their manager, Stan Ternent, incredulous and unwilling to spare anyone's feelings, not least his goalkeeper, Brian Jensen. "When you score three times at home you usually expect to win, but in the second half we were crap," he said. "Norwich haven't had to make one goal themselves because we've given them away, and Brian was responsible for four of them."

Naturally, Ternent's Norwich counterpart, Nigel Worthington, was rather happier. "It was disappointing to concede three goals as sloppily as we did," he said. "But to keep coming back from a goal behind and then go on to win the game showed a lot of character."

The defensive comedy began with a Wood free-kick finding its way through a badly organised wall and past a static Robert Green, after which Mathias Svensson scored the first of his two goals off May's leg, with Jensen stranded. May made amends, sliding home Blake's corner, but within 60 seconds Darren Huckerby had sped past three Burnley defenders and a dither- ing Jensen to angle home Norwich's second equaliser.

Blake's blistering finish gave Burnley the lead at the break but as Jensen flapped at a Huckerby cross, Leon McKenzie scored Norwich's third equaliser seven minutes into the second half before Svensson rose unchallenged to head home Adam Drury's cross and put the Canaries in front.

"We need to win three games to stay up but we'll struggle if we defend like that," Ternent added, after seeing Huckerby score one minute from time, in a move involving substitutes Phil Mulryne and Kevin Cooper.

Burnley 3
Wood 7, May 29, Blake 38

Norwich City 5
Svensson 14, 62, Huckerby 30, 89, McKenzie 51

Half-time: 3-2 Attendance: 12,417

SVENSSON BRACE PUTS NORWICH IN TOUCHING DISTANCE
Sunday Telegraph

Norwich City took all three points from an eight-goal thriller at Burnley, with Matthias Svensson and Darren Huckerby grabbing bares - and now have one foot in the Premiership.

They have six games remaining and are now three points clear of West Bromwich Albion - whose game in hand is at Ipswich Town today. They also lead third-placed Sunderland, who have eight games to go, by 11 points.

Norwich did it the hard way, however, three times trailing yesterday at Turf Moor.

They were rocked by a seventh-minute opener. Neil Wood, the midfielder, on loan from Manchester United, was fouled, and he dusted himself down to score with the free-kick. Matthias Svensson equalised from about 18 yards, however, in the 14th minute.

Another player forced to leave United for first-team football, David May, then restored the home lead on the half-hour, but it lasted just two minutes this time before Darren Huckerby struck from close range.

Robert Blake then hit Burnley's third seven minutes before the break and the visitors had to wait until half-time to claw their way back into the match.

Headers from Leon McKenzie (51) and Svensson (62) put Norwich ahead for the first time, and Huckerby rounded the scoring off with a minute to go, converting Phil Mulryne's cross.

Burnley 3 Norwich 5: Burnley floored by City slickers
Sunday Times



FOR the neutral observer this was an eight-goal thriller. For the participants, with both relegation and promotion at stake, it was a nerve-racking but pulsating afternoon.
Before the game Burnley manager Stan Ternent claimed his side needed at least three wins to be absolutely sure of avoiding the dreaded drop.

As far as hurdles go, this one against table-toppers Norwich was probably their Bechers Brook. But having appeared to clear it, they then managed to fall at the last fence. This was a game where Burnley took the lead no less than three times and went in at the break one goal to the good from the five scored.

The spree started after only seven minutes with Burnley’s Neil Wood crashing home a free kick from just outside the penalty area. David May then scrambled home Robbie Blake’s corner at the far post. In between Norwich equalised, with Swedish international Mathias Svensson squeezing a shot through the legs of May and out of reach of Brian Jensen in the Burnley goal. Then within a minute of conceding their second, Darren Huckerby capitalised on a mix-up between Jensen and Graham Branch to slide the ball home. Burnley did reach half-time with a one-goal lead courtesy of Blake’s long-range drive.

A deluge of first-half goals is normally followed by a dull drought in the second. But the cascade continued after the restart to transform the outcome. The home team were caught napping as a harmless Huckerby free kick sailed over a static defence to give Leon McKenzie a free header and the easiest of equalisers.

If that was clumsy then at least the goal that gave the visitors the lead on 62 minutes was pure class. Huckerby, a constant threat, picked out left-back Adam Drury and his fine run ended in a pinpoint cross for Svensson to head home from close range for his second.

After that Burnley never really threatened against a composed Norwich side who were content to sit back and claim the points. The nearest they came was a shot from substitute Lee Chadwick from the 18-yard line which sailed over the bar. With it went any hopes of his team salvaging anything from the game.

There was still time right at the end for Huckerby to get his second when he nipped in behind the defence to head the ball into the net and seal a remarkable comeback victory.

Afterwards the Burnley manager said: “I am not a happy man. We played well in the first half, and crap in the second. That was unacceptable. We still have to get three wins out of seven and we will.” Delighted Norwich manager Nigel Worthington said: “Good character, great second-half performance and absolutely magnificent three points.”



Burnley: Jensen, Camara, Weller (Chadwick 68min), May, Branch, Little, Blake, Moore, Grant (Moore 80min), Roche, Wood (Chaplow 73min)

Norwich City: Green, Drury, McKay, Fleming, Huckerby, Holt, McKenzie (Mulryne 72min), Edworthy, McVeigh (Cooper 37min), Svensson (Roberts 90min), Francis

Scorers: Burnley: Wood 7, May 30, Blake 38

Norwich: Svensson 14, 62, Huckerby 32, 89, McKenzie 51

Referee: A Hall



 

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