Football: Goss adds gloss for Norwich

Sheffield United. .1

Norwich City. . . .2

BAYERN MUNICH, no problem. But Sheffield United on the rebound, that could have caught Norwich City still floating in fantasy land.

In the event, the sharp-shooting and heading of Jeremy Goss and sound defending under the belated pressure Sheffield United exerted at Bramall Lane yesterday ensured a confident return to bread-and-butter football.

Norwich are now unbeaten in eight league away matches and have not lost home or away in 11. Their practical football is becoming a real power in the Premiership and in Goss they are at last extracting a talent long under the dust-covers.

Any complacency, after Norwich had shown the door to Bayern and been promised a lucrative tie with Internazionale, would only have made it easier for Manchester United to overcome their problems in Turkey and have the title trussed up by Christmas.

Norwich had come through their Uefa Cup adventure almost unscathed, losing only Mark Bowen to injury, and with their away record combined with United's poor home form, it was not an uncomfortable fixture for resuming domestic matters.

The return of Franz Carr to the United side brought them that mixed blessing, natural skill and total unpredictability.

Unlike Ruel Fox, the Norwich wide attacking midfield player, Carr never quite seized the broader picture. While Carr began by instinctively beating three tackles but hesitating long enough to allow Bryan Gunn to come out and block the ensuing shot, Fox caused the Norwegian international defender Roger Nilsen all sorts of problems on his debut, and invariably released the ball with a fine sense of timing and weight.

Although Nilsen did manage to find time to break away down the left side and send a high ball into the penalty area where Jostein Flo surprisingly outjumped Gunn, the header went slightly high. By contrast, Goss exhibited perfect accuracy and now-familiar opportunism when, after 26 minutes, Fox again showed his talent for exploitation.

As David Tuttle and Nilsen confused each other trying to take possession out near the touchline, Fox took advantage, stole the ball and spotted Goss onside but moving close in on the United goal. Fox's distribution is such that he rarely spurns such opportunities and here he centred on to the head of Goss who comfortably beat Simon Tracey.

Without needing to raise their game anything like as much as they had against Bayern in midweek, Norwich were lulled into over-confidence. Their solid midfield work appeared to have laid the foundation of victory but, in the 43rd minute, Carr's corner bounced in the penalty area and Rob Newman handled. After some thought, the referee awarded a penalty which Dane Whitehouse solidly converted.

The contest between Fox and Nilsen remained the key. Though Nilsen had an uncomfortable opening few minutes, when he was in possession he distributed the ball accurately over long distances.

For the most part, though, he had his work cut out trying to control Fox, the game's most productive player. Even so, United persevered and Flo, particularly, threatened to cause some damage.

Once Norwich accepted that United were capable of at least grasping the draw (they have drawn three of their six home games), they stepped up the pace a little and after 57 minutes John Polston's ball into the penalty area saw United defenders spectating, and as it dropped Darren Eadie volleyed in.

Failure to break out quickly and lost possession detracted from United's contributions. Only over the final quarter of an hour did they press forward with sufficient forces, but Ian Culverhouse directed his defence as effectively as he had against the illustrious Germans.