Norwich City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Norwich beat Spurs as Steven Whittaker returns

Published on 01/11/2012 00:00

Two late strikes and a penalty save from Mark Bunn ensured Norwich City’s passage through to the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup after a thrilling clash against Tottenham last night.

Gareth Bale, who had torn Norwich apart here last season, seemed to have put Spurs on course for victory when he drove home a 20-yard shot in the second half, but two goals 
in the last six minutes gave the Canaries an unlikely victory.

First substitute Alex Tettey’s shot flew in off the out-stretched leg of Jan Vertonghen and then Simeon Jackson pounced on an error by Hugo Lloris to make it 2-1 with three minutes left.

The drama did not end there, however, as Kyle Walker was upended in the Norwich box by Marc Tierney a minute later.

Clint Dempsey stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Bunn, making just his second start of the season, saved the American’s shot. Michael Dawson then had a chance to take the game to extra-time in the last of four minutes of added time but again Bunn saved to knock the Londoners out of the competition and give the Canaries’ 
season a shot in the arm.

It was an especially good night for Scotland full-back Steven Whittaker, who made his Norwich debut in a team that contained ten changes from the XI that drew at Aston Villa last weekend. Whittaker, who moved to Carrow Road after leaving Rangers in the summer, sustained an ankle-injury during a pre-season match against Celtic but made his long-awaited return last night.

Norwich City: Bunn, Whittaker, Turner, Ryan Bennett, Tierney, Snodgrass, Fox, Butterfield, Surman, Howson, Morison. Subs: Rudd, Holt, Jackson, Elliott Bennett, Garrido, Barnett, Tettey.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Caulker, Naughton, Sigurdsson, Livermore, Carroll, Falque, Bale, Dempsey. Subs: Cudicini, Vertonghen, Huddlestone, Lennon, Defoe, Townsend, Smith.

Referee: J Moss.