Bennett relishing Norwich chance

England Under-21 defender Ryan Bennett is relishing the chance to take his game to another level under Paul Lambert at Norwich.

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The Canaries made an 11th-hour swoop for the centre-back on transfer deadline day, with Bennett halfway to Swansea before turning back to Norfolk where he completed what is understood to be a £3million deal late into the night.

As part of the move, Bennett has been loaned to Posh until the end of the month, when he will finally join up with his new team-mates and manager, and Bennett told Canaries Player: "As soon as I knew the interest from Norwich was full-on, I turned the car around and drove there."

He added: "I did not get back to Peterborough until four in the morning, but it was all worth it."

He added: "The manager has taken every club he has been at forwards, and has continued to do that at Norwich.

"For me to go there and play under a manager like him, I am sure it will make me a better player to achieve the level I want.

"The Premier League is the top league in the world, everyone wants to play in it and hopefully I will get my chance.

"Norwich are a close bunch of lads, so hopefully I can fit in well.

"There are a lot of good players there and it is up to me to work hard, take a chance when I get it and make a name for myself there."

Norwich pile misery on struggling Bolton

Norwich pushed struggling Bolton
back into the Premier League relegation zone as a pair of second half
goals clinched a 2-0 win at Carrow Road on Saturday.

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Paul
Lambert's team were frustrated until the 70th minute when Andrew Surman
broke the deadlock and Anthony Pilkington's late strike sealed the
points.

Bolton's defeat, combined with Wolves' win at QPR, left
Owen Coyle's side back into the bottom three, while Norwich remain
comfortably in mid-table as they look to consolidate after last season's
promotion.

Norwich made the early running and American defender
Zak Whitbread headed David Fox's cross wide before Grant Holt brough the
first stop from Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan.

Simeon Jackson
then fired wide after Surman cut the ball back from an acute angle and
Bogdan prevented the Canadian from scoring again minutes later after he
took advantage of some poor marking to collect Holt's flick-on.

The
hosts' best move of the first half came in the 24th minute when Wes
Hoolahan played in Holt and he squared to Surman, but his shot struck
the crossbar and rebounded to safety.

Lambert was forced into
another defensive reshuffle before the break when Whitbread came off
injured and was replaced by winger Elliott Bennett.

Bolton started
to come into it more towards the end of the first half and went close
just before the break through a deflected Martin Petrov drive.

The
Canaries should have been ahead two minutes after the break when Adam
Drury found Holt unmarked at the back post but his dreadful header flew
10 yards wide.

Norwich finally made the breakthrough in the 70th
minute when midfielder Surman pounced on the rebound after his initial
shot was blocked and drilled a fine shot past Bogdan.

Petrov tested John Ruddy with a fierce half-volley 11 minutes from time as Bolton launched a desperate bid for an equaliser.

Holt
missed from close-range moments later, while striker Marvin Sordell,
signed from Watford on deadline day, came on for his Bolton debut in
place of David Ngog.

Norwich put the result beyond doubt in the
85th minute when Russell Martin's shot rebounded into the path of
Pilkington and he fired home from close-range.

Canaries down Bolton

Second-half goals from Andrew Surman and
Anthony Pilkington ensured Norwich ended a nervy afternoon with a 2-0
win over strugglers Bolton at Carrow Road.

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The Canaries dominated
the first half and should have been well ahead by half-time, but their
profligacy, and the Bolton woodwork, left them frustrated.

The
game looked set to peter out into a dull goalless draw until Pilkington
volleyed home in the 70th minute and Surman wrapped up the win just
before the end with an instinctive finish after Adam Bogdan had parried
Russell Martin's drive.

Canaries complete Howson signing

Norwich have signed Leeds captain Jonny Howson for an undisclosed fee.

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Howson has agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Barclays Premier League club.

The 23-year-old midfielder will be Norwich's first signing of the January transfer window.

The deal will go through officially once the paperwork has been approved "by the relevant footballing authorities", the Canaries confirmed.

