Sloppy Blues give Norwich helping hand
NORWICH left Leeds spying over their shoulders as they moved to within a point of the Championship leaders by beating fellow promotion chasers Birmingham.
Norwich have a big fortnight ahead as they face Sheffield United, who they leapfrogged in the table last night, then Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds at Elland Road.
Bielsa this week showed off the extensive homework he does on every team he faces. When he analyses this match, he will notice Birmingham’s dodgy defending more than anything.
Norwich scored all three of their goals inside 25 minutes as Garry Monk’s side were left cruelly exposed at the back.
On a freezing night at Carrow Road, you had to feel for the travelling fans, although they almost had something to celebrate inside six minutes when Maikel Kieftenbeld’s cross into the six- yard box deflected off Norwich defender Ben Godfrey. But goalkeeper Tim Krul was alert and got down low to deny Godfrey the indignity of an own goal.
Norwich were moving the ball well and they broke the deadlock in the 13th this week when Jamal Lewis fizzled in a cross which Teemu Pukki finished.
Just 77 seconds later, it was 1-1. Jota fed the ball to Che Adams, who was allowed time to turn and he whacked the ball beyond Krul.
Norwich boss Daniel Farke was seen waving his arms around while sitting in the dugout, disgusted by how easily Birmingham had equalised.
The Canaries were soon singing again when Mario Vrancic tried his luck from 25 yards. A half-hearted attempt to block the shot by Kieftenbeld was no good and Vrancic found the bottom corner for 2-1.
It became 3- 1 with less than 25 minutes on the clock and this was the simplest of the lot. A corner was swung in and Tom Trybull, unchallenged, headed the ball home.
Norwich could smell blood and they had chances to extend their two-goal cushion before the break.
In the second half, little changed. Norwich always looked the likelier to score the game’s fifth goal. A strong hand from Birmingham goalkeeper Lee Camp denied 20-year- old Todd Cantwell while Krul was only called into action to make straightforward saves.
Pukki’s opener had made him the Championship’s joint top scorer on 16 goals but the flying Finn could not add to his tally.
Both clubs have ambitions of being back among the big boys in the Premier League next season — but schoolboy defending by Monk’s men cost them here.