The ACN Match Review – Watford (a)

Biggest positive

After no goals in six league games, we’ve now scored five goals in two games. Even better, we’re no longer entirely reliant on Teemu Pukki (though he’s certainly played his part) – Adam Idah, Josh Sargent and Milot Rashica have stepped up big time and proved that we do have goals in this team after all. It was particularly impressive how after the floodlight interruption we didn’t lose focus or concentration and stepped on the gas again to score the kind of goal it feels like we haven’t seen for ages – neat interplay on the wing, a deep but accurate cross and a striker’s header crashed into the bottom corner.

Biggest negative

Worrying to see Jacob Sørensen forced off with injury, but it does at least come at a time when we have a couple of weeks off and midfielders on their way back. Hopefully, he won’t be out for too long.

Funniest moment

The floodlight failure didn’t feel very funny at the time – at 1-0 up it would have been the cruellest of twists to have that goal and the potential for a huge result taken away by an abandonment. So instead I’ll go for finding out an hour and a half after the final whistle that Watford had actually been down to ten men for the final half-hour, with me and seemingly most of the away end doing a Chris Kamara having been still too busy celebrating in the minutes after our second goal to notice Emmanuel Dennis getting a second yellow card and trudging off. Watching the game back on TV, it’s noticeable that there’s absolutely no reaction from the away fans when the card is shown. It probably says a lot about Watford’s showing that we didn’t notice the difference in their performance.

What was the atmosphere like?

Best and loudest atmosphere in a Norwich away end for a long time. The drum helped keep everyone going throughout, both in kicking off songs and picking up on ones that got going in other parts of the stand, and the divisive sarcastic chants from Charlton were nowhere to be heard. The scenes of celebration after all three goals will stay with me for a while, as will the bruises on my shins. Great effort from everyone who was there – let’s get every away game as bouncing as that.

Norwich’s best player

There’s only one candidate here. I am chuffed to bits for Josh Sargent – he has worked his socks off all season with little reward, and then in a huge game pulls a Puskas Award contender out of the bag and follows it up with a brilliantly placed header. Even after that he didn’t let up on his usual levels of effort and contribution to the team, and was serenaded by the away support for a long time after the final whistle. I truly hope he’s had a lovely weekend soaking it all in.

Summary

How nice it is to be on the right end of a relegation six-pointer. The last week has been a pleasant surprise to say the least, and while it must be acknowledged that Everton and Watford were both pretty awful, we’ve put them away with relative ease despite our own shortcomings. It’s still a huge ask to stay up from here, but the belief is clearly there on the pitch and in the stands.