Norwich manager Paul Lambert said: "I think he has been brilliant for Leeds - how he has played but also being their captain brings its own demands. It's a fantastic club Leeds.

"I think he can add goals to our midfield which I think we need and he can do that. He'll get better as a player the higher the level he goes up. If he does that and everything goes well, he'll be a great player for us."

Howson will wear shirt number 24 for Norwich. He has been out of action since December because of a knee injury suffered playing for Leeds against Millwall, but is hopeful of being fit soon.

The England Under-21 international had been mulling over signing a new deal with Leeds, but opted not to as they could not guarantee him top-flight football.

"The reason is Premier League," he told LUTV. "I am going to a very good club with good support, but at the same time I know I'm leaving a club I've loved from being a young boy. That's not going to change.

"Everyone at Leeds is wanting Premier League football. The ambition is always there, but that is not guaranteed."

Leeds accept Norwich Howson bid

Norwich have had a bid accepted for Leeds midfielder and captain Jonny Howson.

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The npower Championship confirmed they had 'reluctantly' accepted an offer for the 23-year-old, whose deal at Elland Road expires in the summer.

A statement on the club's website read: "The club has reluctantly accepted the offer on the basis that the player only has six months of his current contract remaining and has expressed a desire to play Premier League football at the earliest opportunity."

Howson has been out of action since December because of a knee injury, and Leeds revealed their disappointment at not being able to tie the former England Under-21 international down on a longer deal.

"The club has been in discussions with the player about a new contract at Elland Road for more than 12 months, but he has been steadfast in his position that he would like the opportunity to play Premier League football," the statement continued.

"On that basis Jonny hasn't felt in a position to commit himself to Leeds United at this moment in time.

"The player would be able to leave on a free transfer at the end of his current contract.

"While accepting the offer on Tuesday the player has still to agree terms with Norwich and we are disappointed the matter has become public at this stage."

Norwich signed Bradley Johnson on a free transfer from Leeds in the summer after the midfielder's contract with the Yorkshire club had expired.

Team effort impressed Lambert

Norwich manager Paul Lambert praised his team's efforts both in defence and attack after they won 2-1 against West Brom at The Hawthorns to consolidate their position in the top half of the Barclays Premier League.

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It was a second consecutive away win for Norwich, who remain ninth in the table.

And Lambert said: "It was an absolutely fantastic result. I thought the lads were excellent. They defended really strongly when they had to and counter-attacked really quickly, which was great."

Goalkeeper John Ruddy tipped a shot from Albion's Peter Odemwingie on to the bar and Canaries midfielder Andrew Surman then cleared James Morrison's drive off the line before volleying the 43rd minute opener which handed the visitors the advantage.

The Baggies continued to press after the break and Shane Long came off the bench to equalise with a penalty in the 68th following Daniel Ayala's foul on Jerome Thomas - but a breakaway at the other end 11 minutes from time saw Steve Morison nod in the winner from a Grant Holt cross.

The Canaries - promoted to the top-flight last summer just a year after they gained entry to the Championship by winning the League One title - were tipped by many in pre-season to struggle this term, but they now have an impressive total of 28 points from 21 Premier League games.

"I'm pretty sure everyone thought we would be in the bottom three at this point," Lambert said. "We came up from League One really quick, so to be ninth is terrific for this team."

The result was 15th-placed West Brom's third defeat in a row in the league and leaves them five points above the relegation zone, and boss Roy Hodgson felt the outcome was harsh on his team but admits the Baggies need to turn things around quickly.

"I thought the way we equalised was a just reward for the effort that we that made, but then we got caught on another counter-attack and Norwich were able to hang on for the victory," he said.

"I'm sure with their organisation and determination, their manager feels they deserved it, but for us, it feels a bit harsh."

West Brom 1-2 Norwich: Match Report

Canaries send Baggies crashing

West Brom crashed to their third straight Barclays Premier League defeat as Steve Morison's header sealed a 2-1 victory for Norwich at The Hawthorns.

