Smith puzzled as Tigers go top with an Oscar winner
DEAN SMITH refused to panic after Norwich’s nightmare start took another turn for the worse.
The yo-yo Canaries are used to being bottom of the Premier League – but they’re propping up the Championship after sliding to their latest defeat against resurgent Hull thanks to two-goal striker Oscar Estupinan.
Even at this early stage, Smith is under pressure and needs his promotion favourites to quickly rediscover their form.
The Carrow Road boss said: “It’s a game we should have won but I’m starting to sound like a broken record.
“I’ve been asked about a hangover after relegation but you don’t dominate the first three games like we have if you’re suffering from a hangover.
“It’s frustrating but there’s no need to panic. We should have won it in the first 20 minutes but gave away a comical goal.”
Smith must hope history repeats itself after the Canaries shook off slow starts in their previous two seasons at this level to go up as champions.
They could have been out of sight early on but failed to take their chances as Hull keeper Matt Ingram produced a great double save to deny Marcelino Nunez and Teemu Pukki.
Grant Hanley put a free header straight at Ingram before Kieran Dowell just failed to get a touch to an inviting Pukki cutback.
Hull recovered to take a 43rd-minute lead thanks to some shambolic defending.
Max Aarons’ attempted clearance hit team-mate
Andrew Omobamidele and fell invitingly for Estupinan to poke the ball past Tim Krul for his first goal since arriving from Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes.
The Colombian international doubled his side’s lead just after the hour, pouncing from close range after Krul saved from Regan Slater and Alfie Jones’ follow-up was cleared off the line.
Nunez – by far the Canaries’ best player in a free midfield role – halved the deficit with a stunning free-kick into the top corner 18 minutes from time.
Smith’s men should have come away with a point as Aaron Ramsey put a glorious chance over from two yards, before the on-loan Aston Villa sub also had a late header cleared off the goalline. Ingram kept out a stinging stoppagetime free-kick from Nunez to put Hull top of the table on the back of an unbeaten start.
Boss Shota Arveladze said: “We could have been a couple of goals down but we fought hard and came away with our rewards.”
HULL: Ingram 8; Coyle 7, Figueiredo 7, Greaves 7, Elder 7; A Jones 7, Slater 7, Allahyar 6; Tufan 7 (Williams (80) 6); Tetteh 6 (Cannon (63) 6), Estupinan 8 (Covil (77) 5) NORWICH: Krul 5; Aarons 4, Omobamidele 4, Hanley 4, Sorensen 5 (Gibbs (57) 5); Dowell 6 (Hernandez (68) 5), Mclean 7, Nunez 8; Rashica 4 (Sargent (58) 6), Pukki 6, Cantwell 6 (Ramsey (68) 5) STAR MAN: Oscar Estupinan – A real handful and rewarded for an all-action display with two goals. REF: James Linington 7