Cantwell Shines as Canaries March On

Classy Norwich City exhibited all their talents in South Wales to stifle the limited challenge of Cardiff City, as Hanley and Cantwell provided the goals to maintain their place at the top of the Championship pile.

The game was defined in the opening moments as Welsh international Harry Wilson narrowly failed to connect with a chance for the home side before play swung upfield to see Canaries’ skipper Hanley head the visitors ahead with barely three minutes played. A lead they rarely looked like losing.

The lively Cantwell almost doubled their advantage with a curling drive on 12 minutes and we saw a similar effort from the England under 21 star shortly afterwards before, inevitably, he stabbed the ball home to round off a sweet move as the visitors threatened to run away with things. The lad even treated us to a spectacular bicycle kick to clear a rare Cardiff attack.

The Canaries had been strong at the back, nimble up top and threatened constantly. McLean, Gibson and Hanley had all put in decent shifts.The home side simply hadn’t been in it.

The Bluebirds did start the second half brightly however, as Vaulks forced a rare save from Daniel Barden who was looking to impress any Welsh eyes in the stands to add to his claims for a place in Ryan Giggs’ squad.

The hitherto quiet Hoilett curled a rare shot away as the home side upped the tempo but Neil Harris would have been grateful to his keeper for a point blank save to keep his side in with a shout.

The introduction of Wales ace Kieffer Moore added a focal point to Cardiff’s play and when Joe Ralls fired home after good work from Bagan and Bacuna you sensed that it was definitely “Game On,” however unlikely that had seemed at the interval.”Let’s Go, Let’s Go” screamed Nelson as the home side chased the game.

With around 20 minutes to go though, the game probably slipped away from the Welsh side as the combative Pack saw his second yellow card of the day for a rather rash challenge.

The Bluebirds continued to seek out Moore at every opportunity and had decent claims for a late spot kick when the tall target man was bundled over in the closing stages. Inevitably though it was that lad Cantwell who continued to threaten, forcing Harry Wilson to tug him back as he threatened to waltz through the gaps left by the home side.