Etuhu's strike sinks the leaders

DAVID CUFFLEY

Norwich City 1, Cardiff City 0

Dickson Etuhu gave new Norwich City boss Peter Grant a memorable victory over Championship leaders Cardiff City in his first home match in charge at Carrow Road.

Etuhu struck after just seven minutes with a beautiful curling right foot shot from five yards outside the area.

Striker Robert Earnshaw had two good opportunities to extend Norwich's lead just before the break but was foiled on each occasion by keeper Alexander.

Norwich's failure to convert their first half superiority into goals led to a tense and at times bad tempered second half. But goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown, making his first appearance on loan from Portsmouth, was not seriously troubled despite Cardiff having their share of possession.

In time added on Norwich substitute Paul McVeigh and Cardiff defender Kerrea Gilbert were both shown the red card after a flare up on the touchline.

The whole drama was played out in front of Norwich's biggest home crowd of the season so far of 25,014.

New boss Grant said he would not hesitate to change a winning team and he did just that by dropping goalkeeper Paul Gallacher, an ever-present so far this season. In came on-loan keeper Jamie Ashdown, only a day after arriving from Portsmouth for a month's stay at Carrow Road.

Skipper Adam Drury, given only a 20 per cent chance of playing on Thursday, recovered from a knee injury and so Norwich began with 10 of the 11 who started Tuesday's 1-0 win at Birmingham.

Cardiff manager Dave Jones made one enforced change to the team that beat Southampton 1-0 on Tuesday night. Striker Michael Chopra was suspended and his place went to Frenchman Luigi Glombard, who joined the Bluebirds from Nantes.

Norwich City's new boss stepped out onto the pitch before kick-off and was given a tremendous ovation from all four sides of the ground.

Cardiff's players were wearing black armbands to mark the 40th anniversary of the disaster in Aberfan, the South Wales mining village, in 1966.

Norwich kicked off defending the Barclay End and soon won a free-kick on the right when McPhail fouled Croft. Safri took the dead ball kick, but it was easily cleared by the visiting defenders.

Cardiff went dangerously close to taking the lead in the third minute when a cross from Ledley was only half-cleared by Drury and Thompson followed up with a first time effort that flew just past Ashdown's right-hand post as the keeper dived to his right.

As Norwich went on the counterattack Etuhu and Huckerby played a neat one-two which ended with the midfielder's shot being saved by Alexander, but the linesman had already flagged for offside.

The Canaries stunned the leaders after just seven minutes when they moved ahead with a beautiful goal from Etuhu. Huckerby challenged Gilbert and as the ball fell into Etuhu's path he produced a superb curling right foot shot from five yards outside the area which beat keeper Alexander's despairing dive.

As Cardiff pushed forward, Parry tried to get past Drury by the right corner flag and the Norwich skipper was forced to concede a corner. When the flag kick came over, Doherty headed clear as far as Ledley, but the Cardiff man ballooned a left-foot shot high over the bar, much to the amusement of the home crowd.

Glombard was next to try his luck after running across the edge of the Norwich area and sending in a right-foot drive that took a deflection off Shackell for another corner. This time, Parry's kick was met by the head of Loovens and dropped harmlessly wide.

Ledley was involved in most of Cardiff's attacks in the early stages and Ashdown had to scamper off his line to prevent Glombard getting on the end of a Ledley through-ball.

Cardiff won a free-kick 10-yards into the Norwich half when Shackell fouled Thompson. McPhail floated the ball goalwards and it took a neat clearance by Drury, with his back to goal, to relieve the pressure.

Norwich threatened again when Etuhu sent Huckerby racing clear on the left. Huckerby raced into the area and tried to find Earnshaw, who was crowded out, but moments later the ball was back with Huckerby and he struck a powerful right-foot shot which Alexander managed to beat away.

Cardiff were certainly pushing forward whenever they could, however, and both Doherty and Shackell had to be at their most alert on more than one occasion.

Midway through the half, Colin intercepted a poor throw from Alexander and put Croft clear on the right. The winger's centre seemed to set up Robinson nicely, but the midfielder failed to control the ball and his shooting chance was gone.

Doherty joined the attack to good effect after 25 minutes as he stabbed a right foot effort goalwards, which took a deflection off Loovens and flew out for a corner.

Earnshaw carved out a shooting opportunity a minute later but his left foot effort against his old club was a yard wide.

Drury was being kept busy by Parry and the Norwich skipper produced an excellent tackle to halt the Cardiff man's progress when the visitors threatened again.

Doherty had been outstanding in the opening half-hour and he made another important clearance after Thompson had nodded on a dangerous ball from McPhail.

Ashdown was called into action after 34 minutes, going down to gather a header from Thompson after a free-kick from McPhail had been nodded on.

Norwich had already fallen foul of the offside flag several times and it happened again when Earnshaw moved fractionally too soon onto a pass from Etuhu.

Cardiff appeared lucky to escape a penalty award eight minutes before the break when Earnshaw set up Croft and the winger's cross appeared to be handled by Loovens with Robinson waiting to pounce, but the referee waved play-on.

A quickly taken free-kick almost provided the Canaries with a second goal when Safri rolled a pass into Robinson's path but the Welshman screwed his left-foot shot across the face of the goal and the opportunity went begging.

Ashdown was called into action again, saving a header from Ledley, but Norwich were quickly back on the attack. Etuhu set Huckerby away on the left and his centre was met by a first-time shot from Earnshaw which Alexander did well to hold on to.

