Norwich 2-1 Wigan: Match Report

13 September 2016 22:34

Norwich make it two Championship home wins on the spin by seeing off Wigan

Norwich made it two Championship home wins on the spin after a tense 2-1 victory against battling Wigan at Carrow Road.

Jacob Murphy's brace inside the opening 11 minutes put Alex Neil's men in control but Jordi Gomez's 72nd-minute strike set up a grandstand finish before the Canaries held on to remain in the top six.

Murphy cashed in on Latics' keeper Adam Bogdan's howler with just three minutes gone to roll the ball into an empty net seven yards out after Bogdan failed to control Jake Buxton's square back pass.

City doubled their lead in the 11th minute when Murphy was again quickest to react to head home from point blank range after Bogdan parried Wes Hoolahan's initial angled shot six yards out.

Norwich were predictably dominating possession after their rampant start but the prolific Will Grigg just failed to anticipate Michael Jacobs' cross at the opposite end midway through the opening period.

Jonny Howson almost served up a third for the impressive Murphy with a teasing ball that evaded the diving youngster at the far post.

Bogdan prevented Hoolahan adding a third in the 30th minute when he pushed the midfielder's low shot around his far post.

Michael McGovern could only parry Alex Gilbey's strike but the Norwich keeper's spill went unpunished by the visitors who finished the first half on top.

The over-worked Bogdan then had to beat away another rasping shot from Hoolahan shortly after the interval, but this time Dan Burn was in the right position to foil Murphy.

Bogdan was beaten by Russell Martin's effort in the 56th minute only for the home captain's low shot to veer just past the far post, with Norwich hunting a third to seal the points.

Jacobs's 25-yard free kick cleared McGovern's bar in the 62nd minute as the Latics tried to gain a foothold in the contest.

The Northern Ireland international superbly tipped over Yanic Wildschut's goalbound shot in the 67th minute in a fresh moment of alarm for the hosts.

But McGovern was beaten by Gomez's raking 25-yard finish in the 73rd minute after Norwich had been punished on a sharp counter.

Cameron Jerome should have eased the tension in the 85th minute but miscued a wild half-volley over the top from Murphy's cross before McGovern was pressed into service once more to foil Grigg deep in stoppage time from close range.


Source: PA