Canaries end season with Blackpool defeat

Norwich City ended their 2022/23 Sky Bet Championship season with a 1-0 defeat at home to Blackpool.

Norwich City ended their 2022/23 Sky Bet Championship season with a 1-0 defeat at home to Blackpool.

With Blackpool already relegated to League One and Norwich unable to make the play-offs, the day will be largely remembered for being Teemu Pukki's last as a Norwich player.

The Canaries were led out by Pukki, with the departing fan favourite receiving a stirring ovation from Carrow Road.

He then almost opened the scoring within a minute but a Blackpool body got in the way of his effort.

Gabriel Sara also went close early on when his curling effort clipped the top of the net.

However, it was the visitors who took the lead through Morgan Rogers after quarter of an hour.

The response was almost immediate as Max Aarons initial effort was blocked before Pukki's was well saved by Daniel Grimshaw in the Blackpool goal.

Sara forced another good stop from Grimshaw on the half-hour mark.

The Brazilian found Pukki in first-half added time but again Curtis Nelson was able to get himself in front of the shot to divert it over the crossbar.

Norwich came out for the second half with one change as Sam McCallum replaced Dimi Giannoulis who picked up a facial injury towards the end of the opening 45 minutes.

A link-up with Marcelino Núñez created another chance for Pukki but it was wide of the target this time.

It was closely followed by a blistering effort from Onel Hernández that was agonisingly wide.

When Blackpool threatened, Angus Gunn pulled off an excellent save to deny CJ Hamilton after an hour.

Carrow Road was on its feet again when Pukki was replaced in the 81st minute, Abu Kamara taking his place.

And the replacement nearly equalised almost immediately, but he was pipped to the header by a defender.

Gunn denied Rob Apter again late on as Blackpool counter-attacked.

The last opportunity for Norwich fell to Jon Rowe whose left-footed volley just rose too high and no equaliser would arrive.

Norwich City: Gunn, Aarons, Omobamidele, Sørensen, Giannoulis (McCallum h-t), Sara, Gibbs, Tzolis (Rowe 57), Núñez (Idah 57), Hernández, Pukki (C) (Kamara 81).

Unused subs: Krul, Hayden, Hills.

Bookings: Hernández (73)

Blackpool: Grimshaw, Connolly (Husband 57), Nelson, Thorniley (Lankshear 81), Lyons, Fiorini, Carey (Apter 70), Patino, Bowler, Hamilton (Lavery 70), Rogers.

Unused Subs: Maxwell, Trybull, Holmes.

Goals: Rogers (15)

Bookings:

HT: 0-1

FT: 0-1

Venue: Carrow Road

Referee: James Bell