Cardiff full of grit as Smith slips on first step
DEAN SMITH insisted his Norwich City side were hard done by after falling to a dismal opening day defeat at Cardiff.
A 49th minute right-footed strike by midfielder Romaine Sawyers, their 30-year-old summer recruit from West Bromwich Albion, was enough to give Cardiff a victory that many of their supporters probably hadn’t anticipated. Callum O’Dowda provided the assist.
Steve Morison’s revamped side featured eight debutants.
The result raised immediate question marks over whether Norwich can do what most expect this season — bounce straight back up to the Premier League.
While Smith moaned about the Canaries’ fate, it was impossible to begrudge Cardiff their three points following a display characterised by grit.
‘We lacked that quality in the final third that cost us the game, but the least we should be leaving here is with a point,’ said Smith, who took over at Carrow Road after being sacked by Aston Villa last November, with Steven Gerrard coming in as replacement.
‘Our creativity has to be a lot better in the final third with both our runs and final passes. But we will get better.’
The Canaries wear a welldeserved yo-yo club tag, but on the evidence of this opening setback in the Welsh capital they may well have to scrap harder than many envisaged if they are to earn promotion from the Championship.
They entertain Wigan on Saturday, and a second successive slipup will see Smith immediately under pressure.
Cardiff meanwhile could not have hoped for a better start after a transformational close season that saw then bring in 14 players and ship out 13. They held on for the three points in a frenetic finish. Bluebirds defender Perry Ng and Norwich captain Grant Hanley were both sent off for second bookable offences in the last 17 minutes of the game.
Cardiff manager Morison played down the significance of one victory, but his relief and delight were evident.
‘I believe we are on the right path, but we are still a work in progress,’ said the former Millwall striker. ‘The game was very close, but we had that one moment and they didn’t. We’ve only won one game and we have to make sure we back it up with a performance next week.’
Next Saturday the Bluebirds are at Reading, whose campaign began with a 1-0 defeat by Blackpool yesterday.
Cardiff will travel down the M4 with a great deal more expectation on their shoulders after such a positive result.