Manager praises endeavour of players in cruel Chelsea defeat

CHRIS Hughton spoke of his disappointment at the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea but saluted the efforts of his players after a stirring second half performance.

Anthony Pilkington’s equaliser was the launch pad for a period of play where it looked as though the Canaries would snatch all three points, but in the end goals from substitutes Eden Hazard and Willian took those hopes away in the final five minutes.

City’s boss could take nothing away from his players on a day when the final result could have been different.

“I’m proud of the effort and what they put in after a difficult start when we conceded a goal so early in the game,” he said when speaking to Canaries Player after the final whistle.

“To get back into it against the quality they’ve got, and to get ourselves in a position at 1-1 where if there was a team who was looking like they were going to win it, it was going to be us was pleasing.

“But when you’re playing the likes of Chelsea, with the quality that they’ve got, they’re so strong and powerful on the counter-attack.

“I’m really disappointed with the result because I thought at 1-1 we had a really opportunity to get something from the game.”

City’s support, especially in the second half, was noticeably audible and it’s something Hughton felt kept the team going.

“I thought the support was great today. What they’ve could see was a team who was giving everything. They got behind us and they drove the team on,” he added.

“We will certainly take all the positives from the game, which there are many, and we need to take them into the next set of matches.”