James Collins’ under-23s finished the campaign in style with an impressive win at Carrow Road, thanks to two well-taken finishes before the break. Victory means the youngsters finished the regular season unbeaten in the last five, winning four of them, to enter the play-offs in fine form.
Victory looked likely from as early as the first minute when Lee Harkin’s emphatic header flew home. Then on the stroke of half-time a classic charge down the left by Hugo Bueno was followed by a crisp low finish into the corner to cap a good evening’s work in East Anglia.
Wolves were already secured of second spot but were in no mood to take their foot off the gas and stunned Carrow Road by taking the lead within the opening 40 seconds. Harry Birtwistle was the creator on the right, swinging in a cross for Harkin, who will admit he isn’t blessed with great height, but didn’t let that affect him, as he guided a perfect header back where it came from to give his side an early lead.
Norwich’s need for the points was greater, however, as they aimed to join Wolves in the play-offs, and they should have levelled on 35 minutes. Liam Gibbs did well to get round his man down the right and swing a cross in for Flynn Clarke, who got his head on the delivery, but watched his effort cannon back off the crossbar and eventually into the grateful arms of Palmi Arinbjornsson, via the rebound.
Having scored in the first minute, Wolves repeated their trick at the end of the first-half. Justin Hubner moved the ball to Bueno just beyond halfway, and the wing-back played a neat one-two with Owen Hesketh and was away, charging into the box and drilling home cleanly with his left foot, for his third goal in as many matches, having gone until April without hitting the back of the net.
Half-time | Norwich 0-2 Wolves
Collins freshened up his side at the break, introducing Dexter Lembikisa and Joe Hodge, but it was the returning Hesketh who threatened first after the break as he drifted in from the right and let fly with an effort towards he top corner, but Joe Rose excelled to turn away with the ball when heading towards the top corner.
One of the highlights of the whole evening was the second-half introduction of Meritan Shabani, who put back-to-back serious knee injuries behind him by appearing in a Wolves shirt for the first time since January 2021, replacing Jack Hodnett for the final 18 minutes.
The former Bayern Munich man would have been celebrated his first goal back too inside the final ten minutes, but Birtwistle’s cross was behind the attacker and he couldn’t get a clean connect on his effort.
Full-time | Norwich 0-2 Wolves
COMING UP
Attention turns to the Premier League Cup next Wednesday, as James Collins’ side return to Molineux. They entertain Middlesbrough at 7pm and will look to book a place in the final against either West Bromwich Albion or Fulham.
NEXT TWO
04/05 Middlesbrough (H) PLC
TBC PL2 play-off semi-final (H)
TEAMS
Norwich | Rose, Tomkinson, Mumba (Thorn 90), Shipley, Stewart, Adshead (Brooke 87), Earley (Giurgi 78), Clarke, Gibbs, Kamara, Springett.
Unused subs | Berry, Hills.
Wolves | Arinbjornsson, Birtwistle, Tipton, Marques, Hubner, Bueno (Lembikisa 46), Hesketh, Griffiths, Perry (Hodge 46), Harkin, Hodnett (Shabani 72).
Unused subs | Nya, Roberts.
