By Sadie
April 24 2007

Sadie (Shady Blue Lady) is back giving us her own unique look at Town’s game against Norwich at Carrow Road on Sunday.

With usual skipper De Vos out through injury, super blue, very well recognised by the canaries, Fabian Wilnis gets the nod to lead out. It’s a warm sunny day, no better day to be herded around like sheep, baa.

 

Supple plays his first Derby match for Town today with Price still sidelined, The back four are skinny little mice that scare no one well all apart from Wilnis, the mice are Harding, Bruce and Wright. Midfield has little more impact on the fear factor with the only worry being you have to be careful around Roberts in case you run into his ears and knock yourself out, with Roberts is Garvan, Williams and Peters and the strike force contains possibly the beefiest and puniest members of the stating 11 Walters and Jeffers. The subs bench of blue is Price, Miller (who wins skinny runt comp with Franny in 2nd) O’Callaghan (also a contender in the skinny runt comp, but his height took away the edge, Sorry George), Haynes and Lee. Sito and Richards came along for the ride.

 

The Canaries lined up to start the match with Warner, Drury, Shackell, Croft, Dublin (happy birthday gramps) Fotheringham, Hughes, Etuhu, Spillane, Huckerby and Earnshaw. I must say this place looks pretty good for a spaceship dumping ground. Gallacher, Colin, Eagle, Renton and Martin are the home team’s human bench warmers.

 

95% of Carrow Road is filled today with 25 476 supporters, 20,000 convert to blue and white during the match proceedings the other 5476 were already sitting in the tractors trailer. Baa.

 

It takes a few minutes for City to get into the game, and even longer for Town to join.

 

In the 3rd minute of play Wright is beaten before Huckerby then takes play past Bruce and as Town are looking like crash test dummies a Home corner is taken and goes over and out.

 

A minute later Huckerby is again running free on the left before he sends the ball into the attacking box, Etuhu finds space (not difficult) and heads the ball past Supple and the home team are in front at the early stages of today’s derby match.

 

Town still show no signs of getting their act together anytime soon and in the 7th minutes The Canaries have a free kick, Garvan defends the box and the ball heads up for Ipswich, a few chances arise in quick succession but none of which cause any need for concern as far as the home team are aware. City bring the ball back to midfield where Croft is rough on pretty boy Harding Croft is booked for the incident and the kick for Town ends as a Goal kick when Walters can’t move quick enough, like 0.2 miles an hour.

 

In the 10th minute Wright and Peters create a kind of mustard and cucumber sandwich giving the home team a free kick, this turns into a corner Fotheringham takes the corner and Etuhu once again has space to head, luckily for the tractor boys the header is off target.

 

Jeffers and Walters appear to be waking up in the 13th minute and the in the 14th minute Supple sees an Alien and falls over in shock, really, it has nothing to do with them sprinkling Towns half of the pitch before kick off, it seems he appears to answer to the name of Robert.

 

Town manage to scrape a shot, kind of after Roberts delivers on to Jeffers but the attempt is wide.

 

Bruce and Spillane are dancing together in the 19th minute, a vast contrast to his 18 yard box actions a week before.

 

Etuhu gives Roberts a palm in the face on 20, the free kick inspires a run of Town play but the final ball is not one to be admired, just like Spillane’s in the 22nd minute.

 

Dodgy keeper of the moment is Supple, Roberts is trying to showboat, concentrating more on getting on soccer am than getting 3 points, Jeffers say’s oopsie after falling from a push, WTF is all this! City counter from the fall but Wilnis clears with a diving header and receives a foot in the head as sign of appreciation.

 

In the 29th minute Williams produces a good tackle winning the ball but off form Walters seems to be jeopardising every attack.

 

The next 6 minutes is end to end with failed chances galore until 35 minutes when Town have a corner, Roberts steps to the challenge but there is no reaction whatsoever from the Tractor Boys, in fact you’d probably get more reaction from poking a dead worm.

 

Town produce good play again into the box but then as usual it all falls apart, the home team take advantage until Huckerby is too slow leaving the ball out for a Town throw, they soon regain possession until Bruce steps in, oh and I thought I might mention Fotheringham slips over.

 

Town have a corner in the 38th minute which birthday boy Dublin heads out for another corner, this corner ends as a free kick to Warner for foul play in his box.

 

On 40 minutes Peters wins the ball from Croft and skips past Hughes but the lng ball ends with Dublin, play for Town has certainly picked up since Roberts and Peters switched sides.

 

Walters has a chance denied by good goal keeping and follow up from defenders a minute later and in the 42nd minute Wilnis catches Earnshaw in the offside trap and sends him to the F.B.I for investigation, if only.

 

It’s back and forth for the remaining few minutes of the 1st half and 1 minute is added for the goal and at half time the home team have a one goal lead, looking on top for the 1st half an hour of the match, as Town are starting to wake up, Roberts ends the 1st half with a dodgy shot, but hey a shot is a shot I suppose, hopefully the improving form will carry into the 2nd half so that I can stop saying nice things about mustard and cucumbers.

 

During half time Haynes and Miller are out in front of us and Haynes shows how I have completely under-rated him, as he surpasses all I could ever think he is capable of producing in the intelligence score, and he manages to do it whilst keeping that irritating B.H charisma that makes him Danny Haynes.

 

The 2nd half starts slowly but in the 48th minute I notice something that isn’t noticed on the pitch, Jaime Peters.

