- English Barclays Premier League
- 28 April 2012, 5:30pm
- Carrow Road
- Attendance: 26,819
Norwich | v | Liverpool |
| 0 | 3
|
live commentary
FULL-TIME: A routine victory for Liverpool who barely had to move out of first gear. Luis Suarez lit up a gloomy Carrow Road with a stunning hat-trick which was completed with a delightful lob. That win keeps the gap to Everton in seventh to just two points and gives them that all-important momentum going into next week's FA Cup final. Stick around for the full-match report.
90 mins: Two more minutes for the Norwich fans to endure as the Liverpool supporters go through their repertoire of songs.
Eric, India -"Suarez does a Xabi! Goal from the half line!"
86 mins: It seems like the system I'm working on can't handle that finish. Apologies for the delay. With the game wrapped up, Dalglish brings off Gerrard and the main man Suarez for Coates and Kuyt.
82 MINS: WHAT A GOAL! WHAT A HAT-TRICK! <football Fifa Manager Norwich 0 Liverpool 2 Suarez 24, 28 Commentator: Mark Scott sport <football Fifa Manager Norwich 0 Liverpool 2 Suarez 24, 28 Commentator: Mark Scott 82 MINS: WHAT A GOAL! WHAT A HAT-TRICK!This is a late entry for goal of the season! Suarez dribbles just past the half-way line and spots Ruddy off his line. He lets rip with a chip show which dips beautifully over the helpless keeper and nestles into the back of the goal. An outrageous way to bring up a stunning hat-trick!
78 mins: Naughton lifts the ball over towards Holt but Carragher, with all his experience and nous, relieves all the pressure by letting the ball run out for a goal-kick.
76 mins: The Norwich fans have something to cheer about as Holt takes to the field for Morison. Get Holt on that plane for Euro 2012!
74 mins: Liverpool try to press forward for another goal but Shelvey's through ball to Downing is cut out and Suarez overruns the ball after a neat sidestep.
71 mins: Suarez gets another Norwich player into the book with his expert movement. This time it's Ryan Bennett.
67 mins: Liverpool surge forward at breakneck speed but neither Bellamy, Suarez or Downing can get a meaningful strike away.
65 mins: Oomph! Former Toffee Vaughan catches Reina really late after the keeper hoofed the ball long. He rightly goes into Mark Halsey's notebook.
63 mins: Suarez wastes a great chance for his hat-trick. Liverpool knock the ball around in pretty triangles before Suarez nutmegs his man and lobs the ball over Ruddy and more importantly the goal. Too fancy Luis!
60 mins: Sharp save from Ruddy. Downing ducks in and out of the Norwich defence before unleashing a scorching shot which looked to be bending into the bottom left corner. The Norwich goalie gets a firm hand behind it.
58 mins: Elliott Bennett has looked lively this evening but his long-range effort was drifting wide of the right post as soon as it left his foot.
55 mins: Shelvey sitter! Enrique's wonderful ball from the left flashes across the face of goal and Shelvey misses an open goal from three yards! The ball did take a little bobble but he is not getting away with that one.
52 mins: Framework rattled! Shelvey and his shiny bonce had the chance to put this game to bed but his header hits the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.
49 mins: Now Reina has been tested as Elliott Bennett's piledriver is pounded away. Johnson, 25 today, meets the resulting corner but arrows it wide of the the goal.
Rishal Peter, South Africa -"hat trick for suarez in time for the fa cup"
47 mins: The hosts show some early promise in their 4-4-2 formation with a flurry of corners over on the right side. Reina however, still remains untested in the Liverpool goal.
John, France -"Dreading half time because Norwich will turn it around."
45 mins: Welcome back to Carrow Road where the rain continues to pour. Norwich, who restart the second-half, also make a change with Vaughan coming on for Fox.
HALF-TIME: Liverpool deservedly go into the break with a comfortable two-goal margin. Suarez and Gerrard are really in the mood this evening and are having a field-day against a below-par Norwich. Can the Reds generate the momentum ahead of the FA Cup final? Stay tuned to find out.
