For completeness, and just in case any of you have not heard or seen
our results over the last couple of weeks, here is the first of a
series of short reports on the last few games. MLS

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http://www.pinkun.com/

FA Cup: Southampton 2 Norwich City 0
February 15 2003
RICK WAGHORN

MATCH STATS
SOUTHAMPTON:
14 A Niemi, 33 P Telfer, 19 D Higginbotham, 5 C Lundekvam, 11 M
Svensson, 18 R Delap, 4 C Marsden, 8 M Oakley, 12 A Svensson, 36 B
Ormerod, 9 J Beattie.
Subs: 1 P Jones, 2 J Dodd, 6 P Williams, 21 J Tessem, 29 F
Fernandes.

NORWICH CITY:
1 R Green, 16 S Nedergaard, 3 Drury, 4 M Mackay, 5 Fleming, 8 Holt,
7 Mulryne, 21 Russell, 9 Roberts, 6 Nielsen, 18 McVeigh.
Subs: 10 Abbey (for Mulryne, 72), 20 Heckingbottom, 22 Henderson
(for Nielsen, 80), 24 Easton (for McVeigh 88), 28 Crichton,

SCORERS:
Southampton: A Svensson (700, Tessem (73)

MAN OF THE MATCH :
Craig Fleming

ATTENDANCE:
31,103

REFEREE:
Mr Graham Barber (Tring)

BOOKINGS:
Southampton: None.
Norwich: Nedergaard, Mackay, Russell

RED CARDS:
Norwich: Mackay (81 - second yellow)

SHOTS ON TARGET:
Southampton 9; Norwich 2

SHOTS OFF TARGET:
Southampton 7 ; Norwich 7

CORNERS:
Southampton 12; Norwich 3

FOULS:
Southampton 13; Norwich 13

OFFSIDE:
Southampton 0; Norwich 2

WEATHER:
Overcast

PITCH:
Good

Two goals in three minutes deep in the second half truly ended
Norwich's FA Cup quarter-final dream at Premiership Southampton this
afternoon.

The Saints had barely ruffled a Canary feather beyond Brett
Ormerod's third minute effort against the post and Nigel
Worthington's men looked set to at least earn a replay before Andes
Svensson in the 70th minute and Jo Tessem in the 73rd ruined
Norwich's big day.

To twist the knife even further, Paul McVeigh had just seen his 20-
yard curler fall back off a post with Saints' keeper Antti Niemi
completely beaten before Southampton raced away to score.

Malky Mackay's dismissal - City's first of the season - eight
minutes from time merely summed up City's afternoon when having done
so well for so long, Lady Luck suddenly deserted them.

As the Canaries looked to squeeze their way into the last eight of
the FA Cup for the first time in 11 long years, City boss
Worthington was forced to make two changes to the side that drew 2-2
at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

One was wholly enforced with on-loan Preston striker David Healy
being cup tied - his place going to David Nielsen.

The second was down to injury with fullback Darren Kenton failing to
shrug off the dead leg he sustained at Hillsborough last weekend.
The timely return to fitness of Dane Steen Nedergaard ensured that
the Canary chief could swap like for like with Darel Russell
continuing on the right hand side of midfield.

Though he missed Northern Ireland's midweek international clash with
Finland, Worthington was also able to call upon the services of Phil
Mulryne in centre midfield.
On the bench it was a first taste of the big time for Thetford
teenager Ian Henderson who took his place among the afternoon's
substitutes alongside Paul Crichton, Clint Easton, Paul
Heckingbottom and Zema Abbey.

For the home side boss Gordon Strachan rang the changes following
last weekend's 1-0 defeat away at Blackburn.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the absence of Fabrice Fernandes
away on the right with Rory Delap taking his place.

Up front the ongoing injury woes for the little Latvian Marian
Pahars ensured that Worthington former Blackpool front man Brett
Ormerod partnered England debutant James Beattie up front.

New boy Danny Higginbotham was able to continue at left back having
not featured for Derby County in their FA Cup third round outing.

