Norwich goalscorer Sebastien Bassong salutes the travelling support after his stoppage time header salvaged a Premier League point in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Everton. Picture by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd

Chris Hughton hails Norwich City’s character after brave last-minute comeback at Everton

Paddy Davitt, EDP Sports Writer Monday, November 26, 2012
10:17 AM

Chris Hughton insists the Canaries battling point at Everton underlined his men will never give up the fight.

Sebastien Bassong powered home Javier Garrido’s free kick in the last minute of normal time at Goodison Park to cancel out Steven Naismith’s first half opener and extend City’s unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions.

Bassong was mobbed by his team mates in front of the away support after a memorable comeback to earn a point in a game soured by John Ruddy’s late injury exit.

The former Toffees’ keeper had only returned to training on Friday following the knee injury picked up in the previous win over Manchester United. Hughton confirmed in his post-match briefing Ruddy had not suffered a recurrence of the same knee problem but a thigh injury, which will be assessed on Sunday.

“He just felt his thigh, so hopefully he has come off at the right time. We are hopeful he will be okay,” said Hughton, who was also without centre back Michael Turner (shoulder) for the trip to Merseyside, with Hughton ruling the defender out of the pending midweek trip to Southampton. “I thought over the 90 minutes we deserved something. We conceded, from our standards of late, a poor very soft goal. Probably in that first half period we didn’t keep the ball well enough. Everton were certainly the better team over that first 45 minutes, but I think when we are 1-0 down you have to chase it a little bit and you have to ask a bit more of the players and we did that.

“I don’t think there was masses in it if I look over the whole game. It wasn’t one where either keeper was worked a lot so from that point of view it was quite a tight affair. We had to chase it and I thought we responded really well. You have to go for it.”

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36 comments

Indeed, Wiven! The man is absolutely outstanding, if he was playing for the 'big teams' he'd be England's first choice left back for sure, despite my love for Ashley Cole, Baines has that little something extra about him. Looking at the quality in that Everton side we did very well to come away with a point.

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Billy

Monday, November 26, 2012
How to stop Leighton Baines. 1 tie his shoelaces together. 2 alien abduction. 3. shoot him [got that idea from a j clarkson]

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wivenhoebudgie

Monday, November 26, 2012
C`mon boys! Save the vitriol for the Trolls or steven davies.

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Mad Brewer

Monday, November 26, 2012
Norman, sometimes you have to respect individual brilliance, and the closing down didn't happen earlier from the two center backs because otherwise they leave a whole lot of space in behind them! You're obviously a living room footballer, if Bennett and Bassong push up to close him out you've got both full backs still playing runners in behind onside therefore it'd be absolutely schoolboy defending if they did anything other than close him out as he shaped to shoot! I suggest playing and not reading books, theoretical football is much different! And for the first goal, yes, sloppy defending, but it's 1 goal conceded against a good attacking side and we've conceded 3 goals in our last 7 games which includes Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham, yet you still manage to whine! If we were absolutely perfect all the time we'd be winning the league year after year, get real.

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Billy

Monday, November 26, 2012
Pedants` Corner. That brave comeback was in the second half. The result of it occurred in the last minute (of normal time). That OK, goldie? ;-)

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Mad Brewer

Monday, November 26, 2012
Good ol` Error 503

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Mad Brewer

Monday, November 26, 2012
Wiv, Warrior has got one thro` in quadruplicate! I`ve had the situation before now in which every time I revisit a message board my message disappears and next time reappears, repeated several times. Also my posting identity is mysteriously changed. I`d rather put it down to incompetence than malice, though I do have my suspicions...... That ethering of "duplicates" that never appear is another common feature. Perhaps the culprit\gremlin targets regular contributors who talk sense? Stooge appears quite regularly.....though thankfully not on this board (yet).

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Mad Brewer

Monday, November 26, 2012
Wiv, Warrior has got one thro` in quadruplicate! I`ve had the situation before now in which every time I revisit a message board my message disappears and next time reappears, repeated several times. Also my posting identity is mysteriously changed. I`d rather put it down to incompetence than malice, though I do have my suspicions...... That ethering of "duplicates" that never appear is another common feature. Perhaps the culprit\gremlin targets regular contributors who talk sense? Stooge appears quite regularly.....though thankfully not on this board (yet).

