From: D.J.Laws@newcastle.ac.uk (D.J.Laws)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: F.A.Cup semi: Sunderland v Norwich
Date: 7 Apr 92 11:05:46 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK NE1 7RU


As a lot of people must have seen this game on TV, I would appreciate it if 
those who did would give me some artistic license to embroider the truth ;-)

Well here goes.......

   Sunderland  1 - 0 Norwich 
or....
   Norwich     0 - 1 Sunderland 

Sunderland team (4-4-2)

1.Norman  2.Kay  3.Rogan  4.Ball (sub Bennett 60 mins)  5.Hardyman
6.Rush  7.Bracewell  8.Davenport  9.Armstrong  10.Byrne  11.Atkinson
(12.Bennett 14.Brady)

(Bennett only managed to get on the subs bench after all and with this the team 
was much as expected.)

Formation :
                             Norman 

   Kay               Ball             Rogan           Hardyman

  Rush            Atkinson          Bracewell         Armstrong

                     Byrne   and  Davenport


Norwich team (5-3-2)

Goalie:  Walton
Defence: Bowen, Polston, Culverhouse  Butterworth, Woodthorne
Midfield: Fox, Goss, Newman
Attack: Sutton, Fleck
Subs: Sutch, Ullathorne


Sunderland started badly but we have done in all our recent F.A.Cup games so I 
was only partially worried that we were going to pis**d on. Bowen curled in a 
cross from nearly the half way line to the near side of the six yard box and 
Sutton had a header which a hesitant Norman saved easily. Norwich were playing 
long ball tactics to Sutton and their tall midfielders which is so much worse 
to see than their usual passing game.

For the next half hour it was pretty much blood and guts stuff with one of the 
few breaks when Kay tried to play the offside trap when the rest of the team 
weren't and Fleck got behind the defence only to be thwarted by a covering 
defender. In the 34th minute came the best move of the game so far and the only 
goal. Byrne picked up a long ball from Ball and held it up while the midfield 
charged forward . He slipped it to the onrushing Rush and ran to take up his 
position at the back post. Rush ran at the defence and released Atkinson with a 
neat chip with the outside of his boot. Atkinson ran forward to about the edge 
of the six yard box and easily flighted the ball over the goalkeeper and a 
Norwich defender to the far post where Byrne nodded it in for one of the 
easiest finishes of his F.A.Cup campaign. (There was a minor pitch invasion but 
this was soon sorted out)               

Two other incidents I can remember in the first half were a half chance for 
Davenport and a much easier chance for Norwich.

Davenport found himself in the box on the end of a lofted ball from Atkinson 
but under a strong challenge fom a Norwich defender and with the 'keeper 
advancing quickly he only managed to loft the ball high into the crowd.
Kay again let Fleck run down the left and Rogan had to leave Sutton to try and 
stop his progress towards goal. This left Sutton unmarked and Fleck picked him 
out with a good pass . Fortunately Ball had made up a great deal ground to 
tackle Sutton just as he was about to shoot and the Norwich striker put the 
ball wide of the post from about 15 yards out.

The second half was more exciting (and more nerve racking ) than the first
despite the lack of goals.   

In the 57th minute Sutton found himself in the clear in the box but only 
managed to lift the ball over the top with no challenge forthcoming from the 
Sunderland defence. Soon after Ball had to be replaced by Bennett after he had 
made a strong block on Fleck which had left both players on the ground. Ball 
left the field to a round of applause from all sections of the crowd and the 
Sunderland fans cheered as the long serving Bennett made his appearance.

As City tried to storm forward this left holes at the back for Sunderland to 
create more chances. Davenport was left with a run at goal but as a Norwich 
defender ran towards him an attempted pass to the unmarked Byrne was weak and 
off target. It was a great chance as Byrne could have scored easily on 
receiving what was not a difficult pass to make or Davenport himself could have 
had a dig - but perhaps he was caught in two minds and he fluffed the pass.

