NORWICH UTD 0 v. IPSWICH WANDERERS 2

RIDGEONS PREMIER LEAGUE

SATURDAY 15TH APRIL 2006

It was grey, overcast and breezy, not what the weather forecast had led us to expect for our Easter Saturday trip to ‘the old enemy’, who were, like our opponents the previous week, struggling at the foot of the table!. David Grimwood was given a start, at the expense of Paul Westren, otherwise the team, without one of the coaching staff due to lack of space in the few cars available for the trip, was unchanged from the side that lost last Saturday.

Norwich were lively for the first minutes, with Murphy and Hunton finding space to shoot and looking suitably buoyed by their midweek win over Wroxham. Wanderers soon found their rhythm with Rene Swann and Dean Tournay-Godfrey creating chances and the latter having a shot on 8 mins that flashed past the post. An untypical misplaced crossfield pass from Mark Goldfinch, whilst under pressure, left King free down the right and his cross to the far post was inches away from an inrushing Robbins.

Wanderers won the first corner of the match on 13 mins but failed to make any advantage pay from this. However, with Matthew Cunningham marauding down the left flank, his cross to Rene Swann gave the striker a chance to beat Ager to the header but Jackson, in the Norwich goal, was presented with an easy ball to gather. Both sides were looking to work the ball down the wings but the, accurate, final ball was proving elusive.

Wanderers took the lead on 30 mins after they had started to put the nervous looking Jackson under pressure. David Grimwood sent over a cross to the far post and under the bar which Ricky Martin headed home. Wanderers started to dominate until Murphy put Robbins through on a one on one with Jamie Stannard but the ball rebounded off the visitors ‘keeper for a corner. Norwich had the better of the last minutes of the half, slicing through the Wanderers defence but not quite doing enough to threaten an equaliser.

Norwich Utd 0 Ipswich Wanderers 1

Norwich had substituted their ‘keeper Jackson at the restart and made two other changes early into the half in an attempt to make an impression on the scoreline. New ‘keeper, Young, was called into action on 51 mins when he had to rush out to stop Rene Swann in his tracks. No much later, Wanderers went further ahead with a almost carbon copy of the previous incident when Bradley Barber put Rene Swann through with an incisive ball inside the fullback and this time, Young was not so quick and was rounded for Rene Swann to tap into an empty net.

Norwich were immediately on the attack and earned a corner after some stout defending by Matthew Cunningham and skipper Marc Lowe. On 69 mins, Terry Layton’s deep cross was pinpoint accurate for Ricky Martin to run on to but Young was quick to counter the danger. Norwich were not letting a 2 goal deficit deter them and they upped the pace and redoubled their efforts to get back into the game. On 83 mins Paul Westren and Dean Tournay-Godfrey combined in the Norwich area and the former hammered a shot across the face of goal.

This was a much improved performance to get Wanderers back on to winning ways, to add to their impressive clean sheet tally and to set up a much anticipated local derby against arch rivals Needham Market on Easter Monday.