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Mad Brewer

Monday, November 26, 2012
hey timbo , just been moderated for a duplication of an ethered message.Archant really on the ball.

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wivenhoebudgie

Monday, November 26, 2012
Billy , you may be an ardent fan of a pretty good player but the fact remains he was allowed to get his shot away. As for the " closing down" you mention. That should have occurred way before he was allowed to shoot. Read the Football Defence Manual. You did not mention the first schoolboy defensive error that allowed the Everton goal. Why?

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norman hall

Monday, November 26, 2012
Another hard earned point, all points are hard earned in the EPL. The Southampton match this week is now a huge game. To get something, even a point will be a good result and to keep the points total moving in the right direction. Every game from now on is as big as the last. Hopefully John Ruddy will shake off his injury quickly and CH can field his preferred back four and keeper. The rock that the team is being built on.

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RoadWarrior

Monday, November 26, 2012
Another hard earned point, all points are hard earned in the EPL. The Southampton match this week is now a huge game. To get something, even a point will be a good result and to keep the points total moving in the right direction. Every game from now on is as big as the last. Hopefully John Ruddy will shake off his injury quickly and CH can field his preferred back four and keeper. The rock that the team is being built on.

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RoadWarrior

Monday, November 26, 2012
Another hard earned point, all points are hard earned in the EPL. The Southampton match this week is now a huge game. To get something, even a point will be a good result and to keep the points total moving in the right direction. Every game from now on is as big as the last. Hopefully John Ruddy will shake off his injury quickly and CH can field his preferred back four and keeper. The rock that the team is being built on.

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RoadWarrior

Monday, November 26, 2012
Another hard earned point, all points are hard earned in the EPL. The Southampton match this week is now a huge game. To get something, even a point will be a good result and to keep the points total moving in the right direction. Every game from now on is as big as the last. Hopefully John Ruddy will shake off his injury quickly and CH can field his preferred back four and keeper. The rock that the team is being built on.

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RoadWarrior

Monday, November 26, 2012
Cheers Canarygirl, good to know it's not me. Perhaps they have taken Timbo's last comment to heart and done it to spite us!!

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Preston Canary

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Preston Canary, no you are not going crazy; I am experiencing the same phenomenon; one minute the article appears to not be available, the next you can access it but the messages have disappeared. This website needs a major upgrade and very soon; its like trying to work with an old dinosaur!!! I'm sure Archant have the money.

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Canarygirl

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Pathetic. Just had innocent comment ethered twice. I sometomes think we should leave these boards blank for a month so they get the message.

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Timbo

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Am I missing something or is my computer crazy? All of the comments from the match report seem to have disappeared. Also in the story of the match there is a photo of Marouane Fellaini, who was suspended yesterday. Have the Archant censors gone nuts??

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Preston Canary

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Am I missing something or is my computer crazy? All of the comments from the match report seem to have disappeared. Also in the story of the match there is a photo of Marouane Fellaini, who was suspended yesterday. Have the Archant censors gone nuts??

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Preston Canary

Sunday, November 25, 2012
I've always liked Hughton as a person. He's begining to win me over as a manager as well now. Welcomed him @ 1st, then right up to the Arsenal game was thinking "Oh no, what have we got here?". Still can't quite fathom his game plan + though we ended up taking a point we could've made things easier for ourselves by making changes earlier in the game. We need @ least a draw from the Southampton game now. PS: I see it finished all square in the "Old Farm Derby" between our dear cousins from Suffolk + the mighy Peterboro......MASSIVE game. Simply MASSIVE. Reflected in the huge crowd of 7 farmers + a border collie.....Oo-Arr !

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Timbo

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Btw, why DO some folk still insist (good journo word, that) on referring to our manager as Houghton, as in Hall?

