VRANCIC IS SPOT ON FOR CANARIES
NORWICH City manager Daniel Farke felt his side were fully deserving of the three points despite needing a late Mario Vrancic penalty to record a win over Wigan at Carrow Road.
The substitute’s 86th-minute spot-kick made it four straight Championship wins for the Canaries – and five in all competitions – and lifted them up to fifth in the table.
“It was a close game, and a very hard-fought one, but I thought there was no doubt that we deserved to win,” said Farke. “We didn’t allow Wigan one chance all game.
“Tim Krul didn’t have a save to make while we had lots of opportunities and should also have had a penalty in the first half.
“The penalty we did get was a clear one, and thankfully Mario put it away.”
Farke was pleased with another win – but less excited by the fact that his side are now in the play-off positions.
“I don’t take any notice of the table at this time of year. But I do take notice of the fact that we now have 17 points, which is a good total at this stage of the season,” he said.
Norwich had marginally the better of a disappointing first half and had decent claims for a penalty after 23 minutes.
In-form Teemu Pukki found himself clear on goal after an under-hit backpass from Chey Dunkley and as he prepared to shoot appeared to be brought down by the back-tracking defender.
But referee Gavin Ward decided the Wigan man had won the ball fairly and waved play on, to the fury of the home crowd.
A couple of minutes earlier Marco Stiepermann had brought a good save out of Christian Walton after cutting in from the right, while Dunkley later produced a superb block to keep out a goalbound strike from Emi Buendia as the Canaries found their feet after a pedestrian opening.
Norwich picked up the pace after the interval and Stiepermann tested Walton again with a low curler from just outside the box, while at the other end Windass sent a shot high and wide as the game continued to ebb and flow.
As the game passed the hour mark Norwich midfielder Alex Tettey dragged a shot wide from a decent position and it needed a well-timed tackle from Sam Morsy to deny Stiepermann as he prepared to pull the trigger after being set up by Pukki.
The big opportunity finally arrived five minutes from time when Windass tugged back Pukki in the box as he prepared to lay the ball and Vrancic made no mistake from the spot.
Wigan manager Paul Cook felt his side were unlucky to concede the late penalty, but admitted Norwich should probably have had one in the first half.
“When the referee awarded the penalty the game was petering into a draw, with two teams cancelling each other out,” he said.
“I did think the incident in the first was a penalty if I am being honest but after that we always wondered if another opportunity came along the referee would give it, and that’s what happened.”