Birthday wish is Granted
HANLEY GETS SMITH OFF TO FLIER AND NORWICH OFF BOTTOM
DEAN SMITH hailed birthday-boy Grant Hanley for the goal that gave him a dream start as Norwich’s new boss.
The Canaries are off the bottom of the Premier League thanks to the skipper’s late winner.
Smith – fired by Aston Villa a fortnight ago – was hired to replace Daniel Farke at Carrow Road.
And his claim that relegation is by no means inevitable was backed up by this stirring comeback.
The Smith era got off to a disastrous start when Che Adams fired Saints ahead after just three minutes.
Teemu Pukki levelled straight after but Saints bossed the rest of the first half and were unlucky not to be back ahead. But it was a different story after the break, with Hanley – at fault for the Adams goal – heading home from a corner.
Smith said of Hanley, who turned 30 yesterday: “It was a good header from our captain. It was a soft first goal we gave away, I thought Adams went through a couple of tackles a little bit too easy.
“Tim Krul made a really good save when Grant made a mistake as well, but he certainly made amends in the end.”
Todd Cantwell and Billy Gilmour both started for Norwich, having been ignored by Farke for the majority of the season. That was a bold call by the new man, who had inherited the Premier League’s leakiest defence.
And after exactly three minutes he found out exactly why as Adams fired Saints in front.
Hanley was the man found wanting as his attempted clearance came straight back.
Adam Armstrong flicked it on and his strike partner slipped effortlessly past Hanley before firing into the far corner.
That left Smith scowling but his mood was improved within four minutes thanks to Pukki.
The Finland striker caught
Saints napping to make it 1-1.
Milot Rashica’s burst put Max Aarons into a crossing position and Pukki took advantage of Mohammed Salisu nodding off to get on the end of it.
Saints keeper Alex Mccarthy probably should have kept his header out as it crept in at his near post but Carrow Road didn’t care.
Saints replied by penning Norwich into their own half for the rest of the first period. Hanley’s slip allowed Adams a sight of goal just before the break, but Canaries keeper Krul denied him with a fine stop.
Change was needed at the break and
Smith moved to hook Cantwell and send on Josh Sargent, the USA striker.
It worked as Norwich’s energy levels went up as Saints’ own high-tempo dropped off. It looked as though Smith would have to settle for a point but skipper Hanley had other ideas.
Saints defenders could only stand and watch as the centre-back rose above team-mate Brandon Williams to head home Gilmour’s corner, with Mccarthy again found wanting at his near post.
There was enough time for a decent chance for a Saints equaliser but sub Theo Walcott headed inches wide and the day was Smith’s (celebrating, left).
Norwich moved above Newcastle and are now three points off fourth-bottom Leeds.
Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, who claimed referee Martin Atkinson missed a Norwich foul in the build up to the equaliser, said: “The whole performance was not good enough. When you concede a goal from a setpiece, it is very disappointing.”