Preston skipper Sean Gregan scored a quite extraordinary winner to keep
Preston bang on course for the First Division play-offs.
Spotting goalkeeper Andy Marshall off his line Gregan tried his luck from all
of 45 yards and the Carrow Road crowd watched in astonishment as the ball flew
into the top corner.
It was a goal reminiscent of famous efforts from David Beckham and Nayim and
earned his side a deserved three points against a Norwich team who have now lost
four on the trot and are beginning to look uncomfortably over their shoulders.
Gregan's moment of magic came two minutes after the interval and from then on
David Moyes' side dominated proceedings.
They would have won by a bigger margin had Marshall not redeemed himself with
a couple of excellent saves from fiercely-struck shots by Rob Edwards and David
Healy.
The one-sided second half, in which Norwich did not manage an effort on target
in the entire 45 minutes, was in stark contrast to a more evenly contested
opening period in which both sides had their chances.
Norwich took the lead on 31 minutes with their first cohesive movement of the
game as Chris Llewellyn played in a wonderful angled pass from the left which
Iwan Roberts controlled before firing past Teuvo Moilanen for his 15th goal of
the season.
The Canaries just about deserved their lead at that stage but they only held
on to it for two minutes with Preston dangerman Healy grabbing his seventh in 13
games moments later.
The equaliser was set up by a run from left-back Edwards, with his cross being
nodded home by Healy from just outside the six-yard box.
Marshall was then forced to make a superlative reflex stop as Edwards put in
another good ball, with Lee Cartwright's flick heading for the back of the net
until the keeper palmed it away.
But two minutes after the break Marshall suffered the other side of the
goalkeeping coin as Gregan produced his goal of the season contender.
The former England Under-21 keeper clearly thought the effort was going over
and looked as astonished as the fans when it sailed into the net.
Whether Gregan meant it was a matter for some debate but all Moyes will care
about was the priceless three points it earned for his entertaining side, who
now look capable of cementing a place in the top six just a season after coming
up from Division Two.
Teams
Norwich: Andy Marshall, Sutch (Nedergaard 78), Jackson,
Fleming, Mackay, Llewellyn, Lee Marshall, Russell,
Forbes (Abbey 77), McVeigh (Notman 65), Roberts.
Subs not used: Green, McGovern.
Booked: Fleming, Forbes.
Goals: Roberts 32.
Preston: Moilanen, Alexander, Jackson, Murdock (Kidd 46),
Edwards, Cartwright, Gregan, Rankine, McKenna,
Macken (Cresswell 71), Healy.
Subs not used: Lucas, Barry-Murphy, Anderson.
Booked: Rankine, Murdock.
Goals: Healy 34, Gregan 48.
Att: 16,282
Ref: A Bates (Stoke on Trent).
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