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Albion, who had not netted in their previous three league matches, went close in the first half as Peter Odemwingie's shot was tipped onto the crossbar and James Morrison had an effort cleared off the line, only for Andrew Surman's volley to then hand the Canaries the advantage in the 43rd minute.

Fit-again Shane Long came off the bench and equalised with a penalty in the 68th to bring the Baggies' goal drought to an end, but it was not enough to salvage them a point, Morison nodding in the winner 11 minutes from time.

The result means 15th-placed West Brom are now only five points above the relegation zone, while Norwich, who have recorded back-to-back away wins in the league, remain ninth.

Albion had some key players back in their squad for the game, midfielders Jerome Thomas, Youssouf Mulumbu and Paul Scharner all returning to the starting line-up after injuries, while Long, recently sidelined by a back problem, was named as a substitute.

Norwich manager Paul Lambert made five changes to his team, with goalkeeper John Ruddy coming back in for Declan Rudd and Morison replacing Grant Holt up front.

Odemwingie made the first attempt on goal in the fifth minute, chesting the ball down midway through the visitors' half before letting fly with a strike that Ruddy dived to push on to the bar.

Six minutes later the Canaries made contact with the woodwork themselves, a mix-up at the back for West Brom seeing the ball come off Morison and roll against the outside of the post.

Odemwingie then tried his luck again, firing wide from the edge of the box, before Simeon Jackson scooped one over at the other end.

Simon Cox, scorer of a hat-trick in the hosts' FA Cup victory over Cardiff last weekend, found himself in on goal in the 21st minute but Ruddy came out to block his shot.

Albion appealed for a penalty when Thomas appeared to be tripped by Daniel Ayala in the area but referee Mike Dean allowed play to continue, and it then took a goalline clearance by Surman to keep out a drive from Morrison.

The Baggies continued to press and there was another important intervention as Zak Whitbread slid to get in the way of Thomas' shot.

Having weathered the storm, though, Norwich then had a chance when Morison met Anthony Pilkington's cross, sending his header wide.

And with two minutes of the first half remaining, the visitors snatched the lead as Surman caught Wes Hoolahan's cross sweetly to rifle the ball past Ben Foster.

West Brom went in search of a leveller after the restart, but Morrison and Scharner blazed attempts over the bar.

Morrison then went closer with a dipping effort from distance that was just too high.

Albion boss Roy Hodgson refreshed his forward line in the 63rd minute by bringing on Long for Odemwingie - as well as Graham Dorrans for Scharner - and the Republic of Ireland international immediately brought a save out of Ruddy, before teeing up Cox to do the same.

Moments later, a wild-looking challenge on Thomas by Ayala saw the Baggies awarded a penalty, and Long stepped up to calmly sweep it in.

Lambert made an attacking adjustment of his own by withdrawing Jackson for Holt, who also had a swift impact.

Mulumbu lost the ball in the 79th minute and as Norwich broke forward, Holt provided a great cross from the left for Morison to convert.

West Brom pushed for a second equaliser, but their efforts were in vain as Norwich claimed all three points.

Canaries too strong for Clarets

Norwich were convincing winners in the third round of the FA Cup as they beat npower Championship side Burnley 4-1 at Carrow Road.

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Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson put Norwich 2-0 up in the opening 12 minutes before Jay Rodriguez hit back for Burnley almost immediately.

Holt then struck the post with 31st-minute penalty but the miss did not matter in the end as Norwich added two more goals in the second half through Andrew Surman and Steve Morison.

Hull edged into the fourth round at the expense of fellow npower Championship side Ipswich after winning 3-1 at the KC Stadium, while Sheffield United beat Salisbury 3-1 to book their place in the next round.

Tottenham claimed a comfortable 3-0 win over Cheltenham at White Hart Lane with goals from Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Giovani Dos Santos.

