Farke’s dream Teemu
FINE DOUBLE FINNISH PUTS NORWICH TOP
THE Canaries flew to the top of the Championship with a powerful performance that emphasised how hard it will be to knock them off their lofty perch.
Norwich were simply superb. Dynamic. Devastating with fabulous Finn Teemu Pukki notching a double to take his league tally to 23 for the season as the new leaders took advantage of Leeds’ inactivity.
Marco Stiepermann and the exquisite Emiliano Buendia finished the job to leave Bol t o n outclassed.
Manager Daniel Farke ( left) was frustrated by a missed penalty but couldn’t hide his delight, and said: “Now I can give my players some time off. It’s well deserved.
“Sixty three points is a really good statistic after 33 games and we take the compliments. Our performance was really, really good. But my feeling is that we could have added a few more goals. We should be more clinical and brutal.
“Pukki, though, in linking play, is world class. I work every day with him and see his quality.
His goals are in key moments.”
Bolton chief Phil Parkinson made no excuses and said: “Some of their football was out of the Premier League and not the Championship. You have to hold your hands up and credit the opposition.”
One look at the lunar surface at the University of Bolton Stadium suggested free-flowing football wouldn’t be the name of the game.
But then you underestimate the skill, craft and clinical finishing of Norwich, who mastered the bumpy, threadbare pitch with consummate ease.
Farke’s flyers were absolutely brilliant to completely overrun a Bolton side seriously chasing a lost cause.
Norwich gave full warning of their deadly intent after four minutes when Buendia’s shot was flipped away by former Canaries keeper Remi Matthews.
Then, in the eighth minute, Norwich stormed into the lead when Pukki controlled brilliantly, side-stepped and then hammered home.
It was 2-0 in the 25th minute when Norwich launched into a great build-up that ended with Pukki telepathically pulling back for Stiepermann to rattle into the bottom corner.
Bolton were stunned. Shell-shocked. This wasn’t the start their lowly position demanded and they tried to get back into the game when Pawel Olkowski had a go with a shot comfortably collected by keeper Tim Krul.
But in the 34th minute, Norwich put the game out of Bolton’s flimsy reach. Kenny Mclean’s ball in saw the defence looking for an offside that never came and brilliant Buendia poked in the third.
Norwich piled on the pressure and Onel Hernandez’s power shot was pushed away by relieved Matthews. Stiepermann had another pop, too, as Bolton fell apart.
Their dismal day was summed up by Clayton Donaldson, whose attempted shot was woefully off target to bring jeers from the frustrated home fans in his last act before being substituted.
Pukki wasn’t to be denied in the 56th minute when Matthews was stranded in no-man’s land and lobbed into an empty net. It was breathtakingly brilliant.
And it should have got even better in the 63rd minute when Mark Beevers brought down Pukki in the area only for Mclean to see his spot kick saved by Matthews.
It was a real let-off but still not enough to cheer the fed-up Bolton fans who headed for the exit gates.
The Norwich faithful weren’t budging – and why should they. 69% 12 7 4 0
0 10 0 0