 

Birthday boy Dublin gets a bit hot under the collar in the 49th minute, don’t worry mate it’s the menopause, perfectly natural, anyway he starts on Roberts, yes I am sure Roberts antagonized him by commenting on his nearly reaching the top of the hill or something along those lines, very immature, you’d never catch me doing that! The Town fans are calling for a red, for Dublin not Roberts, but no card is given, not even a birthday card, how rude of Mr. Tanner.

 

City are caught offside again after breaking from a Town free kick passed to Warner from Williams 

 

Shortly after Town have a corner Jeffers finds the incoming ball and strikes, the ball is well defended but not cleared, Garvan takes the opportunity but Warner moves fast and clears off the line.

 

Town’s frustration is starting to become clear from a endless string of attacks resulting in nothing before Spillane is replaced by Martin, joy to the world.

 

56 minutes Drury gifts Town an unnecessary corner, but hey who’s complaining, Roberts takes the kick but it is sent straight to the mustard defence and played out. Play heads for the Town half where Earnshaw wins a free kick the kick taken by Hughes is sent out for a throw by Harding.

 

Onto 58 minutes a free kick is given against Peters for apparently fouling Hughes but everyone could see little Peters won the ball Bruce defends the ball well leaving the Tractor Boys chanting his name.

 

60 minutes on the clock Martin causes Town a scare coming close to goal, but the shot is just over the bar and Town break, as play enters the Canary box Warner continues his impressive goal keeping until Wright finds the ball at close range beating the surrounding defenders and Warner to bring Town level, scoring for the first time since 2003, a massive achievement for Wright met with equal applaud from the travelling fans. Baa.

 

Into the 63rd minute Etuhu tries to give the Canaries back their lead, denied by stand in captain Wilnis right in front of goal,

 

Walters is replaced by Lee in the 64th minute, a welcome change due to Walters being unable to find form in Norfolk today, maybe he’s feeling asbestos in the air too.

 

Drury finds Martin in space in the 66th minute who sends a long ball on to Fotheringham, the accurate play comes to nothing as Fotheringham heads the ball over. Croft is then replaced by Colin.

 

Lee begins an attack on 68 minutes which Williams tries to net, the shot is well saved and Town win a corner, the corner holds little though as Lee heads out.

 

Onto 70 minutes Huckerby gets tangled with Wright in the Town box, Huckerby tries for a penalty and strops in the box when referee Mr. Tanner signals to play on.

 

Wilnis is the obvious man of the match as he continues to banish any threat that comes in from the Canaries, before Harding starts jumping like a fairy and a City corner brings them close to regaining the lead, this is as close as they would get if the Tractor boys had any sense.

 

75 minutes gone and Bruce makes a top class challenge, obviously not used to seeing such skill in this league Mr. Tanner feels there must be something wrong with it and stops play to book Bruce and award Huckerby the free kick, this produces little opportunity but it’s not long before the home team are awarded another from another Huckerby tumble (does anyone see a pattern emerging?), This kick is well defended by Wilnis yet again.

 

Peters is replaced by Haynes on 78 minutes hoping for the usual turn of events against the canaries, would he keep the run going or has his personal Derby delight come to an end. City find themselves running free after a failed Town attack, but Supple manages to save what we all thought was the home winner, the ball went right as Supple dived left and just as the ball reached the goal up came Supple’s left leg just in time for his left foot to meet the powering, speeding ball and send it away from goal, leaving pretty much the whole stadium in shock, Town reach the ball and return to attack before play is stopped for a Town free kick against Etuhu, Etuhu sees yellow but Town’s free kick is wasted, Yes the Tractor Boys have been inspiring in this 2nd half, but too often the blues are just too sloppy with the ball.

 

On 80 minutes Roberts tries to walk the ball through 3 Canaries and into the goal, needless to say, he failed, then 2 minutes later Wright is limping as City again try to scare Town but the shot is over and it’s a goal kick to Supple.

 

Dublin gives Town a free kick in the 84th minute, the free kick is taken and inside the City box Etuhu appears to pull down Wilnis, nothing is given and play continues.

 

With 3 minutes left on the clock a home corner is given, Haynes tries to clear before the ball is sent back in Supple’s direction, after 3 attempts to clear Harding gets back to lend the Town keeper a hand, or a foot as it maybe to get the ball out of danger.

 

A minute later a Canary falls off his perch then in the final minute of play Huckerby is running riot in obvious desperation to get the 3 points back but somehow Wilnis is always there to burst his bubble.

 

3 minutes of time is added which gives Huckerby another chance to go diving, maybe he has been taking lessons from apparent proud sponsors of NCFC Flybe.com.

 

The match finishes with a goal and a point for each teams, The Tractor boys have a party in the ground whilst waiting to be herded back to the station, train station that is, and apparently through the post match interviews you could hear the Town fans better that the interviewee, specifically a certain song about a Canary with bad footing who will never play for England, whoops, they didn’t have time to censor!

 

Outside of the ground the party continued and Earnshaw’s parents were spotted searching for him, to my surprise they were purple, I was expecting blue and white, haha.

 

Oh what a glorious day, and after the first time I have been to an away derby, it is certainly a match that every true blue has to experience in their life time.

 

(Sorry it’s late, my mom tried to kill me with her air freshener when I went round to do the report! Don’t worry about notifying the police, I have plans of my own to get her back with a rather poisonous saucepan from my fiancées flat)

 

(Only kidding mom, please keep the killer spray away from me!)

 

Peace J

 

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