Craig Forsyth scored twice as Watford beat Bradford 4-2 at Vicarage Road.

Troy Deeney headed Watford ahead early on but James Hanson's close-range strike brought Bradford level five minutes later. Marvin Sordell edged the Hornets back in front before Forsyth's double sealed the win ahead of Nahki Wells' late score.

Simon Cox scored a hat-trick as West Brom also claimed a 4-2 win, beating Cardiff.

Derby beat Crystal Palace 1-0 thanks to Theo Robinson's ninth-minute goal while Marvin Emnes scored his first goal in nine games to help Middlesbrough defeat League Two Shrewsbury 1-0.

Elsewhere, there were goalless draws in the games between Dagenham and Redbridge-Millwall, Nottingham Forest-Leicester and Birmingham-Wolves.

Norwich V Fulham at Carrow Road : Match Preview

Jol battles injuries ahead of `very important game'

Fulham will be without a host of key players for what manager Martin Jol believes could be a season-changing trip to Norwich on New Year's Eve. The Cottagers head to Carrow Road buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw at west London rivals Chelsea on Boxing Day.

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Andy Johnson, Bobby Zamora and Damien Duff all missed the Stamford Bridge encounter and look set to miss out again against the Canaries. Jol does not believe strikers Zamora (Achilles) and Johnson (groin) will be fit to return, while Duff is also set to miss out through injury.

"Of course the only thing you can say is hopefully they will be back, but I don't think there is a big chance," manager Jol told Fulham TV.

"They were still out on Thursday and Simon Davies is of course out as well. Then we have the long-term injuries to [Zdenek] Grygera and Mark Schwarzer.

"We have got a few worries but we have got attacking options available. I think (Orlando) Sa needs a bit of confidence and then he will start scoring goals.

"It is only a matter of success and then he will thrive on that and do better and better. I thought he held up the ball well at Chelsea. He worked hard and now he has to score goals."

Many had tipped Fulham to be on the wrong end of another heavy defeat on Boxing Day having been thrashed 5-0 days earlier by Manchester United at Craven Cottage. However, the Whites went with a surprisingly attack-minded philosophy and secured a confidence-boosting point.

"You can always defend and we did that well against Chelsea," Jol said.

"But you have to play your own football as well and we should have done that more in the second half. Hopefully we can do that over 90 minutes against Norwich.

"I think it is a very important game to us. One that could change the season.

"But that is for them as well. They know it is an important game as well."

Jol concedes he will have to alter his tactics in a bid to thwart Paul Lambert's side, but expects to run with a similar line-up at Carrow Road. "I don't think we will see many changes," the Dutchman said. "If you see them play, they play in quite an extraordinary style for England. They play 4-4-2 in the diamond. They started off well against Spurs (before losing 2-0).

"Spurs have a very good team and they controlled them, but you can see their strength.

"They have two big players up front in (Steve) Morison and (Grant) Holt, with (Wes) Hoolahan in the hole.

"It is a different style but hopefully we can do the same (as we did against Chelsea) and take the game to them, take the initiative and take control."

Norwich left-back Marc Tierney (groin) is 50-50 for the clash. Fellow defender Kyle Naughton is available again having missed the defeat to parent club Tottenham through suspension, but Ritchie de Laet (back) remains doubtful after coming off against Spurs. Former Everton striker James Vaughan is on course for a return in the new year from his knee problem, along with centre-back Elliott Ward (knee).

Norwich manager Lambert feels keeping expectations in check will be his biggest challenge of 2012. The Canaries were outclassed by high-flying Tottenham at Carrow Road on Tuesday but remain in mid-table with a healthy seven-point cushion over the bottom three.

Fulham's poor away form will give Norwich hope of picking up three more points, but Lambert is taking nothing for granted.

"We have done really fine to be where we are and are playing well enough to win games, but we have to curtail the expectancy level a bit, because it is severe here," the former Celtic midfielder said.

