CHRIS LAKEY Conceding a penalty which costs your team all three points is no way to mark your debut - but Canaries new-boy Lee Croft was looking at the positives after the defeat at Leeds.

CHRIS LAKEY

By CHRIS LAKEY

Conceding a penalty which costs your team all three points is no way to mark your debut - but Canaries new-boy Lee Croft was looking at the positives after the defeat at Leeds.

Although Croft - and manager Nigel Worthington - were unhappy at referee Graham Laws' decision, TV replays suggested the match official got it right, with the 21-year-old looking to have taken out Steve Stone and Eirik Bakke with a challenge that gave former City loan player David Healy the chance from 12 yards.

The consolation for Croft was that he believes City's performance confirmed his opinions when deciding to uproot and move south from Manchester City.

“To be honest, the first half - apart from the ref giving the decision against me, which I thought was a wrong one - we played some fantastic football and going forward I thought we could have been three or four nil up come half-time, so I think it went really well,” said Croft.

“I think the lads are all disappointed, but we have to take the plusses out of it. I think we played well attacking wise - going forward we looked really dangerous, especially on the break, and I thought defensively wise we looked solid as well and we need to take as many plusses out of the game as we can.

“Even the manager said as an opposing side he wouldn't like to play against us three - if it is me, Hucks and Earnie I think any team would be frightened, because on the break we look frightening.

“When we get the ball won in midfield we had the three in there - Dickson, Robbo and Saff - and they were playing the ball around really well and I think we really are a force to be reckoned with this year.

“First half we silenced the Leeds fans because they realised we had come to play football. The manager has stressed that and we have worked really well and we took it in to today and it's just a real shame that we didn't get the three points.

As for the penalty, Croft said: “I am going to say it's a bad decision, I know, but I felt like I got the ball, but I have to forget about it now. We played well and we just have to concentrate on getting the points on Tuesday.”

Lat season's opening trio of games at Carrow Road, when City picked up just three points, set the tone for the whole campaign, but Croft believes that won't be the case this time around

“I think we can do fantastic this year,” he said. “I said that before I came, and playing with the lads and training and playing with them today we have so much potential and if we can put a few of our chances away we could have come down here and really set our stall out today - we have to take that on to Preston now.”

Croft lasted 56 minutes before he began suffering from cramp - a legacy of being a couple of weeks behind in his preparations because of his involvement at Manchester City.

“From my point of view I tired, but that was going to happen. I need a few games under my belt and I can't wait for the season ahead,” he added. “I think it will take me a few games, but the manager has been really understanding with that and I think he is going to give me the games because I think with my game, usually as the game goes on I just get better and better so, fitness wise, I just want to get my game under my belt and push on from there.