Huckerby slays dozy defence

Burnley 3 Norwich City 5

The 2,500 Norwich City supporters who braved a typically rainswept Turf Moor afternoon would have been quite happy to win by a scruffy own goal in return for the three-point lead they now enjoy in the Nationwide First Division. Instead, they were treated to a seesawing spectacle in which relegation-threatened Burnley led three times before Norwich's extra quality at last triumphed.

The 2,500 Norwich City supporters who braved a typically rainswept Turf Moor afternoon would have been quite happy to win by a scruffy own goal in return for the three-point lead they now enjoy in the Nationwide First Division. Instead, they were treated to a seesawing spectacle in which relegation-threatened Burnley led three times before Norwich's extra quality at last triumphed.

Neil Wood, David May and Robbie Blake all underlined Burnley's attacking strengths during a five-goal first half, after which the final outcome left their manager, Stan Ternent, incredulous and unwilling to spare anyone's feelings, not least his goalkeeper, Brian Jensen. "When you score three times at home you usually expect to win, but in the second half we were crap," he said. "Norwich haven't had to make one goal themselves because we've given them away, and Brian was responsible for four of them."

Naturally, Ternent's Norwich counterpart, Nigel Worthington, was rather happier. "It was disappointing to concede three goals as sloppily as we did," he said. "But to keep coming back from a goal behind and then go on to win the game showed a lot of character."

The defensive comedy began with a Wood free-kick finding its way through a badly organised wall and past a static Robert Green, after which Mathias Svensson scored the first of his two goals off May's leg, with Jensen stranded. May made amends, sliding home Blake's corner, but within 60 seconds Darren Huckerby had sped past three Burnley defenders and a dither- ing Jensen to angle home Norwich's second equaliser.

Blake's blistering finish gave Burnley the lead at the break but as Jensen flapped at a Huckerby cross, Leon McKenzie scored Norwich's third equaliser seven minutes into the second half before Svensson rose unchallenged to head home Adam Drury's cross and put the Canaries in front.

"We need to win three games to stay up but we'll struggle if we defend like that," Ternent added, after seeing Huckerby score one minute from time, in a move involving substitutes Phil Mulryne and Kevin Cooper.

Burnley 3
Wood 7, May 29, Blake 38

Norwich City 5
Svensson 14, 62, Huckerby 30, 89, McKenzie 51

Half-time: 3-2 Attendance: 12,417