Safri and Croft worked a neat free-kick routine along the right touchline and when Safri's cross came in from close to the corner flag, it was only just too high for Robinson.

Huckerby tried his luck from long range but his right foot drive was about a yard wide of Alexander's right-hand post.

A minute before the interval, it looked odds on Norwich extending their lead when an awful ball from Glombard, played into his own half, fell perfectly for Earnshaw but in a one-on-one against Alexander, the keeper came out on top by blocking his shot.

But it had been an excellent half for the Canaries, who had been more than a match for the league leaders and should have been further ahead at the break.

Half time: Norwich City 1, Cardiff City 0

Cardiff made their first change of the afternoon from the restart with Kamara coming on in place of Glombard. Kamara was quickly involved when he tried to go past Drury on the byline but the skipper's tackle was not only well timed, he actually won a goal kick with a deflection off the Cardiff man.

A foul by Doherty on the halfway line gave Cardiff a free-kick and earned the defender a lecture, but when McPhail's dead ball kick was floated in, Etuhu headed clear.

Huckerby's enthusiasm took him a bit too far as Cardiff broke through Kamara and he was penalised for shoving the substitute into touch.

But Norwich were soon threatening again and Safri and Robinson combined well to put Earnshaw through, only for the striker to have strayed fractionally offside.

Cardiff were still a handful going forward and forced a couple of corners in quick succession. From the first, a shot from Ledley was deflected wide and from the second, the pressure was only relieved when Thompson was penalised for a foul on Doherty.

Ten minutes into the half, Drury was shown the yellow card for a challenge on Gilbert, but appeared to be unlucky having got his toe to the ball and nudged it into touch. Ashdown dropped the resulting free-kick, which was aimed towards the far post, but referee Bates spotted an infringement on the goalkeeper.

Safri and Earnshaw combined to set up Croft after 58 minutes but the winger's progress was halted by Purse, who finished up landing on top of the Norwich winger. Croft reacted angrily by throwing off the defender and was shown the yellow card by Mr Bates.

Cardiff went on the counterattack and Kamara was rather wasteful by firing over the bar from the edge of the area.

New manager Grant at times paid little regard to the white line on the edge of his technical area and at one point even called Robinson to the touchline to show him something in his notes and issue further instructions.

Safri was having a fine afternoon and he robbed Parry to set up another attack. Croft and Earnshaw were both involved in the move, but Huckerby's final cross was just too high for Croft as he moved in for the header at the far post.

With 20 minutes gone in the second half, Huckerby's persistence earned a corner on the left, but Alexander did well to claim the ball under pressure from Doherty.

At the other end a cross from Scimeca was only slightly too strong for Thompson as Cardiff continued to look for the equaliser.

Norwich's substitutes were warming up on the touchlines and it looked as if McVeigh, who was getting plenty of instructions, was about to come on.

Sure enough, with Huckerby starting to hobble, McVeigh was introduced in his place and Huckerby went off to a great ovation from the home crowd.

Drury attempted to pick out Earnshaw with a lofted pass but although Purse stumbled in attempting to head clear, Alexander was out quickly to gather.

With 19 minutes to go, Cardiff boss Jones made his second change by sending on veteran striker Campbell and withdrawing Thompson.

A neat piece of control from McVeigh almost created an opening for Earnshaw but his through-ball was hammered clear by Alexander as the little striker closed in.

Gilbert got the better of McVeigh before bursting forward and his pass was met with a neat back heel by Campbell but, to Norwich's relief, it dropped into no man's land and they were able to clear their lines.

As Cardiff threatened again, Kamara found the head of Parry, but his effort struck team-mate Campbell and Norwich could breathe again.

A promising Norwich break involving Earnshaw was spoiled when McVeigh lost possession on the edge of the area and when Cardiff broke quickly, play was held up while Safri was treated for a knock.

During the break in play, Cardiff made their third and final change with Flood coming on in place of Ledley.

Flood was soon in the action, first with a corner which was headed clear by Robinson and then, moments later, producing a weak right-foot shot which Ashdown easily gathered.

Despite Cardiff having plenty of possession and attacking intent, the Canaries' new keeper had been troubled on only a handful of occasions.

With little more than five minutes left the home crowd - the biggest of the season - began to sense a welcome victory on home turf and the chants of “Peter Grant's green and yellow army” began to ring out.

There was a further delay when Cardiff's McPhail needed treatment on the halfway line.

The Cardiff physio signalled for a stretcher for McPhail and manager Jones did not win many friends among the home crowd by yelling at the paramedics to get on the pitch more quickly. In the event, McPhail hobbled off without the need of a stretcher and with all three substitutes used, there was no opportunity for Jones to replace him.

With a minute to go and McPhail back on the pitch, Grant made another substitution by sending on Dublin in place of the hobbling Safri. Dublin appeared to take up a position at the back with Doherty pushed slightly further forward.

With five minutes additional time signalled by the fourth official, Flood earned a yellow card for upending Earnshaw by the right corner flag.

Doherty suffered a blow a minute later following an aerial challenge by Purse, earning a free-kick on half way. Dublin aimed it towards Earnshaw but the ball glanced off the striker's head and into touch.

With the seconds ticking away, there was an angry flare up between Gilbert and McVeigh on the touchline and after talking to both players, Gilbert and McVeigh were shown the red card. It appeared at one stage as if McVeigh dipped his head towards Gilbert during the argument.