Rovers exit Capital One Cup at Carrow Road
Norwich City 1 Doncaster Rovers 0
Referee – Mr D Deadman
Attendance – 13,982
Since these two clubs last met, in the Championship, eighteen months ago their fortunes have taken different paths. Norwich have moved up to the Premier League and the Rovers have dropped down to League 1. So it has taken a Cup game to bridge the gap between them.
The Rovers made five changes from Saturday to their starting line-up and Norwich changed all eleven from the starting line-up at Newcastle United. All eleven are experienced players in the top two Divisions so it isn’t really going to be any easier for the Rovers.
A perfectly observed minute’s silence was held before the start of the game in memory of John Bond, a former manager of Norwich City, whose death was announced today.
The home team kicked off and had the Rovers defending in the early minutes. In the third minute Kane got in a shot from the edge of the penalty area to the left of goal but it it past the far post. Five minutes later and Norwich won a corner, which the Rovers defence cleared. Minutes later and Tettey had a go from distance that was high over the bar. In the 12th minute, a good break by the Rovers led to Blake putting Husband down the left flank before crossing low to the middle where Hume had a shot blocked and Blake following up had his shot deflected for a corner. Another corner followed and Martis headed over. In the 15th minute, a cross from Fox on the Norwich right was punched high into the air by Gary Woods and fell to Kane around the penalty spot but his shot hit Woods on the leg and then cleared. Pushing on the home team then forced a couple of corners, which the Rovers defence dealt with comfortably. In the 18th minute, the Rovers won a corner, which was played back to Quinn, with his cross back-headed wide by McCombe. A few minutes later Blake put wide from 30yards. Then, in the 22nd minute, the Rovers broke down the right where Blake fed Cotterill, whose angled shot went across the face of goal and just the wrong side of the far post. At the other end Holt cut in from the right and unleashed a terrific left foot drive that was only just over the bar. Then, in the 27th minute, the deadlock was broken when Blake lost the ball on the Rovers right touchline halfway in his own half. The ball was played inside to TETTEY, who drilled the ball past the diving Woods into the far corner of the net from 25 yards. Just before the half hour, blake was played down the Rovers right before pulling the ball back for Hume, whose hurried shot ballooned high and wide into the Stand.In the 34th minute, Elliott Bennett, older brother of Kyle, hit a tremendous drive from 30yards that Woods, diving to his right, saved brilliantly one handed and then collected. Two minutes later and Husband, on the Rovers left, passed inside to Cotterill before shaping to shoot but he was tackled and won the corner. This caused havoc in the Norwich six yard box as the Rovers attempted to put the ball in the net, with one shot being cleared off the line. As the last five minutes of the half came up Norwich again applied pressure on the Rovers defence. Kane, on the left edge of the area, had his low shot saved comfortably by Woods. Then Tettey shot over from 25yards. Then, in the first minute of added time, a cross from the Norwich right by Martin was headed goalwards by Ryan Bennett at the far post, with Woods unable to get to it when McCombe appeared from nowhere to clear.
Half Time – Norwich City 1 Doncaster Rovers 0
The Rovers got the second half underway and went straight on to the attack, with Martin Woods getting in a shot from the left that went wide of the far post. In the 53 rd minute, Gary Woods saved twice from Jackson, having beaten out the first shot and pushing the follow-up away to be cleared. On the hour Butterfield skewed his shot from 20yards on the left high and wide. Three minutes later and Bunn, in the Norwich goal, had to come out quickly to beat Hume to the ball. Then Husband got in a cross from the left that Cotterill headed wide. At the other end a Butterfield cross was met by Holt at the near post with a header that Woods pushed out for a corner. Then another corner to the home team was headed wide by Ward. In the 76th minute, holt played a good through ball for Jackson to run on to. He was pushed wide by a covering defender and Woods came out to narrow the angle resulting in Jackson firing into the side-net. At the home end Syers fired wide after good work by Quinn. The pace of the game had slowed in the second half and as the last ten minutes came up the home team seemed content to settle for the single goal. In the 88th minute a good link-up on the Rovers left by Husband and Cotterill gave Husband chance to hit a low cross to the middle of the six yard box. Brown and Bunn went for it and missed and Syers couldn’t get his left foot round the ball at the far post skewing the ball into the air for Bunn to catch. A good cup-tie was brought to a close by the referee with Norwich holding on to their one goal lead and going through to the next Round.
Result – Norwich City 1 (Tettey 27 mins) Doncaster Rovers 0
Teams – Norwich City – Mark Bunn; Elliott Bennett, Elliott Ward, Ryan Bennett, Marc Tierney; Jacob Butterfield, David Fox, Alex Tettey, Chris Martin; Harry Kane, Grant Holt ©
Subs used – Simeon Jackson for Kane 50 mins; Wes Hoolahan for Martin 71 mins;
Subs not used – Michael Turner, Steve Morison, Leon Barnett, Josh Murphy, Declan Rudd gk
Caution – Elliott Bennett 89 mins
ROVERS – Gary Woods; Paul Quinn, Jamie McCombe ©, Shelton Martis, Tommy Spurr; David Cotterill, James Harper, Martin Woods; James Husband; Robbie Blake, Iain Hume
Subs used – David Syers for M Woods 50 mins; Chris Brown for Blake 57 mins; Kyle Bennett for Spurr 61 mins;
Subs not used – Rob Jones, Harry Middleton, Paul Keegan, Jon Maxted gk