Here is the third of a series of short reports on the last few
games. MLS

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http://www.pinkun.com/

Gillingham 1, Norwich City 0
February 25, 2003
CHRIS WISE
Gills' joy is pain for City

MATCH STATS
NORWICH CITY:
Green, Kenton, Drury, Mackay, Fleming, Nedergaard, Sinclair, Easton,
McVeigh, Roberts, Healy.
Subs: Nielsen (for Healy, 45), Abbey (for Roberts, 81), Henderson
(for Sinclair, 81), Bromby, Crichton.

GILLINGHAM:
Brown, Nosworthy, Ashby, Hope, Edge, Hessenthaler, Smith, Southall,
Shaw, Wallace, Sidibe.
Subs: Bartram, Leon Johnson, Saunders (for Ashby, 45), Spiller,
Perpetuini (for Wallace, 87).

SCORERS:
Gillingham: Wallace 75.

MAN OF THE MATCH:
Malky Mackay

ATTENDANCE:
7,935

REFEREE:
Clive Penton (Sussex).

BOOKINGS:
Gillingham: Nosworthy 22, Hessenthaler 23.
Norwich: Kenton 81.

SHOTS ON TARGET:
Gillingham: 8
Norwich: 4

SHOTS OFF TARGET:
Gillingham: 6
Norwich: 7

CORNERS:
Gillingham: 5
Norwich: 4

FOULS:
Gillingham: 15
Norwich: 16

OFFSIDE:
Gillingham: 4
Norwich:2

Veteran Gillingham striker Danny Wallace struck with just 15 minute
to go to condemn Norwich City to their eighth away defeat of the
season last night. The 33-year-old frontman swept the ball home from
close range to give the home side a victory they just about deserve -
and keep the Canaries on the outside looking in in the battle for
the place in the Division One playoffs.

The Canaries would have gone back into the top six had they followed
up Saturday's morale boosting win at Sheffield Utd with three points
at the Priestfield Stadium but didn't really look like getting
anything from the game until the dying minutes when a grandstand
finish almost produced a dramatic equaliser.

Craig Fleming thought he had rescued a crucial point for the
visitors when he nodded home a deep cross from Steen Nedergaard but
referee Clive Penton ruled the effort out after consulting with his
linesman apparently for a push from the city defender. City had
suffered an earlier setback when on-loan David Healy was withdrawn
from the fray at halftime after picking up a hamstring injury in the
closing stages of the opening period.

The 23-year-old Northern Ireland international, who City had been
trying to buy on a permanent basis, now looks a big doubt for
Sunday's East Anglian Derby, while there are also fitness worries
over midfield pair Phil Mulryne and Gary Holt.

Mulryne missed his second successive game with a back problem while
an incredible run of 88 consecutive games came to an end for Holt
when he was ruled out with a groin strain.

Their misfortune at least gave manager Nigel Worthington the chance
to blood another youngster with 18-year-old midfielder Dean Sinclair
becoming only the second home produced player in four years to make
his Norwich debut.

There is no doubt that City missed their two influential
midfielders - but Sinclair certainly didn't let anyone down
alongside Clint Easton, turning in a steady performance in the face
of some experience opposition in the form of Hessenthaler and Paul
Smith.

The game got off to a lively start with both sides spurning
excellent chances of scoring in the eight minute. Gills had the
first clear sight of goal when Malky Mackay's header back to Robert
Green fell woefully short but, much to the big defender's relief,
Paul Shaw's first time effort hit the upright and Craig Fleming was
on hand to hack the loose ball clear.

That hurried clearance was picked up by David Healy who suddenly
found himself in a one-on-one with Jason Brown but the on-loan
striker failed to get enough height on his attempted lob and the
home 'keeper was able to block.

David Healy gets the better of Gills' Barry Ashby before injury
forced both men off at half-time.
The early entertainment continued as home player Andy Hessenthaler
stung Green's palms with a rising drive from a tight angle while at
the other end Darren Kenton sent a powerful header wide from Dean
Nedergaard's free-kick.

But as the half wore on the action became largely confined to a
congested midfield area with the poor state of the Priestfield
playing surface further adding to the disjointed nature of the
proceedings.

Hessenthaler sent a header just wide from a Danny Wallace cross as
the game passed the half hour mark. But that was a rare scare for
the Canaries as they coast comfortably with limited threat posed by
the home side. Indeed Norwich were gradually beginning to look the
more dangerous side with youngster Dean Sinclair settling in well on
his debut, constantly trying to keep it simple and rarely wasting
possession.

Norwich's growing confidence rarely bore fruit two minutes before
the interval when a quick break on the left saw the ball reach Healy
who turned quickly on the edge of the area before sending in a
curling right-foot drive that was heading for the bottom corner
before Brown got down well to save.

Half-time - Gillingham 0, Norwich City 0

Both sides made enforced changes at the interval with the injured
duo Healy and Barry Ashby replaced by David Nielsen and Mark
Saunders respectively and it was the Gills who settled first with
Green being forced into action twice in the early stages of the
second period.

The big 'keeper required a hefty slice of good fortune on 48 minutes
when Paul Shaw's shot from an acute angle almost crept in at the
near post - but there was certainly no luck about his save from the
same player eight minutes later. Shaw's close range header from a
right wing cross from former Norwich loanee Nick Southall looked a
goal all the way but Green somehow managed to get down on his left
to save the bullet like effort on the goalline.

It wasn't the first time this season that City had been grateful to
their keeper for keeping them in a game but there was absolutely
nothing he could do when the home side's pressure finally produced a
deserved breakthrough on 75 minutes.

The impressive Paul Smith set the ball rolling, as he had done
throughout the game, by picking out Hessenthaler's run into the area
through the inside right channel and although his effort was well
blocked by Mackay it fell kindly for Wallace who needed no second
invitation to hammer the loose ball home from just outside the six
yard box.

Craig Fleming sends the ball goalbound, but he was judged to have
pushed his way to the ball and his effort was ruled out.
Norwich were then forced to come out of a largely defensive shell
and certainly gave the Kent side an almighty scare in the closing
stages.

The hosts were grateful to see a Paul McVeigh effort sail over
while, with 11 minutes to go it needed an excellent defensive header
from Rowland Edge as Iwan Roberts waited to pounce on a Nielsen
cross.

The introduction of Ian Henderson and Zima Abbey for Roberts and
young Sinclair further added to City's attacking threat and after
surviving a late scare when Kenton cleared a Wallis effort off the
line they continued to press with evermore conviction for that
elusive equaliser.

In the end their hopes of a valuable away point were dashed by the
intervention of the linesman who flagged for a foul by Fleming. But
at least the Canaries had finished the game strongly and will now be
looking to maintain that momentum when they take on Ipswich in the
East Anglian derby on Sunday.

Result: Gillingham 1, Norwich City 0

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