By PA Sport Staff
Click here for full match stats
Norwich ended the season on a high as an own goal from Tyrone Mears and a
superb strike from Phil Mulryne sealed a 2-0 win against Preston at Carrow
Road.
City, who secured eighth place in Nationwide Division One with the victory,
took the lead just 18 seconds into the second half when Mears looped a header
over team-mate Jonathan Gould.
Mulryne thumped a second after 63 minutes to seal the points for Nigel
Worthington's side.
The home side began brightly, with Mark Rivers - restored to the starting
line-up - racing to the byline and crossing for midfielder Mulryne to flash a
header inches wide in the third minute.
North End responded, with Dickson Etuhu curling a first-time shot into the
arms of goalkeeper Robert Green from the edge of the box.
Rivers was looking lively and came close to breaking the deadlock in the 24th
minute.
Paul McKenna brought down Adam Drury 25 yards from goal, and from the
resulting free-kick, Rivers let fly with a stunning drive that just cleared the
crossbar.
Preston hit back with a good chance of their own, Etuhu's cross picking out
Simon Lynch, only for the former Celtic striker to head over from six yards.
The Canaries were gifted the lead just seconds after the restart. Paul
McVeigh's seemingly harmless cross was inadvertently headed into his own net by
Mears.
Gould pulled off a stunning save to deny teenager Ian Henderson five minutes
later, but City extended their lead just after the hour.
An Eddie Lewis header was superbly palmed away by Green at one end, and from
the breakaway, Rivers crossed for Mulryne to smash a volley into the bottom
corner for his eighth goal of the season.
Preston tried desperately to get back into the game, with McKenna and Eric
Skora both trying their luck from distance, but it was Norwich who came close to
adding a third late on.
Henderson unleashed a piledriver from 25 yards that Gould did well to tip
around the post.
Teams
Norwich: Green, Briggs, Fleming, Mackay, Drury,
Rivers (Russell 88), Holt, Mulryne, McVeigh (Nielsen 89),
Roberts (Abbey 83), Henderson.
Subs Not Used: Crichton, Shackell.
Goals: Mears 46 og, Mulryne 63.
Preston: Gould, Alexander, Edwards (Broomes 56), Lucketti,
Mears, McKenna, Etuhu, Skora (Abbott 78),
Lewis (Cartwright 64), Cresswell, Lynch.
Subs Not Used: Bailey, Lonergan.
Att: 20,232
Ref: D Crick (Surrey).
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