As the two teams prepared to run out, there was no question as to
which set of supporters were in better voice with the 4500
travelling Canary supporters thoroughly out-singing their hosts as
they prepared to greet their heroes.

With the Canaries attacking the goal towards where the large City
support was gathered, it was the Premiership side who got the
afternoon's enthralling contest under way.

And though Norwich had to survive an almighty scare in the open
first four minutes, it was the visitors making the fewer mistakes in
the game's opening exchanges.

It was, however, a very large scare as Ormerod rolled away from
Malky Mackay and broke purposefully through the inside left channel.

With just Craig Fleming and Adam Drury offering any cover, Ormerod
continued his run deep into the City penalty area before drilling a
low left-foot shot across Robert Green's goal with the ball
cannoning back off the base of the far upright with Beattie lurking.

Fortunately Fleming managed to heave the ball clear and the danger
was finally cleared.

At the other end both Nedergaard and McVeigh found themselves in a
position to cross, only for the ball to just elude a yellow shirt on
both occasions.

As the game moved towards the quarter of an hour mark, so it was
Norwich playing the better football with Mulryne, in particular,
thoroughly enjoying the extra space and time afforded to a player in
such Premiership surroundings.

It was his neat ball through to Roberts which found the City skipper
forcing a corner while the Canary playmaker almost got on the end of
a delightful cross by McVeigh, only for Saints keeper Antti Niemi to
pluck the ball out of the air at the last moment.

On 13 minutes Norwich had an injury scare to worry about when
Fleming's solid block tackle on Rory Delap found the Canary defender
hobbling gingerly away, though after some anxious treatment from
Canary physio Neal Reynolds he was able to continue.

Further evidence that Norwich were proving far from overawed by the
occasion arrived on 15 minutes when McVeigh picked the ball up 30-
yards from goal and unleashed a low, skimming shot which whistled no
more than a yard wide of Niemi's right post.

With the Canaries continuing to hold their own, City almost opened
the scoring in the 22nd minute with neat, one touch football between
McVeigh and Russell almost picked away for Nielsen to unlock the
Saints' defence, only for keeper Niemi to smother the ball with his
feet as the Dane prepared to strike.

A minute later and Nedergaard became the first player in the book
when he tackled through the legs of Beattie and while he might have
won the ball, he failed to impress referee Barber and he immediately
reached for his book.

From the resulting free-kick, Beattie launched a good effort forward
as Green was hurriedly forced to kick over the bar.

Moments later and it was Norwich forcing another scare as Nielsen
turned away from Michael Svensson with a clear route to the Saints'
goal opening up in front of him, unleashed a fierce, 25-yard effort
which flew just over the bar.

Just after the half hour mark and Saints' boss Gordon Strachan was
forced to make his first change of the afternoon, replacing an
injured Delap with Fernandes.

By then, Green had added to his ever-growing reputation with another
sure save as Telfer sent a drifting cross in from the right and
there was England marksman Beattie with a downward header, which a
diving Green saved two-handed at the first attempt.

On 34 minutes Norwich needed an excellent late challenge from
Russell to block a Chris Marsden shot after the Saints' skipper had
wriggled free through the inside left channel, though as if to sum
up the open and even nature of the contest two minutes later and
Nielsen burst through the middle of the Saints' half only for his
final shot to drift well wide of its intended target.

Six minutes before the break and Higginbotham's foul on Nielsen
allowed Mulryne the chance to swing the ball into the danger area,
only for the two-man Saints wall to clear. On 43 minutes Mackay
became the second City name in referee Barber's book when he held
back Fernandes as the dangerous Frenchman looked to be clear.

A minute before the break and Green added to his collection of fine
saves as he scrambled across his goal and pushed a dipping shot from
Andes Svensson around his right upright.

Moments later and the referee blew for the break with Norwich still
level with their Premiership hosts - half the job done.

