8:55am Wednesday 15th August 2007
By Paul Wreyford
Norwich City 5 Barnet 2 . . .
It did not look good after half-an-hour at Carrow Road.
And, as manager Paul Fairclough remarked, a lot of things had to be said at half-time.
But, as he also stated after this rip-roaring Carling Cup clash, he learnt more about his side in the second period than in the whole of pre-season.
Having conceded five goals in the opening 30 minutes, many teams would have been forgiven for retreating into their shells and closing up shop. Not Barnet.
The Bees took the game to their rampant hosts and dominated the second half, scoring two quality goals to restore pride.
Only the late dismissal of Neal Bishop for an alleged elbow could sour a terrific second 45 minutes for Barnet.
Fairclough said: "We showed tremendous strength of character. I'm very proud of the way we responded."
This was a strange encounter. Even when the Canaries were two up, Fairclough insisted Barnet were in the ascendancy.
"Ironically, I believe that even when we were 2-0 down, we were the better team. But, at 2-0, the younger players lost a little bit of shape and reality. At that stage we needed to consolidate, but the goals rattled in."
Though Norwich were awesome going forward, playing with pace and verve, Fairclough did suggest that the hosts had the rub of the green.
"The ball just seemed to fall to people in the right areas at the right time," he said.
Barnet had certainly started the better team. Within three minutes Anthony Thomas laid the ball off for Bishop to test keeper David Marshall with a low drive.
But City were ahead a minute later, their two opening goals both coming on the break. The Bees looked stretched down the flanks all night and Jon Otsemobor was given time and space to centre for Jamie Cureton to hook the ball past Harrison on the volley.
It was two on 16 minutes. Lee Croft this time crossed from the right. Sagi Burton's clearance came off a Norwich player and ran into the path of Cureton who placed the ball past Harrison from close range. You could not blame Fairclough for thinking Norwich were a little fortunate.
It almost got worse a few minutes later, Chris Brown chipping Harrison from close range, only to see the ball clip the bar.
By now, lucky or not, Norwich were on fire. Simon Lappin hit the goal of the night on 21 minutes. Ian Hendon held off challenging him and Lappin found the top corner from 25 yards with a stunning drive.
Four minutes later it was four. A Norwich corner caused mayhem and Ashley Carew had Harrison to thank for saving his blushes, the keeper clawing the ball out after it had deflected off the midfielder. It was only a short respite, however. The ball was only half cleared and Mark Fotheringham found the corner with a low drive from the edge of the area.
Darel Russell then made it five on 30 minutes, driving home after Harrison had denied Cureton his hat-trick with a fine block.
The Norwich fans taunted Harrison by calling him "England's number one" but the Barnet keeper, who took it in good spirits, was not to blame for any of the goals.
He denied Cureton again with another excellent save before Barnet finally created something at the other end, Thomas clipping the bar with a header from a Jason Puncheon centre. It was the second time the striker had hit the bar in two games.
Even at 5-0, Fairclough said he drew many positives and encouragement from the opening 45 minutes. His team-talk certainly did the trick.
Barnet came out after the interval looking like they were the team 5-0 up.
They went forward at every opportunity and played some excellent football. Puncheon screwed an effort horribly wide and Carew side-footed a volley from a Puncheon cross just wide at the back post. Adam Birchall was also wide with a long-range effort after Michael Leary had won the ball in midfield.
The goal was coming and it arrived midway through the half. A Joe Devera cross came off a defender and looped into the air. Puncheon waited for it to drop and volleyed the ball first time into the corner.
Norwich's first real chance of the half came with 20 minutes to go, Harrison tipping round a Jason Shackell header.
However, within three minutes, Thomas laid the ball off to Birchall and he beat Marshall at his near post with a low drive from the edge of the area.
It was another super strike and stunned the Norwich faithful.
Even when Bishop was controversially sent off four minutes from time for apparently using an elbow as he went up for a challenge, ten-man Barnet still drove forward in the minutes that remained.
Norwich manager Peter Grant described his side's second-half performance as abysmal, but you have to credit the Bees for a plucky response.
Fairclough said: "We stuck together and came through very strongly."
BARNET (4-4-2): Harrison; Hendon (Porter 59), Devera, Burton, Nicolau; Carew, Leary (Seanla 84), Bishop, Puncheon; Birchall, Thomas. Subs not used: Beckwith, Cole, Hatch.
Attendance: 13,971.
(See tomorrow's Times for more action and reaction from Carrow Road)
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