Sunday People

Neil’s nerve jangler

CANARIES MAKE NEW BOSS SWEAT FOR VICTORY

- By Dave Smith

NEW Norwich boss Alex Neil saw the best and worst of the team he is expected to lead back to the promised land of the Premier League.

The best came in the opening 45 minutes with the Canaries flying into a three-goal lead the former Hamilton manager could only have dreamed of.

But after the break, Neil witnessed a very different side to the one which had torn Cardiff apart with goals from Gary Hooper, Kyle Lafferty and Cameron Jerome.

Sloppy replaced slick and casual replaced competent as goals from Alex Revell and Kadeem Harris made it a nervous last half an hour for the Norwich faithful. After his second successive league win, his first on home soil, Neil said: “We made it much more difficult than it should have been. My overriding emotion is probably relief.

“For the first hour we were excellent and I have a lot of talent here to work with, but we have to cut out those individual errors which almost cost us.”

Sickness

Cardiff’s away form has been the stuff of nightmares this season – just one win on their travels – so their early nervousnes­s was understand­able.

Hooper and Peter Whittingha­m both tested the respective keepers early on before Norwich inflicted another bout of travel sickness on the visitors.

Nathan Redmond’s cross from the right was flicked on by Jerome, and Hooper was handily placed at the far post to score from close range.

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 ??  ?? NOT BAD FOR STARTERS ... Alex Neil gets off to a flier as Jerome and Hooper (left) put Norwich 3-0 up – but they had to hang on for victory
NOT BAD FOR STARTERS ... Alex Neil gets off to a flier as Jerome and Hooper (left) put Norwich 3-0 up – but they had to hang on for victory
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