Half-time: Southampton 0, Norwich 0

Within two minutes of the restart City were forced into some
desperate defending as their hosts restarted the game all guns
blazing. Matthew Oakley - whose two goals in the Millwall replay set
up today's game - broke clear into the City box only for an
excellent, last-gasp tackle from the covering Nedergaard to slam the
door shut in his face.

From the resulting Fernandes corner, Michael Svensson reacted first
to the near-post flick-on, only for his header to soar tamely into
Green's arms. A yard either side of the City number one and Norwich
could have found themselves in trouble.

Norwich gained their first sight of the Southampton goal on 50
minutes when Russell found himself in space away on the right and
his ball back inside found McVeigh drilling a low shot from the edge
of the Saints' penalty area, which alas had neither the pace nor the
direction to trouble keeper Niemi.

As the game passed the hour mark with the game still goalless,
Norwich were increasingly finding themselves pinned back inside
their own half.
That said, however, chances were still proving few and far between
for the home side despite all their territorial advantage.

With both Mackay and Fleming in particular in commanding form,
Southampton's frustrations were growing as the clock ticked towards
a Carrow Road replay.

Indeed it summed up Southampton's afternoon, when all they could
muster in the way of a shot in the first 20 minutes of the second
period was a speculative 25-yard drive from Michael Svensson which
Green comfortably held onto.

Come the 68th minute and Strachan decided that his side were badly
in need of a fresh pair of legs and a fresh set of ideas with
veteran defender Jason Dodd arriving in the place of midfielder Matt
Oakley.

Certainly Southampton needed to find inspiration, particularly when
McVeigh came agonisingly close to putting City in the lead.

Nielsen opened the door for the City striker to steal inside the
Southampton penalty area and his curling 20-yard effort had long
since beaten Niemi before it cannoned back off the left hand post.

As is all too often the case, it proved to be the significant
turning point as the Saints spurred on by their lucky escape, raced
down to the other end of the field where Ormerod latched on to the
end of a deep high ball by into the City danger zone for Andes
Svensson who was perfectly placed to sweep the knock down beyond a
helpless Green.

It was rough justice on the Canaries, particularly after McVeigh had
come so agonisingly close to giving them the lead.

Worthington immediately responded by throwing three men up field
with Zema Abbey replacing Mulryne.

Strachan opted to make his third change of the afternoon with Tessem
replacing the ineffectual Beattie.

Within a minute he had made his presence felt by grabbing the goal
that put Southampton into the last eight.

Caught up field as they went in search of a leveller, Saints'
skipper Marsden found himself free just inside the City box and
though Green managed to parry his rising left foot drive, it merely
fell to the waiting Tessem who from six-yards out smashed the ball
gleefully home.

Two goals in the space of three miserable minutes was a wretched
reward for City's efforts and it was a thoroughly frustrated Russell
who hacked down Tessem moments later and became the third Norwich
player in referee Barber's book.

With 10 minutes of the contest remaining Worthington opted to give
young Henderson his first taste of life in the Premiership as he
replaced Nielsen.

Norwich's afternoon went from bad to worse in the 81st minute when
Mackay was shown the red card for his second bookable offence,
Ormerod twisted away from the City centre-half on the edge of the
Canary box and as Mackay caught him late and the Southampton striker
tumbled to the floor, so referee Barber immediately reached for his
red card.

Though it was probably no consolation, Mackay left to a standing
ovation from the travelling Norwich fans as their hopes of a place
in the last eight in the cup effectively disappeared altogether.

With two minutes of normal time remaining, Worthington made his
third and final change of the afternoon as Easton replaced McVeigh.

By then Southampton had forced a late corner which Fernandes swung
into the six-yard box which Fleming and Ormerod met together, with
Norwich's centre-half coming off by far the worst as the ball span
wide for a goalkick.

It did however sum up his afternoon after a big and brave
performance in the heart of the Norwich rearguard. Alas it was all
to no avail as two goals in three miserable minutes killed off
City's cup dreams.

Result: Southampton 2, Norwich City 0.

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