ON THE BALL
On The Ball written by Gareth Payne.
Full-Time - City did it the hard way coming from behind and turning the game around in six minutes. Leeds United beat Colchester United at Elland Road, Charlton Athletic were held at home by Tranmere Rovers, while Swindon Town let a two-goal lead slip away to Southend United. The win also breaks a Club record of consecutive home games won in a season, making it 11 dating back to the win over Leyton Orient in September.
90+3 - A long ball floated back-stick is punched by Forster but out for a corner. Chris Martin heads away the delivery but it is pumped back into the mixer and Nelson meets this one and then again against his former side. It eventually falls to the feet of Korey Smith who looks around and is closed down so sensibly holds onto the ball and Paul Taylor whistles for full-time.
90+2 - Chris Martin and Oli Johnson link up well, Martin with a fantastic chest trap and then feeds Johnson in behind. The striker keeps possession inside the box, cuts inside and then looks for a reverse pass back to Martin, ala against Brentford, but a long leg gets in the way.
90+1 - Korey Smith shows great determination to win the ball and then turns away from two defenders, a couple of step-overs thrown into the mix and then a foul by Gary Liddle to stop the youngster. Looked like Liddle was booked to boot.
90th - Three minutes of time to be added on.
87th - City stretched and Rose has two men far post. The cross comes in deep and Monkhouse wins the header but Forster is well positioned to block.
85th - Sub Oli Johnson shows quick feet and a turn of pace to just drift into the box between two defenders and wins a corner. Lappin goes short to Chris Martin, who returns the ball and the Scot crosses deep, where Darel Russell rising like the proverbial salmon to meet but a comfortable save for Forster.
80th - Adam Body is booked for catching Simon Lappin late in the centre circle.
73rd - Andy Monkhouse tries his luck from distance, right-footed, a yard or two over Forster's bar, the Hexham-born lad wasn't too concerned.
70th - Goalscorer Cody McDonald departs for Oli Johnson. Great reception for both players, the crowd chant Oli's name as he enters the fray. A double change by Hartlepool as well, Richie Humphreys and Denis Behan depart us with Richie Jones and Adam Boyd joining us. Body partners Larkin in attack with Jones going left-flank.
64th - Chris Martin wins a corner, with nowhere to go, he hammers the ball against Joe Gamble. Lappin over to take, inswinger from the right, Nelson attacks the ball far post but makes little to no contact with the ball. Perhaps the shirt-tugging from his maker was a factor. Paul Taylor not interested in that, goal kick Hartlepool.
59th - Denis Behan gets in behind the City defence from a cute pass from Colin Larkin - City wanted a flag but the assistant deliberately ran with his flag pointing downwards and as Behan took a touch, the giant frame of Fraser Forster was upon him to block his shot.
55th - This afternoon's attendance is 25,506 - the biggest of the season!
53rd - Korey Smith adopts his winger-hat and nutmegs Peter Hartley over on the far touchline and then beats the next defender expertly before flashing in a cross that unfortunately eludes all and sundry. Chris Martin gives chase towards the near touchline but Gamble wins the foot race and Martin ends up crashing into the advertising hoardings and limps away. The striker is quickly back into the action receiving a short pass, skipping past his man and floating in a cross for McDonald, who jumps high and wins the header and it looked like it took a touch off Sam Collins but a goal kick is given to the visitors.
52nd - City just getting themselves a little out of position and stretched. Richie Humphreys is able to exploit ten yards of space but his shot is wayward.
50th - Wes Hoolahan calls for the ball from Simon Lappin, yes, you could hear him in his Irish accent from up here, and then plays a ball in behind the defence for Cody McDonald to chase but Flinders is there to sweeper-keep up five yards outside of his penalty area.
47th - The Rory Delap of League One winds up a long throw-in, Michael Rose, towards the near post, Michael Nelson is looking for the flick-on but headed clear to Simon Lappin who crosses first time, where a acrobatic Korey Smith throws himself at the header but narrowly over Flinders' bar.
46th - Hartlepool restart the game, with City attacking the Barclay Stand in this second half.
Half-Time - Hartlepool are back out for the second half in their change kit of all-black with very thin white lines (hoops if you will) going across the shirts, very reminiscent of Manchester United's away shirt of old. City's subs are still out on the pitch warming up with a spot of 'keepy-upy'.
Half-Time - City lead at the interval despite going behind in the 26th minute to a Neil Austin long-range drive. A minute later Cody McDonald levelled preceedings with a fantastic header from 10 yards from a Russell Martin cross. Then on his debut Michael Rose drove City in front, turning the game on it's head inside six minutes. Leeds United lead Colchester United by one goal to nil at the break at Elland Road and in-form Swindon Town are two to the good at Roots Hall away to Southend United. One postponement in the division, Oldham Athletic's home match against Brentford.
45+1 - City break and the ball is played wide right, where Korey Smith is yards offside, but he gives up the chase and Russell Martin is tearing up the touchline but the offside decision is given, despite Martin being yards onside and Smith being offside but not playing the ball.