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Mad Brewer

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Spot on there, Billy! Good to see Holty not putting his trust in the officials` take on goal-line non-technology, by making absolutely sure Seb`s goal was not wrongly ruled out. Then straight away charged over to congratulate the real scorer. Good man, skipper! While on the subject of Match Officials, we have the spectre of Battenberg hanging over us for the Soton match on Weds........ :-(

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Mad Brewer

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Chill out, Norman! That player who burst through our defence is no other than Leighton Baines, one of the best players in England right now imo, and will be our England left back, he's a tricky customer and it was more his individual brilliance and clever dips of the shoulder to get through a few players, but Bassong and Bennett closed him out so he could only put his shot in one area and that was close to Ruddy.

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Billy

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Unfortunately, only saw the highlights of the game.In that short time some of the Citys defending was terrible. In one instance an Everton player waltzed past several defenders without a tackle and was allowed a free shot from the edge of the box. A combination of a relatively poor finish and a fine save from Ruddy stopped a goal.The first Everton goal was the result of a pub player mistake by a City defender. And the finishing from some of City forwards must improve if we are to remain in the Premiership for a second season. Houghton has done a fine job , the players must be more focused.

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norman hall

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Interesting that for the second game running a Garrido cross has set up the goal. He could be a significant contributor to our season. If only Pilks and Snod could finish consistently to add to our fire power.

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Pondlife

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Lappin should only miss one game (Tuesday) and he looked pretty itred when he committed the second foul. Good result for NCFC. Hopefuly on Wednesday Mr Battenburg wil remembr he owes us one for the QPR game when he failed to spotpanicked at what to do about Zamora encroachment. Sadly the spotlight wil be on him and not the game.

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Pondlife

Sunday, November 25, 2012
yeah DC I saw Laps got 2 yellows so should spend a big part of his loan suspended! Doh!

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MBA Marine

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Perhaps alongside Seb? Cracking result, against really tough and hardened opposition. CH is making us very hard to beat, which is positive. MB is a good reserve 'keeper and will do okay at Southampton if needed. We all know a 'jack-in-a-box' striker is needed, but that will cost money, and take time to bed in.

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Soglio Star

Sunday, November 25, 2012
Not that long ago I would not have thought I would ever be writing this but Turner we missed on Saturday and when I say missed I think we missed a certain solidness in defence that he brings with Bassong. I admire Russell Martin but at present where do you fit him in? OTBC

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Singapore Canary

Sunday, November 25, 2012
King of Spain got Red Carded in his first outing for Cardiff - how about that ?

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Dubai Canary

Saturday, November 24, 2012
How long is Turner out for and when is Russell Martin expected to be back in action ?

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Dubai Canary

Saturday, November 24, 2012
In a really short time, Chris Hughton has rebuilt the defence and defensive midfield for a bargain price and surprised all of us, well me anyway. I am sure the offense is next for the treatment. Great to see us going for it with Holt, Jacko & Morro at the end. Ruddy's knee needs rest and will take time, I am confident that Bunn is up to the job.

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Swiss Canary

Saturday, November 24, 2012
Greg Sayer, you are correct 'only' Eight (8) City players have socred in the first 13 PL games, the others have scored in Cup Games. That is stil pretty good in my opinion ! OTBC

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Dubai Canary

Saturday, November 24, 2012
8 players have scored 10 goals

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Greg Sayer

Saturday, November 24, 2012
Seems like CH has cleared the decks with 10 players out on loan. I woulddn't be surprised if he has one or two little surprises for us come January transfer window. Smart man is CH, I think NCFC have a good manager in him. We are on a good run of form and you have to fancy City getting a result at Southampton on Wednesday night. Just to put things into perspective, I think Bassong is our 11th Premier League scorer this season - that can't be bad when we have players scoring from almost every outfield position ! OTBC

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Dubai Canary

Saturday, November 24, 2012
I know you've got to bull them up, confidence and all that, but I'm sure you've got one or two things in the pipe line for January. We've completed phase one of the Hughton plan, now for phase two.

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Lobbo

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Norwich City’s struggles to find the right midfield mixes

In the second of a three-part series dissecting the Canaries’ successful battle to retain their Premier League status, Norwich City writer Paddy Davitt examines the relationship between the artists and the artisans in Norwich’s midfield.

Read full story »