Davenport had just as good a chance following a corner when Rush headed back 
in and he beat the offside trap to shoot straight between Walton's legs but the 
keeper was alert and picked the ball up easily. Following another corner 
Armstrong nudged a defender out of the way (illegally - but I wasn't bothered) 
to give Rush a chance at a volley which if on target would have burst the net
- but of course it wasn't. Norwich's Fox had a good free-kick which floated 
just wide and Roker's Byrne had one of his (one a game) curling shots on the
turn from outside the box which Walton was happy to see just go past his left
upright.            

One of Sunderland's best free-kicks for ages nearly produced a goal . Bracewell
knocked the ball to Davenport who turned on the edge of the Norwich wall to 
race for the byline . His cross was headed goalwards by Armstrong and Walton 
poked his foot out to clear the ball inches from the goalline only to find 
Bennett. Bennett ,seeing so many players on the line, tried to blast his shot 
into the roof of the net but only suceeded in hitting it high and wide.(Bennett
later put this down to his lack of match practice and hence lack of timing.)

Norwich's last chance of the game came from another free-kick at a stage when 
Sunderland just punted the ball upfield at every chance they got - they looked 
so tired. Goss knocked the ball to Bowen who had a good low shot saved by 
Norman, stretching to his fullest.

The final whistle I thought was a little early especially after the Ball and 
Fleck incident but I was so pleased the ref didn't add on any more injury time 
than he did.We went wild , and the players were mobbed by fans wanting to 
express their gratitude . The Norwich and Sunderland fans proceeded to applaud
each other in keeping with the friendly respect of a previous meeting in 1985.
The most touching moment of the game was before kick-off when the whole ground 
sang "You'll never walk alone" in tribute to the Liverpool fans of 1989.

Player assessment :

NORMAN : Superb even though he didn't do that much - he didn't need to.

KAY : Good except for his potentially goal conceding mistakes.

HARDYMAN : Excellent - just about controlled Fox and hardly made a mistake - I 
suppose that's why he isn't mentioned much above.

ROGAN : Some people's man of the match . He had a noone shall pass attitude
and not many did.

BALL : Very good until his exit early in the second half.

RUSH : One of his best ever games. Why is this man so poor in the league ?
His pass to Atkinson was visionary and on many other occasions he won the ball 
and went past people in difficult situations.

BRACEWELL : He didn't seem to do that much but he was THERE . Bracewell is the 
type of player who you only notice when he isn't there. 

ATKINSON : Tough in midfield and some great passes - for the goal and other 
chances .

ARMSTRONG : Had a game to forget but who cares ?

DAVENPORT : Missed crucial chances but his running off the ball to create those 
chances is excellent . This is why he always has the chance of doing something 
and why the fans are so frustrated when he gets substituted in league games.

BYRNE : What can I say ? Holds the ball up so well for the midfield to get 
forward . Perhaps it's the midfield not getting forward which makes Byrne look 
worse in league games.

BENNETT : Did well when he came on and missed that great chance. Not fully fit.

BRADY : Did a great job running down the grass on the touchline . He must have 
been warming up for most of the match.

MATCH FACTS  (Newcastle's Eveving Chronicle) :

ATTENDANCE :  40,462

                          SUNDERLAND                NORWICH

Shots on target              3                         4
Shots off target             6                         4
Corners                      6                         8
Offsides                     8                         3
Fouls                       14                        11
Bookings                   None                     Bowen (dissent)
                                                    Fox (dissent)

Referee : Neil Midgely (Bolton)

OTHER NEWS :

Ball is not as badly injured as first thought and hopefully may be fit in the 
next couple of weeks.

Byrne has a hamstring injury which may keep him out of the Leicester game on 
Wednesday (but unlikely to be anymore games than that.).

Regards
Dave






-- 
  David J. Laws                       Department of Mathematics & Statistics
  D.J.Laws@uk.ac.newcastle (or t'other way 'round)            The University
  Phone: +44 91 222 6000 ext7286                         Newcastle Upon Tyne
                                                                     NE1 7RU