"What the lads have done has been incredible; everybody predicted us to be in the bottom three at this time. "But when you surpass people's expectation levels, they think you are just going to turn up and win. It never works that way. "We are playing catch up with nearly every team in the league because we are new to it. We are the underdog to play every team we come up against, but we are making a fist of it. "Fulham have got terrific players and have been an established Premier League side for a number of years now.

"They got a great result at Chelsea (a 1-1 draw) which shows what a good side they are, so it is going to be a really tough game for us."

Norwich V Fulham at Carrow Road : Match Preview

Jol battles injuries ahead of `very important game'Fulham will be without a host of key players for what manager Martin Jol believes could be a season-changing trip to Norwich on New Year's Eve.The Cottagers head to Carrow Road buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw at west London rivals Chelsea on Boxing Day.Andy Johnson, Bobby Zamora and Damien Duff all missed the Stamford Bridge encounter and look set to miss out again against the Canaries.Jol does not believe strikers Zamora (Achilles) and Johnson (groin) will be fit to return, while Duff is also set to miss out through injury."Of course the only thing you can say is hopefully they will be back, but I don't think there is a big chance," manager Jol told Fulham TV."They were still out on Thursday and Simon Davies is of course out as well. Then we have the long-term injuries to [Zdenek] Grygera and Mark Schwarzer."We have got a few worries but we have got attacking options available. I think (Orlando) Sa needs a bit of confidence and then he will start scoring goals."It is only a matter of success and then he will thrive on that and do better and better. I thought he held up the ball well at Chelsea. He worked hard and now he has to score goals."Many had tipped Fulham to be on the wrong end of another heavy defeat on Boxing Day having been thrashed 5-0 days earlier by Manchester United at Craven Cottage.However, the Whites went with a surprisingly attack-minded philosophy and secured a confidence-boosting point."You can always defend and we did that well against Chelsea," Jol said. "But you have to play your own football as well and we should have done that more in the second half. Hopefully we can do that over 90 minutes against Norwich."I think it is a very important game to us. One that could change the season."But that is for them as well. They know it is an important game as well."Jol concedes he will have to alter his tactics in a bid to thwart Paul Lambert's side, but expects to run with a similar line-up at Carrow Road."I don't think we will see many changes," the Dutchman said."If you see them play, they play in quite an extraordinary style for England. They play 4-4-2 in the diamond. They started off well against Spurs (before losing 2-0)."Spurs have a very good team and they controlled them, but you can see their strength."They have two big players up front in (Steve) Morison and (Grant) Holt, with (Wes) Hoolahan in the hole."It is a different style but hopefully we can do the same (as we did against Chelsea) and take the game to them, take the initiative and take control."Norwich left-back Marc Tierney (groin) is 50-50 for the clash. Fellow defender Kyle Naughton is available again having missed the defeat to parent club Tottenham through suspension, but Ritchie de Laet (back) remains doubtful after coming off against Spurs.Former Everton striker James Vaughan is on course for a return in the new year from his knee problem, along with centre-back Elliott Ward (knee).Norwich manager Lambert feels keeping expectations in check will be his biggest challenge of 2012.The Canaries were outclassed by high-flying Tottenham at Carrow Road on Tuesday but remain in mid-table with a healthy seven-point cushion over the bottom three.Fulham's poor away form will give Norwich hope of picking up three more points, but Lambert is taking nothing for granted."We have done really fine to be where we are and are playing well enough to win games, but we have to curtail the expectancy level a bit, because it is severe here," the former Celtic midfielder said."What the lads have done has been incredible; everybody predicted us to be in the bottom three at this time."But when you surpass people's expectation levels, they think you are just going to turn up and win. It never works that way."We are playing catch up with nearly every team in the league because we are new to it. We are the underdog to play every team we come up against, but we are making a fist of it."Fulham have got terrific players and have been an established Premier League side for a number of years now."They got a great result at Chelsea (a 1-1 draw) which shows what a good side they are, so it is going to be a really tough game for us."

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