BORO UNDONE BY POACHER PUKKI
Finnish star fires Canaries to victory
NORWICH manager Daniel Farke was delighted to see a plan come to fruition as his side beat Middlesbrough at Carrow Road to end the visitors’ unbeaten start to the Championship season.
A scrappy game was settled by a scrappy goal, scored in the 57th minute by in-form striker Teemu Pukki.
The Finnish international, who scored twice for his country while on international duty, pounced on an attempted interception in the box from George Friend and poked the ball home via a deflection.
It was a deserved win for Norwich as they had more of the ball and had more clear opportunities than a disappointing Boro side, who rarely looked like scoring a goal.
“It was a brilliant performance, we controlled the game, dominated possession and I think when we got the goal it was well deserved,” said Farke.
“We were up against a very strong side, who are near the top of the table and had just kept five successive clean sheets,” he said. “They are a big, strong side and it was important we had a plan to deal with them.
“We were not going to win too many aerial duels so it was important we controlled the football, which we did very well, and pass it well to create some chances because they are a very difficult team to score against.
“When you stick to a plan this is the result. We brought our football on to the pitch – and got what we deserved.”
It was a thoughly deserved win for the Canaries, who had only tasted victory once in the Championship before this contest, while Boro could have few complaints about the final result, having created a merely handful of chances all afternoon
Boro manager Tony Pulis said his side should have had a penalty just before Norwich went ahead – but had no complaints about the outcome.
“Norwich were the better team but I think it was a clear penalty when Britt Assomba- longa was brought down in the box early in the second half,” said Pulis.
“It wasn’t given and they go up the other end and score a soft goal which had a lot to do with poor defending.
“We started the game okay and then dropped off after 20 minutes, and we also started the second half poorly.
“It’s disappointing, of course, but this is the Championship and there’s always a chance you can get results like this. What we have to do now is make sure we bounce back.”
There was a bizarre moment 15 minutes from time when Norwich defender Timm Klose was shown a second yellow card for bringing down Assombalonga when the striker was running in on goal, only for it to be withdrawn after consultation with his linesman, who had spotted an offside.
Pulis said: “The flag never went up at the time so I am not sure what happened there. Overall I thought the officials were poor – but, as I said, I don’t want to take anything away from Norwich.”