45th - Anthony Sweeney's shot from distance deflects off Rose for a late corner to the visitors. Joe Gamble's corner is punched with some distance by Fraser Forster, Darel Russell is the collateral damage in the mix. Two minutes of time to be added on.
40th - Andy Monkhouse is the first player to enter referee Paul Taylor's notebook for an off the ball incident, looked like a cynical bodycheck after Russell had played the ball. It's the same Taylor that sent off Fraser Forster at Gillingham earlier in the season, for the 'foul' on Curtis Weston at Priestfield Stadium.
38th - Chris Martin adopts a similar move to McDonald moments ago, spin, turn, inside, on his left foot but this one does take a knick for a corner, which isn't one of Lappin's best that's for sure.
36th - Russell Martin again up from right-back again. He finds McDonald with a simple pass inside, the striker spins away from his marker, cuts inside and let's fly with a left-footed shot from the edge of the area, which is always rising and goes over Flinders' bar. McDonald wants a corner but nothing doing from referee Paul Taylor.
32nd - Just look what that means to him! Michael Rose half an hour into his City debut hammers the Canaries ahead, after trailing just six minutes ago. Chris Martin received the ball in space, turned and went at the defence, looking to cut inside on his right foot but instead opted for a reverse pass for Rose, up from left-back. Rose just well, hammered it goalwards and Flinders must have been looking to anticipate the cross as he was beaten at his near post with his weight going the other way. Rose runs over towards the Jarrold Stand, leaps and puches the air with delight. Adam Drury hasn't scored all season and Rose takes just 32 minutes.
27th - "
27th - City awake and are instantly level. Russell Martin again gets down the right to good effect, completely outnumbered in the box, his cross lands on the head of Cody McDonald, who generates enough power to steer his header past the outstretched reach of Scott Flinders.
26th - "A much needed boot up the butt." - jarabe
26th - Hartlepool stun the Carrow Road crowd into silence. A long throw-in is headed clear by Korey Smith. Two Hartlepool players want it, both leave it, eventually Neil Austin decides to take a plant a inch-perfect shot from 25 yards into the bottom-hand corner of Fraser Forster's net. The crowd respond with a defeaning rendition of 'On The Ball'.
25th - Neil Austin is allowed to cross from the right touchline and Colin Larkin is allowed to stoop to header, too easily. His header tamely goes through to Fraser Forster.
23rd - Same again, Martin on the overlap to the byline, this time Cody McDonald is able to meet his cross and head back into the danger zone but some scrambled defending see Hartlepool clear for a City throw-in.
22nd - Russell Martin gets down on the overlap of Wes Hoolahan, beats Hartley to the byline and whips in a cross, which is too deep.
20th - Second corner to Hartlepool, won by Andy Monkhouse on the right. Richie Humphreys over to take, inswinger. Half-cleared by Simon Lappin at the near post but Gary Liddle is able to get a shot away, wide of Forster's near post.
17th - "We need to turn the screw today - no slip ups are accepted. 3 points is all that matters. Good to see Cody get a start and will be interesting to see how Rose plays. OTBC - WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!!" - hrsthenwc
16th - Great cover play from Neil Austin. Darel Russell played a ball through on the half-volley for Chris Martin, it beat Sam Collins in the air but Austin got round of the cover to head back to Flinders.
14th - A loose pass inside the City half is seized upon by Denis Behan. He feeds his strike partner Colin Larkin in the right channel, but he drags his shot wide of the far post. A decent opportunity that.
13th - Russell Martin wins City's first corner, off the legs of Peter Hartley. Simon Lappin over to take from the right but Flinders catches on the edge of his six yard box.
12th - Colin Larkin gets in down the left and pulls back to the cross towards the penalty spot but debutant Michael Rose cuts out the danger with a diving header.
8th - Andy Monkhouse has Hartlepool's first shot of the match, but it's a wild one, taken on the half-volley with Michael Nelson charging to close down.
7th - Hartlepool force the first corner of the match with Simon Lappin sliding in to block a cross. Richie Humphreys takes left-footed, inswinger but Gary Doherty is there with a commanding header on the penalty spot.
3rd - "
2nd - Hoolahan dances his way into the Hartlepool box after exchanging passes with Cody McDonald and has the first shot of the match, but Scott Flinders saves down low at his near post with his legs.
1st - Wes Hoolahan and Korey Smith get us underway at Carrow Road.
A change of ends means City will kick-off and attack the Norwich and Peterborough Stand first half.
Paul Lambert rewards Cody McDonald with a start following his winning goal against Walsall in midweek. New loan signing Michael Rose starts at left-back in place of the injured Adam Drury:
CITY: Forster, Nelson, R.Martin, Doherty (c), Hoolahan, C.Martin, Lappin, Russell, Rose, McDonald (Johnson 70), Smith. Subs not used: Rudd (GK), Gill, Hughes, McNamee, Kelly, Whitbread.
Hartlepool: Flinders, Austin, Humphreys (Jones 70), Liddle, Collins (c), Behan (Boyd 70), Monkhouse, Sweeney, Larkin, Hartley, Gamble. Subs not used: Cook (GK), Clark, Haslam, Fredriksen, Bjornsson.
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