Carling Cup

August 24, 2009

Full-time

Norwich City

1 - 4

Sunderland

Carling Cup

19:45 BST, August 24, 2009

Carrow Road, England

Referee: A Taylor

Reid double downs Canaries

Scoring Summary

Norwich City Sunderland
Wesley Hoolahan (63')Teemu Tainio (26')
 Andy Reid (30')
 Andy Reid (36')
 Owain Tudur-Jones (og 67')

Andy Reid scored twice as Sunderland swept past League One Norwich 4-1 at Carrow Road and into the third round of the Carling Cup.

• Bruce relishes Reid display

The Republic of Ireland midfielder - who had netted only two goals since his move from Charlton - was one of nine changes by manager Steve Bruce for the clash against the team he lifted the Milk Cup with back in 1985.

The Mackems were, though, still far too good for City, whose main concern under new boss Paul Lambert will be getting back into the Championship at the first attempt.

Although the home side had started brightly, Norwich were undone all too easily on the break.

Teemu Tainio set the ball rolling after 26 minutes, and then Reid netted a well-taken double to put the tie beyond Lambert's men before half-time.

Wes Hoolahan reduced the deficit just after the hour, only for Owain Tudur Jones to quickly deflect a corner into his own net.

Norwich finished with only nine men when defender Michael Spillane was sent off for a professional foul on Frazier Campbell, and keeper Ben Alnwick suffered up a cut to his face.

Sunderland now prepare for their Premier League clash at Stoke, while next up for Norwich is a long trip to Hartlepool - which just about sums up the current difference between the two clubs.

Craig Gordon came into goal, with only captain George McCartney and striker Kenwyne Jones retaining their places from the side which beat Blackburn.

It looked like Norwich could take advantage during the early exchanges.

The home fans - in a crowd just over 12,000, well short of that for the game against Wycombe on Saturday - were calling for a penalty after just six minutes when Nyron Nosworthy bundled over teenage striker Luke Daley.

Referee Anthony Taylor, though, was unimpressed.

Sunderland, though, looked dangerous on the break.

On 12 minutes, Reid whipped the ball over, which Campbell turned goalwards with a stunning over-head effort. On-loan Tottenham keeper Alnwick got his fingertips to the rasping shot, which was just enough to tip it onto the crossbar.

Norwich were riding their luck, but broke clear when Simon Whaley went into the right side of the penalty area. However, his weak shot was saved by Gordon.

The Scottish keeper was then called on again to touch over Simon Lappin's long-range strike.

Sunderland took the lead on 26 minutes. Jones brushed off the challenge of Doherty before darting into the right side of the penalty area and cut the ball back to Tainio, who drilled in a low shot from 10 yards.

Before Norwich had a chance to respond, it was 2-0.

Sunderland broke away down the left through Reid.

From just inside the box, the winger chipped a perfectly-weighted ball over the keeper and into the far corner.

It was then 3-0 on 36 minutes as Norwich were once again torn apart on the break.

A string of one-touch passes picked out Campbell in the middle, who in turn fed Reid on the overlap, and he drilled the ball into the top corner.

At the end of the first half, Gordon saved well from Tudur Jones, the Wales midfielder drilling in a low shot from 15 yards.

Sunderland replaced Jones with Daryl Murphy for the second half. Norwich upped their tempo following the restart.

In the 63rd minute, Norwich's pressure finally paid off.

Jon Otsemobor's cross from the right was headed against the far post by substitute Cody McDonald - and Hoolahan knocked the ball into an unguarded net.

Chris Martin then just failed to connect with a low cross at the far post.

However, any thoughts of a comeback were quickly ended when Tudur Jones deflected a corner into his own net.

Spillane, as the last defender, was sent off on 82 minutes for pulling back Campbell, who slid into the keeper and Alnwick had to go off for treatment to a cut face.

With all three substitutes used, McDonald went in goal. However, he could do little but watch Carlos Edwards crash a 25-yard shot against the bar.

  • Bruce relishes Reid display

    Sunderland manager Steve Bruce was full of praise for slimmed-down midfielder Reid after his role in the 4-1 Carling Cup victory at Norwich.

    Reid, who underwent a rigorous fitness regime in the summer to cut down his notoriously excessive weight, was the star of the show and Bruce was quick to praise the Irishman.

    "He's seeing the fruits of that tonight,'' Bruce told Sky Sports. "He is the one who has done it, not anyone else.

    "He's lost something like eight or nine kilos which is testament to him, and he's given himself an opportunity."

    Norwich finished with nine men when last man Michael Spillane was sent off for a professional foul on Fraizer Campbell, and keeper Ben Alnwick suffered a cut to his face when colliding with the striker.

    But Bruce revealed Campbell suffered no serious damage from the coming together with Alnwick.

    "He's okay, he's got a bad wrist, a bad elbow, a bad shoulder and a sore head but thankfully he's okay,'' he said.

    "There were some really, really good performances. Reidy has scored two wonder goals, the goalkeeper (Craig Gordon) has produced two or three really good saves.

    "It bears well and has given me a headache. All of them responded magnificently in the last few weeks and with those performances, they have asked me a few questions.''

    Sunderland hope to secure the season-long loan signing of Lyon defender John Mensah, and are also closing in on highly-rated 21-year-old Egyptian Ahmed Al-Muhammadi.

    "John Mensah is waiting just for his visa to be stamped, and we hope to be able to bring him to the club in the next few days,'' said Bruce.

    Norwich manager Lambert, meanwhile, felt there were some positives to take from the match.

    "We started really well, and had some good chances,'' said the Scot, appointed following the dismissal of Bryan Gunn after just one league game.

    "However, when you make individual errors, especially against calibre like that, you will get punished.

    "There were some positives to come out of it, and the negatives, well I have already seen them.''

    Lambert, whose former side Colchester thrashed Norwich 7-1 at Carrow Road on the opening day of the season, added: "It is not about a magic wand, it is to try to get the club up the league.

    "I could not play the same team as on a Saturday because the lads who were brilliant could not play two games in three days.''

    The extent of the injury to Alnwick, meanwhile, will be assessed in the coming days.

    "His faces is a bit of a mess at the minute, so we just need to see how it settles down,'' said Lambert.

    "He has got quite a bad gash under his eye, and have to monitor him.''