THREE players were sent off as Norwich City's Under-23s were beaten 1-0 by Stoke City at Colney Training Centre on Monday.

City pair Ben Killip and Todd Cantwell were each shown straight red cards in a second half that also saw the dismissal of Potters wing-back Johnville Renee-Pringle following a second bookable offence.

Hakin Abdallah's penalty just three minutes after half-time settled the match in the visitors' favour as Dmitri Halajko's men struggled for creativity in the final third.

Glenn Middleton had the game's first chance after just six minutes when, following a smart move, he swung a shot goalwards with his left foot, only to see Harry Isted turn it over the bar.

Stoke responded with Abdallah glancing a header just wide of the post and Thibaud Verlinden forcing an impressive save from Killip, but the Canaries got stronger as the half wore on and Dialliang Jaiyesimi's firm hit was well saved by Isted.

Quickly after the restart, Glyn Hodges' team got the decisive goal when Abdallah converted from 12 yards after Michee Efete fouled Ollie Shenton.

Killip was fast off his to deny Abdallah from adding a second two minutes later, and Stoke threatened again when Shenton's long-range effort came off the angle of post and bar.

When Pringle was sent off on 63 minutes for another tangle with Middleton, City will have hoped to take the initiative but they failed to work the ball quickly enough to break down Stoke's two banks of four.

Nine minutes before the end, Killip brought down Dan Jarvis in the box and was subsequently dismissed - though replacement Aston Oxborough kept his side in the game with a smart penalty stop from Abdallah.

City's numbers were reduced further two minutes from the end when Cantwell was given his marching orders for a two-footed challenge, and Stoke saw out the rest of the contest to claim the three points.

FULL-TIME: Norwich City 0-1 Stoke City

GOALS: Potters: Hakim Abdallah (pen 48)

TEAM: Killip (c); Ramsay, Efete, Odusina, Lewis (Oxborough 83); Sambu (McIntosh 69), Adams; Jaiyesimi, Cantwell, Middleton; Ashley-Seal. Subs not used: Hackett-Fairchild, Higgs, Wallis.

UNDER-23s: CITY 0-1 STOKE

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