Canaries clinch second trophy in a week with Senior Cup win
NORWICH City earned their second trophy in the space of four days with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wroxham in the Norfolk Senior Cup Final on Thursday night.Following on from Monday’s night’s incredible FA Youth Cup triumph against Chelsea, City’s under-21 side got their own taste of glory thanks to goals from Olumide Durojaiye and Cameron McGeehan.
Wroxham battled hard but the Canaries struck at the right time and confidently held on to their lead throughout in front 759 supporters at Carrow Road.
McGeehan was one of four players who started having featured in the historic triumph at Stamford Bridge, while Durojaiye was playing in his last competitive game for the Canaries before his summer switch to Gary Holt’s Falkirk.
The Yachtsmen made a bright start at Carrow Road, though, with Ben Thompson earning a free-kick on the edge of the box that Remi Gordon curled into the hands of Remi Matthews.
City’s first opportunity came when Rhys Browne reacted well to some indecisive Wroxham defending from a corner but his shot on the turn was blocked.
Norwich began to establish themselves as the dominant side, and soon after Scott Howie tipped a Michael Clunan curling shot around his post, they took the lead on 22 minutes.
Browne raced onto Jacob Murphy’s clever reverse ball, and his pace forced a late tackle from Matthew Halliday, with the referee having no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Central midfielder Durojaiye stepped up and confidently placed the ball in the opposite corner to Howie’s dive.
At that stage it looked like it would be a comfortable night for the Canaries, but Wroxham finished the half strongly – Thompson was nearly fortunate when the ball rebounded off him but it went straight at Matthews, before Matt Daniels drove a shot that City’s ‘keeper held well.
HALF-TIME: Norwich City 1-0 Wroxham
As with the first period, Wroxham were quicker out of the blocks, but when Swatman drove his shot over the bar, the Yachtsmen were punished when City grabbed their second on 54 minutes.
Michael Clunan was afforded time on the ball just outside the box, and clipped a delightful ball into the area that McGeehan nodded past the reach of Howie and into the corner.
Jacob Murphy nearly got a decisive third moments later when his shot was smothered, before Andrew Eastaugh had a header saved by Matthews up the other end.
The underdogs endeavoured to find a route back into the match and should have pulled one back with quarter of an hour left on the clock but Thompson somehow missed his header from a yard.
Ultimately, the Canaries looked in control of the outcome and could have added a third through either Durojaiye or Browne in the last ten minutes, but their resilience against a physical Wroxham team, and subsequent clean-sheet, saw them home as winners.
FULL-TIME: Norwich City 2-0 Wroxham
GOALS: Norwich City – Olumide Durojaiye (22 pen), Cameron McGeehan (54)
NORWICH CITY: Matthews; McNeil, Gafaiti, Sheriff (c), Wyatt; McGeehan (King 62); Durojaiye, Clunan; Hodd; Browne, Jacob Murphy (Josh Murphy 70). Subs not used: Lokko, Norman, Randall.
WROXHAM: Howie; Lewis, Gordon, Eastaugh, Halliday, Carus, Durrant (Marsden 83), Self (c) (Harty 70), Thompson, Daniels, Swatman (Cook 79). Subs not used: Starkings, Jones.
Attendance: 759