Double goalscorer Manny Richardson

Schoolboy Manny Richardson and defender Danny Kelly, given a striker role due to the many injury problems, were the heroes of the day as their goals, together with a positive team performance, inflicted a first home Academy League defeat of the season on group leaders Southampton. It was a sunny and breezy morning on the South Coast as Norwich took the match to the hosts. On ten minutes Patrick Bexfield sprinted along the right flank and delivered the ball into the far post but Manny Richardson, attempting to connect, could only lunge at the ball flying past him. It was Southampton whom almost took the lead on fifteen minutes, when Norwich conceded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area.

With Norwich all lined up trying to protecting an inevitable goal, Declan Rudd had other ideas, by producing an astonishing save from the direct free kick taken by Andrew Giallombardo, by diving to his left to parry the ball away. Norwich then came under a further spell of Southampton pressure and the Saints almost had the ball in the net, but for a goal line clearance in one almighty goal mouth scrimmage. Then immediately after, Declan Rudd brushed away a shot from Matthew Paterson, but the referee awarded a Norwich goal kick. On thirty-six minutes Norwich started an attack from midfield which saw Danny Kelly receive the ball twenty yards from goal. The most unlikely of strikers brought the ball under control, before sizing up, and shooting low past Matek Rondos into the far corner of the net. Two minutes later Norwich had a let off. Kayne McLaggon paced away on the right wing before making inroads and striking the ball across the face of Declan Rudd’s goal, missing a post by centimetres. On the stroke of half time Paul McLean, Norwich’s captain, played a superb ball up to Manny Richardson, whose effort just cleared the crossbar. Within two second half minutes Norwich increased their lead. Mark O’Toole forced his way infield from the left, over coming challenges to make it into the Southampton penalty area, where confusion arose before the ball fell to the feet of the young Manny Richardson who turned to stroke the ball past Matej Rondos and just inside the post. Norwich were now flying, and sensing the tide was about to go out, they struck again through the youngster Richardson. Mark O’ Toole’s direct free kick not only got past the Southampton line up of defenders but also beat the goalkeeper to rebound off the angle of crossbar and post into the path of Richardson who unleashed a low drive through bodies to find the net. On sixty three minutes Danny Kelly set up Luke Daley and his shot just flew over the crossbar. Norwich then forced three corners in a row, Matej Rondos fisting clear on each occasion the ball was delivered in. With Southampton trying to catch Norwich on the break, the Canaries needed to put in some important challenges to keep the three goal advantage. On eighty three minutes the save of the match … Ross Kelly, taking a leaf out of his brother’s book, surged forward into Southampton territory and rounded things off with a thunderous shot which looked destined for the top corner, only for Matej Rondos to produce an outstanding one handed save. It was Norwich’s last action of a match which saw the Canaries record their first away victory since the opening day of the season ….but what a victory. City Line-Up: Rudd, Bexfield, O’Toole, Lathrope, McLean, Miller, R. Kelly, Smith, D. Kelly, Richardson (87. Dawkin), Daley (79. Adeyemi). Top Canary: Manny Richardson. Norwich City Under-16s held their Southampton hosts to a 0-0 draw. Report courtesy of Rob Maynard.