Norwich 1 - 0 Barnsley

A superb second half volley by Emi Buendia was enough to see off a spirited Barnsley side at Carrow Road as the league leaders recorded a 1 – 0 victory.

Barnsley battled hard to try and get something from the game but ultimately the extra quality of the home side shone through and they got a deserved win. It was a strange one in a way in that I didn’t feel that we played well at all but at the same time made it difficult for the league leaders and could have even nicked an equaliser at the very end as Helik was just short of getting a touch to Styles’ shot come cross.

Barnsley were forced into some changes from the team that won in midweek as Captain Alex Mowatt was forced to miss the game after a positive Covid test.  Connor Chaplin, Brad Collins, and George Miller were also absent from the squad due to Covid. This presented a chance for Herbie Kane to get a start in the midfield and Luke Thomas came into the attack at the expense of Victor Adeboyejo which came as a surprise to me and I also felt it was a mistake before the game and afterwards.

Barnsley started the better of the two sides and pressed the hosts really well. We should have taken an early lead but Thomas could not apply the finish when clean through. The ball broke to the pacey winger following a strike from Cauley Woodrow but his volley hit the bar which was a huge let-off for Norwich. It was harder to miss than score and summed up my frustrations with Thomas. He is a willing runner and is direct but lacks an end product possibly more than any other player that has ever pulled on a red shirt. Nothing ever comes from his final pass or shot and for me it is time to move him on.

Norwich soon created a clear chance themselves and it was fantastic work from Brittain to deny them the opening goal. Pukki was played in behind and his shot from inside the area beat Walton in the Barnsley goal, however, Brittain came to the rescue with a perfectly timed goal-line clearance to keep the scores level.

Norwich then started to take control of the game and Walton was called on to make a few saves to keep the reds in the game.

Barnsley were pressing high up the pitch and winning the ball back high up the pitch but this was leaving gaps in behind. Long balls between the centre halves is something we have struggled to deal with in recent games and this was no different as Norwich were able to cause us problems in this manner.

Norwich started the second half just as the first had ended and were catching the visitors on the break exploiting the high defensive line. Walton yet again had to come to the reds rescue.

Norwich managed to take the lead just after the hour mark. Kenny McLean from around the halfway line fired an inch-perfect ball over the top to pick out the run of Emi Buendia and the talented attacker volleyed home first time for his seventh of the season.

It was a beautiful goal from a Norwich perspective but poor from Barnsley one. For the defence to lose Buendia as they did was poor and my one criticism of Walton would come in this move. He started to come and as I watched I was convinced that he would get to the ball first. He obviously felt otherwise and stopped leaving him stranded in no man’s land as Buendia finished wonderfully.

Norwich continued to push on after the goal as they looked to put the game out of reach. Buendia continued to cause problems. Barnsley tried to push forward for an equaliser but this continued to leave space in behind for Norwich to break into.

Norwich were almost made to rue their missed chances when in the last minute of added time Callum Styles drilled the ball across goal but Helik was unable to repeat his late heroics of last week as he couldn’t get a touch at the back post.

There was no shame in this defeat to the league leaders and it shows how far Barnsley have come since the beginning of last season.

Mowatt was a big miss for me but I feel that his presence would have been missed a little less if Styles had played in midfield instead of Kane with Odour coming in at left wing back.

Having said that, Styles didn’t have his best game even though I felt Kane struggled. Perhaps it was just a case of being outclassed by the better team, a team that tops the table and were in the Premier League last season. So like I say, no shame at all in that defeat.

On to the FA cup next. The chance for a breather for some players who have played a lot of football recently. I would like to see the entire first eleven rested for this and we should have enough to see off Keith Hill’s Tranmere still.

COYR