Norwich made to wait for Premier League promotion after entertaining draw at Stoke
Stoke City 2-2 Norwich: In a season defined by late goals and comebacks, the Canaries were dealt a dose of their own medicine as the hosts twice came from behind to earn a point
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Your support makes all the difference.The champagne remains on ice for Norwich City as promotion to the Premier League was delayed for at least another five days following a fourth successive draw, this time away to Stoke.
But thanks to Leeds United’s shock defeat at Brentford just over two hours later, all that remains is for the Canaries to dot the Is and cross the Ts on a return to the top flight after a three-year absence.
The Canaries needed to win and hope that either Sheffield United or Leeds did not, but they failed to complete their own side of the deal and their lead was cut to three points with two games remaining as Sheffield United romped to an impressive victory at Hull.
At full time, some of the Norwich players sunk to their knees in despair at two more points dropped. Their manager Daniel Farke suggested afterwards it could be ‘a massive point’.
It was the German who was proved to be correct as the extra point means they are now six clear of Leeds and have an advantage of ten in the goal difference stakes.
Given Leeds’ disastrous Easter and Norwich’s consistency throughout the season, few would bet against the Norfolk club taking a deserved place in the Premier League.
In a season defined by late goals and comebacks, the Canaries were dealt a dose of their own medicine as mid-table Stoke twice came from behind to earn a point from this entertaining encounter.
As it is, one more win or any slip up from Leeds would be enough to guarantee a top-two spot, but the road to promotion has definitely stalled in recent weeks.
This time 12 months ago, the jury had very much been out on Farke for many Norwich fans as the club limped to 14th place. Nor was it helped by the departures of James Maddison and Josh Murphy to the Premier League last summer.
But Farke has been allowed to construct a promotion-winning side with a mix of talented homegrown players and inspired bargains.
Top scorer Teemu Pukki was a free transfer from Brondby, while at the other end, former Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul arrived from Brighton. And to the club’s great credit, three of the back four who started here came through their academy in Max Aarons, Jamal Lewis and Ben Godfrey.
After a poor August, the Canaries have shown a consistency that has proved beyond the rest of the division and they have been top of the league since mid-February.
Only this recent run had stalled their progress after eight straight wins had put them on a seemingly inevitable ticket to promotion.
It has been a season characterised by goals, comebacks and dramatic twists. In Pukki, they have the Championship’s top scorer, while their never-say-die attitude was epitomised by Mario Vrancic’s 97th minute equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday on Good Friday.
The three previous games had all been without the creative skills of Emiliano Buendia but the little Argentine was back from suspension and from his free-kick, Pukki nearly grabbed goal number 28 for the campaign but the Finn’s stooping header was kept out by a flying save from Jack Butland.
But it wasn’t long before the nearly 3000 Canaries fans who had made the trip across from East Anglia, and turned a corner of the Bet365 Stadium into a wall of yellow, could start to sing.
Lewis’ cross was only cleared as far as Onel Hernandez, and the Cuban took aim and fired it beyond Butland at his near post. It was also greeted with a huge roar back at Carrow Road where 6000 more were watching the match on a giant screen.
News filtered through of Sheffield United’s scoreline at Hull, but there was a bigger setback though just after the restart as Ashley Williams headed home Thibaut Verlinden’s corner for his first goal since scoring for Everton in November 2017.
But just after Sam Clucas had missed a great chance to put the home team ahead, Pukki grabbed another one in this prolific season and one that oozed Premier League class as he guided a header past Butland following a terrific lofted pass from substitute Vrancic.
Yet they were pegged back again three minutes later after Hernandez carelessly lost possession and Tom Edwards buried a drive into the bottom corner for his first senior goal.
By now, nerves were jangling for those in yellow and Lewis was closest to a winner with a shot across goal, but they could not find their customary late goal. By 7.30pm, it had not mattered so much.
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