Bull's lethal touch

Norwich City 2 Crook 24, Eadie 25 Wolverhampton W 3 Bull 12, 37, Goodman 74 Attendance: 14,691

THE patient and increasingly successful resurrection of the once mighty Wolves continued yesterday at Carrow Road, where Norwich are in the throes of a civil war. Their beleaguered chairman, Robert Chase, can take some solace from the fact that the culprits here were the visitors' predatory duo of Steve Bull and Don Goodman. Theirs was the lethal touch that finished off the Canaries.

Bull, who showed no signs of having spent the night at his wife's bedside as she gave birth, had put Wolves ahead in the 13th minute when a lucky break from a tackle left him 25 yards out. A quick glance showed him that Bryan Gunn was stranded and his lob sneaked under the bar.

A flurry brought Norwich two goals in two minutes. In the 24th minute, Ian Crook, who had already struck Mike Stowell's post moments after Bull's goal, beat the wall and Stowell for the equaliser. Seconds later, Darren Eadie's dash at the heart of the Wolves' defence was to end with a crisp scoring shot. By the 37th minute, it was all square when Bull ran on to Simon Osborn's through-pass to chip the advancing Bryan Gunn.

A minute after the restart, Goodman forced Carl Bradshaw into an acrobatic clearance off the Norwich goal-line. However, in the 75th minute, John Polston pulled down Steve Corica 20 yards from goal. Goodman's free-kick sneaked through the Norwich wall and past Gunn for the winner.

The Canaries' vain attempt to save the day created the atmosphere for Andy Johnson's dismissal seven minutes from time. Already booked for a first-half offence, the Norwich midfielder's foul on Goodman forced the referee to shuffle the pack to produce the red card - making it the second successive week he had the opportunity of testing the hot water earlier than his team-mates

Just to rub it in, Goodman smacked a shot against the post five minutes from time and Stowell brought an exciting game to its end with a chivalrous touch. His counterpart Gunn had raced from his goal-line for a late Norwich corner only to see Stowell pluck the ball from his head. Then, with his strikers screaming for the early ball, the Wolves' keeper stood his ground until Gunn made it back into his own half - the camaraderie of the goalkeeper.