CITY'S first home game of the season ended in a comfortable 2-0 win for the young Canaries, but they left it late to take all three points against Barnsley at Colney today.
After coming back from three goals down with only six minutes left last weekend against Leeds United to seal a point, the Canaries again left it late scoring twice in the last five minutes, this time to secure maximum points.
Academy manager Ricky Martin was missing several keys figures - goalkeepers Declan Rudd and Jed Steer - Rudd was on the bench as the first team beat Hartlepool and Steer remains sidelined through injury. Martin was also without his two main central defenders, David Stephens was sat alongside Rudd on the bench at Victoria Park and Dario Dumic was on international duty with Denmark. Also ruled out through injury were strikers Patrick Drmola and David Nwaogu.
Still Norwich got off to a good start, creating a decent opportunity in the first minute, but Danny Kelly could not get his shot away in time when sent through one-on-one with the visiting goalkeeper.
In truth the first half was fairly uneventful and it took until the 30th minute for Norwich to have their next attack of any real note. Josh Dawkin ran at the heart of the Barnsley defence but his shot was straight at the 'keeper.
Just before the break Norwich forced a corner, midfielder Johnbull Osemwegie climbed the highest to get his head to George Francomb's delivery but could not direct it on target.
Before the half-time interval there was still time for Dawkin to try his luck once more following a ball forward by Francomb, this time Dawkin saw his shot just clear the crossbar.
Half-Time: City 0 Barnsley 0
Welsh youth international Dawkin was in the thick of the action once more after the break, this time his powerful, goal-bound shot was well saved by the Barnsley goalkeeper who tipped the shot over the bar for a corner.
Barnsley were awarded a free kick on the hour mark and almost took the lead with a shot which was curled over the Norwich wall, but wide of the post.
Neither side were really dominating possession at this stage, but Norwich always looked the more likely team to score. With 15 minutes left, schoolboy Phil Roberts made his first appearance for the Under-18's replacing Tyree Clarke.
With only five minutes remaing City got the goal their performance merited. Again Francomb and Josh Dawkin were involved in the build up. Francomb played the ball into Dawkin who turned and ran at the Barnsley defence, his slide rule pass set up Kelly (pictured top-right) whose powerful shot arrowed across goal and into the far corner of the net.
Two minutes later and City sealed their win. Sub Roberts, with his back to goal, did well to hold the ball up before playing in strike partner Kelly who finished coolly when one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Norwich defended well for the final few minutes, as they had done all game, and ran out deserved winners.
Full-Time: City 2 Barnsley 0
CITY: Hewitt, Brindley, Gordon, Osemwegie, Francomb, Habergham, Clarke (Roberts 75), Ball, D.Kelly, Oakley, Dawkin. Subs not used: Jones, S.Kelly.
Speaking after the match Ricky Martin said: "I felt we defended well throughout the game, George Francomb and Sam Habergham, who were both excellent, marshalled the defence well and kept Barnsley at arms length. We have a good habit of scoring late goals at the moment and they were enough to secure us a deserved win today."
