Under-23s beaten in play-off semi-final against Wolves on penalties
News
18th May 2022

Norwich City have missed out on promotion from the Premier League 2 Division 2 after they were beaten on penalties away at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Norwich City have missed out on promotion from the Premier League 2 Division 2 after they were beaten on penalties away at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Canaries, watched by Dean Smith, Craig Shakespeare, Stuart Webber and Neil Adams in the stands, fell behind in the first half when Hugo Bueno curled home a great finish, but battled back in the second half and levelled through Tyrese Omotoye.

Neither side could find a winner in normal time, or extra-time, so it was left to penalty kicks to decide the outcome. Flynn Clarke saw his, and Norwich's fifth spot kick saved, pathing the way for Oliver Tipton to win the game for the home side.

Norwich, who lost 1-0 to Wolves in the final match of the Premier League 2 Division Two season, named a strong starting XI.

There were two changes for the previous match as Jonathan Rowe and Tom Dickson-Peters came back into the side at the expense of Sean Stewart and Flynn Clarke.

Norwich were the first to go on the attack as Bali Mumba found Dickson-Peters' run in behind the Wolves defender but his early ball into the box was slightly behind the run of both Rowe and Kamara and the home side cleared.

After that it was Wolves who got on top of the game and dominated the first half proceedings. First Dexter Lembikisa got down the right well before sending in a low cross that Lee Harkin sent goalwards forcing a save out of Joe Rose.

Moments later it was down the left that Wolves attacked as Chem Campbell glanced a header wide from a Hugo Bueno cross.

Then Taylor Perry and Joe Hodge both sent efforts from 20 yards out just over the top of the Norwich City crossbar. So it was a deserved lead when Wolves went in front in the 28th minute.

It was the lively Bueno who scored it as he played a quick one-two down the left before cutting inside and curling a right-foot shot, from the edge of the box, into the bottom corner.

For the remainder of the first half chances were few and far between, but it was Wolves who again sent a dangerous ball into the box forcing Jon Tomkinson to a hurried headed clearance that Rose had to claim from inside his six yard box.

Pictures courtesy of Jack Thomas, Wolves FC

Norwich City had the first chance of the second half as Abu Kamara headed straight at Matija Sarkic, but then Wolves should have extended their lead when Harkin hit a close range shot against the post and Campbell rattled the underside of the crossbar. However, pressing higher up the pitch and getting into tackles quicker, Norwich created another opening when the ball fell to Omotoye in the box and he drilled an angled shot in off the post to level the scores. Jon Rowe and Liam Gibbs then combined to give Adshead a sight of goal and he whistled an effort past the post before Norwich keeper Joe Rose was called into action to deny Campbell in second-half stoppage time in a one-on-one situation. So the match went into extra-time. Norwich created some good chances in the first period, most notably from Rowe who had a close range volley blocked, but as the game wore on both sets of players began to look tired and the inevitability of penalty kicks drew ever closer. It was the Canaries who were left hanging on at the end though as skipper Jonathan Tomkinson went down with cramp with five minutes of extra-time remaining and was forced off. That reduced the Canaries to 10 men as Wolves poured men forward in search of a winner. However, they couldn't find it and to penalty kicks the game went. The first eight efforts from 12 yards were successful, heaping the pressure on Clarke as he stepped up to take Norwich's fifth.

It was a good penalty to the keeper's right that was heading for the corner, but Sarkic guessed correctly and turned the effort around the post. That allowed Tipton to step up and send his effort into the bottom corner and his side into a final against Stoke City for promotion to the Premier League 2 Division One.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sarkic; Lembikisa (Birtwistle, 108), Bueno, Tipton, Marques (C), Hubner, Cundle, Hodge (Hesketh, 90), Harkin (Griffiths, 75), Perry, Campbell.

Subs not used: Kandola, Shabani.

Goals: Bueno (28)

Norwich City: Rose; Mumba, Tomkinson (C), Shipley, Earley; Springett, Gibbs, Adshead (Khumbeni, 110); Kamara (Omotoye, 57), Rowe, Dickson-Peters (Clarke, 81).

Subs not used: Berry, Giurgi.

Goals: Omotoye (68)