Norwich were unlucky to lose this tight game and I think a draw would have been a fair result. However it was not to be for Norwich as with two minutes left on the clock Gareth Williams forced a good save from Paul Critchon only for Heeroo to squeeze the ball home at the back post.
There were some positives to come from this game for the Canaries as there were decent run outs for Matthias Svensson, Phil Mulryne and Ian Henderson.
How I rated the performance:
Paul Critchon: Had a few dodgy kicking moments, but apart from that was as solid as ever and made two decent saves. -7-
Keith Briggs: Did very little wrong throughout the 90 minutes. Worked well with Henderson down the right and got in some good forward positions. -7-
Adam Smith: His positioning was not the best in the first half and was guilty of giving the ball away. Settled down in the second half and played one or two excellent long passes. -6-
Jason Shackell: Looked very solid yet again. He does the simple things well which make him a superb prospect for the future. MOTM -8-
Matthew Halliday: Had a nervous first half, but settled down in the second making several important interceptions. -6-
Olly Willis: Had a decent game on the right wing. Made two excellent runs in the first half but couldn't deliver an effective final ball. -7-
Dean Sinclair: Not his best game. Had two good opportunities to score in which he blasted over from 10 yards. -6-
Phil Mulryne: Didn't exactly stand out as the first team player, but didn't do much wrong. One superbly chipped pass put Svensson through on goal. -7-
Clint Easton: Anonymous in the first half, but looked more at home in the 2nd when he switched to centre midfield. -7-
Matthias Svensson: Was a class above everyone else. Forced an excellent save from the Palace keeper and played one or two excellent chipped passes. -8-
Ian Henderson: Worked hard but didn't really get a chance to run at the Palace defence. Did his job well though. -7-
Substitutes:
Danny Crow (replaced Svensson 45 mins): Didn't see a lot of the ball but caused the Palace defence problems with his pace and strength. -7-
Lee Blackburn (replaced Mulryne 63 mins): worked hard and made a few decent sliding challenges.
Howlett (Replaced Willis 74 mins): Little chance to make an impression.
All in all, not the best performance from Norwich but the fact that there are several decent youngsters coming through the ranks is more important than the result.
On the ball.......
Keep The Faith