BUEND OF THE ROAD!
Emi off as Canaries flop
EMI BUENDIA’S early bath cost the Canaries as Boro checked their promotion push.
Play-maker Buendia, linked throughout this month with a £40million switch to Arsenal, was sent off in the 67th minute for a second yellow for a clumsy tackle.
It was his third red card in 25 games and means he will miss Norwich’s next two outings – at Millwall on Tuesday and next weekend’s clash with promotion rivals Swansea.
The hosts ended up failing to land a single shot on target – a real rarity at this level. And Boro boss Neil Warnock revealed afterwards that Buendia’s short fuse had been in his mind before kick-off.
He said: “We did say he’s likely to get sent off – he does silly things at the wrong time, so we were aware of that.
“And once he’d been booked, then anything could happen with him. It was definitely another booking.
“But he’s not a bad player is he? I’d have him in my team!”
Norwich boss Daniel Farke defended his player, claiming that the elbow used by Boro substitute Duncan Watmore was a far worse offence.
Max Aarons was left with a suspected broken nose in the last-minute clash and Farke said: “Emi is a player who gets so many tackles against him, so many hits, and has to handle much pain during a game.
“So for him to be sent off feels very harsh, especially in a game where elbows were in the air. It was costly for us as 11 v 11 we would have won.”
Norwich’s best chance turned out to be their first, as Mario Vrancic did well to get past three challengers but scuffed wide from 10 yards. “These are the moments you have to score against a good defending side,” added Farke.
Boro, who lost 3-0 at home to Rotherham in midweek, were exactly that with Dael Fry excellent in central defence alongside Paddy McNair.
Darnell Fisher stuck to his task of keeping Todd Cantwell quiet and Marc Bola’s man-marking of Buendia was a huge factor in the Norwich man earning those two yellows.
The first was just before half-time for a foul on Jonny Howson and the second for a sliding challenge on George Saville.
Boro’s players made it known loud and clear they wanted Buendia gone and referee Keith Stroud duly obliged.
Farke added: “It is harsh because it was not a tactical foul, there was no bad intent and no danger of a big injury.”
Howson’s header on the hour was the game’s first on target and he put a late chance to win it over.
Warnock said: “He nearly killed a pigeon behind the goal! We got in good positions, but couldn’t get a proper connection.”
Krul 6; Aarons 7, Hanley 7, Gibson 7, Giannoulis
7; Skipp 7, Rupp 6; Buendia 4, Vrancic 6 (Placheta (70th) 6), Cantwell 6 (Hernandez 76th); Pukki 6 (Idah 87th) Bettinelli 6; Fisher 7 (Coulson 86th), Fry 7 (Watmore 89th), McNair 7, Bola 8; Spence 7, Howson 7, Saville
7, Morsy 7, Johnson 7; Bolasie 6 (Akpom (56th) 6)
Marc Bola
K Stroud