Norwich City Women dispatched Cambridge United 4-2 at the Abbey Stadium on Sunday, April 7 in their replayed FAWNL fixture.
Inspired and invigorated, the Canaries looked to build on Easter Sunday’s comeback point away to Wimbledon by going one better on their travels against Cambridge United.
Opposition player of the match, Lauren Webb, set the tone early on with a brave stop to deny Natasha Snelling inside two minutes. In the seventh minute, Norwich had what they thought to be the breakthrough as Snelling supplied Ellie Smith, but the offside flag would cut celebrations short.
Despite the positive start, it was the hosts that would break the deadlock against the run of play. Brook Cheal-Ferris collected a second ball from a corner and took advantage of the time allowed to her to pick her spot in the far corner from range.
The wide areas continued to prove fruitful for the Canaries, but it was a familiar face as the catalyst for City’s response. A weakly-hit goal-kick was pounced on by Smith before she was brought down in the area. Hope Strauss made no mistake from the spot and fired City level in the 27th minute.
In typical City fashion, they were back on the attack within seconds of the restart. Bright spark Holly Kennard displayed a great turn of pace to beat her opponent before setting Natasha Snelling to fire home and turn the game on its head.
Webb remained busy and continued to deny the Canaries on several occasions before the interval, with Cambridge United’s biggest chance to respond coming in the form of a Simmons lob that could only find the roof of the net.
City burst out in the second half with equally impressive energy and a clinical edge as it took just four minutes to establish a two-goal cushion. Smith found Rachel Lawrence with an expertly timed run to beat a high offside trap before the winger unselfishly opted for the pass over the shot to find Snelling for her second and City’s third of the afternoon.
A flurry of chances for City were continuously thwarted by an inspired Webb, who kept her side within striking distance, and in the 70th minute, they did just that through a simple, squared ball across the box for a simple finish.
The denial of a fourth goal continued through a combination of the linesman’s flag and the glove of Webb, with disallowed goals amounting to a total of three during the afternoon.
In the 72nd minute, the travelling City faithful were put to ease as the two-goal advantage was restored. Kennard whipped an in-swinging corner across the face of goal and an attempt by Symonds to connect was enough to ensure Webb was beaten.
With the City bench emptied, a set of fresh legs ensured the waves of attack continued, with Shannon Shaw going close to making it five if not for one final stop from Webb to ensure the score remained 4-2 at the final whistle.
Norwich will return to league action in just two days’ time when they welcome Cambridge City to The Nest on Tuesday, April 9.
Cambridge United: Webb, Kosky, Rouse, Cheal-Ferris, Marden, Edgar, Smith, Cobb, Simmons, Stojko-Down, Fox
Subs: Otten, Simpson, Gillies, Rogers, Horsler
Norwich City Women: Quantrill, Parker, Smith (Limage 90), Snelling (Shaw 76), Larkins, Knights, Hailes, Tomlinson (Symonds 71), Lawrence (Cook 86), Strauss, Kennard (Pernet 86)
Goals: Strauss (27), Snelling (29, 49), Kennard (82)
Attendance: 932