45+1 mins: Howson is the next Norwich player in the book as he trips up Gerrard who motored past him down the right.
45 mins: Two minutes of stoppage time are added on at Carrow Road.
43 mins: The silky Suarez is toying with the Norwich defence and receives a firm clattering from Ward who is flashed the first yellow. Bellamy then smacks the resulting free-kick way over from 30 yards out.
40 mins: The old Leeds United pairing of Howson and Johnson (sob) link-up for Norwich in midfield before the latter plays an awful pass towards Elliott Bennett on the left wing.
37 mins:Suarez takes a tumble in the box but has to settle for a corner. More corners follow from the right side but neither Downing or Bellamy produce the goods.
34 mins: The Canaries look totally bereft of confidence after Suarez's deadly quickfire double. What they need is a rallying cry from Delia.
31 mins: Norwich are playing like most of us thought they would do at the start of the season. They're lacking any real fluency and are defensively fragile as the Reds stroke the ball around comfortably.
28 MINS: SECOND FOR SUAREZ! Norwich switch off again! This time defender Bennett is caught slacking on the ball and SUAREZ steals it off him with ease. He thunders into the box and from a tight angle, stabs the ball into the bottom left corner. Another classy finish!
26 mins: Suarez has acres of space of space ahead of him after a lucky bobble and scampers clear. He drags back for Gerrard in the box who sees his goalbound shot diverted away.
24 MINS: THE REDS ARE AHEAD! Exactly what this match needed! Morison is caught dwelling on the ball inside his own half and Gerrard robs him. The returning captain then slots in SUAREZ who belts it emphatically into the right corner. Sublime finish!
Ak, Dv -"liverpool to score 3 goals in one game come on that usuallt takes atleat 4 matches matt"
20 mins: This game is struggling to get going. The offside flag has been up a couple of times as Norwich again try with the long ball. It's not going to work on this slippy surface.
16 mins: Liverpool look set-up to strike on the counter and nearly do so after the hosts gift the ball away. Suarez provides the overlap for Bellamy and crosses into the six-yard box where Downing slips at the vital moment.
13 mins: Norwich ping the ball around in midfield before eventually winning a free-kick near the right corner flag. It's Fox with the outswinger which falls straight to Reina.
Matt, Red Brum - "Im going for 3.2 to liverpool . Gerrard to score 1st"
10 mins:Pilkington has time to drill a low cross in from the left but he fails to find a fellow Canary in yellow. Drury has gone off injured for the hosts so Martin is on the replace him.
7 mins: The fine drizzle is making for a very slick surface but that isn't putting anybody off lumping high balls forward. Norwich try a ball over the top however it skips right through to Reina.
5 mins: Now Suarez is the next player to make a nifty run behind the Norwich defence who are caught high up the pitch. Ruddy comes sprawling out and manages to nick the ball ahead of the buck-toothed Uruguayan.
3 mins: A quiet start to this match so far. Gerrard looks sharp early on though, making a lovely run through defenders, but the ball from Shelvey had too much pace on it.
Dale, Torquay - "Norwich have got the easiest game in the league if you ask me."
0 mins: Here we go then! A frozen-looking Suarez gets us underway. Both sides are kitted out in their usual home strips.
1727: Both sides step out in front of a packed house at Carrow Road. It's bleak and dreary in East Anglia. I'm really hoping the match won't be same.
Welcome to Orange's live commentary from Carrow Road as Norwich host Liverpool.
Norwich striker James Vaughan is pressing for another Premier League start after his recovery from a frustrating injury spell. Former Reds centre-back Zak Whitbread (hamstring) remains sidelined and will not be playing against his old club.
Fellow defenders Marc Tierney (groin) and Daniel Ayala (knee), another former Liverpool man, are ruled out of the season.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard returned to training during the week after being rested for the home defeat against West Brom.
However, with an FA Cup final in just over a week and two league matches to play before then manager Kenny Dalglish may look to protect some of his players, starting with Saturday's trip to Norwich. Midfielder Charlie Adam's knee injury has ruled out a return before the end of the season.
Orange commentator Mark Scott will bring you live coverage from 1730. In the meantime, send him your predictions via the box above.
- English Barclays Premier League
- 28 April 2012, 5:30pm
- Carrow Road
- Attendance: 26,819
| Norwich | v | Liverpool |
| 0 | 3
|
match report
Luis Suarez netted a stunning hat-trick as Liverpool warmed up for the FA Cup final with a comfortable 3-0 win over Norwich at Carrow Road.
The Uruguayan struck twice in the space of four minutes midway through the first half to put the Reds in command.
After Norwich - who are all but secure of a place in the Premier League heading into their final two games - rallied briefly, Suarez completed his treble eight minutes from time with an audacious lob from just inside the Norwich half to give Kenny Dalglish's men the perfect tonic ahead of their Wembley date with Champions League finalists Chelsea next Saturday.
Reds captain Steven Gerrard had been restored to the starting XI after being rested for last weekend's disappointing home defeat by West Brom which was a seventh in 10 Premier League games.
The Carrow Road pitch had been drenched for several hours this afternoon, making for testing conditions during the opening exchanges.
Norwich winger Anthony Pilkington slipped as he looked to cut back inside after getting clear down the left, before keeper John Ruddy was also on the floor at the edge of the penalty area as the ball squirmed loose.
On eight minutes, Norwich left-back Adam Drury pulled up with a groin injury and was eventually replaced by Russell Martin.
Despite Liverpool having the better of possession, Norwich fashioned the first real opening when Pilkington got away down the left again, and his low centre was hacked clear by Jamie Carragher with Steve Morison waiting at the back post.
Craig Bellamy - who came through the Norfolk club's youth team before being sold to Coventry for £6.5million in August 2000 - moved down the Norwich left and floated a cross into the area, but Stewart Downing lost his footing and somehow could only hack the ball back out of the box.
The visitors went in front on 24 minutes.
Gerrard battled to win the ball out on the left from David Fox, and fed Suarez, who took one touch on into the Norwich area before lashing home into the top-right corner.
It was almost 2-0 soon after when Suarez stretched the hosts again down the right and crossed for Gerrard, whose goalbound effort hit Ryan Bennett and flew behind, as the Reds appealed for what would have been a harsh handball against the defender.
Liverpool, though, did double their lead on 28 minutes.
Again Suarez was proving too much for the Norwich defence to handle, as this time he robbed Elliott Ward following a short pass out on the right and darted into the box, before this time drilling a low strike across Ruddy and into the bottom corner.
Liverpool's quick double salvo had silenced the home crowd and the visitors were now in cruise control heading into half-time.
Norwich made a change for the start of the second period as former Everton striker James Vaughan, back from a series of niggling injuries, replaced Fox.
It was a lively return by the home side, who forced a couple of corners.
Elliott Bennett forced Jose Reina into a full-stretch save with a fierce 20-yard strike, while Bradley Johnson glanced his header wide from the resulting corner.
Liverpool almost put the game beyond Norwich on 51 minutes when was played in down the right and his cross caused panic in the Norwich six-yard box before Jonjo Shelvey headed against the crossbar.
The former Charlton midfielder then somehow failed to make contact with a low ball across the face of goal from Jose Enrique.
Ruddy made another good stop to deny Downing as the England man cut in from the right and flashed in a low shot.
As the hour mark passed, it was all Liverpool.
Suarez was played through on goal in the 65th minute.
However, the Uruguay forward tried a cheeky chip from 12 yards, which floated over the keeper and cleared the crossbar - much to the amusement of the Norwich faithful behind the goal.
With 15 minutes left, Norwich sent on captain Grant Holt, who had scored in the 1-1 draw at Anfield earlier this season, as he replaced Morison.
Bradley Johnson let fly from 25 yards, but was well off target, which just about summed up the afternoon's display by the home side.
Suarez completed his hat-trick on 82 minutes as this time his stunning perfectly-weighted lob over Ruddy from just inside the Norwich half dropped into the net.
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