New season, same old shambles for City

The Canaries slumped to the biggest home defeat in the club's history as life in League One got off to the worst possible start.

The riot started after just ten minutes, when Michael Theoklitos failed to deal with Jon Otsembor's shocking back pass, allowing Kevin Lisbie to tap into an empty net.

Whether the error was still on the Australian goalkeeper's mind two minutes later when he spilled Lisbie's weak effort straight into the path of the gleeful Clive Platt to double the U's advantage is anyone's guess, but based on this performance he won't be around long enough to ask.

Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, Simon Hackney's left wing cross evaded everyone inside the six-yard box, and Clive Platt would have thought Christmas had come early, and three minutes later a stunned Carrow Road sat aghast as David Fox's excellent 25-yard free-kick rifled into the top corner.

4-0 down halfway way through the first half. Surely things couldn't get worse? Wrong.On 38 minutes a simple long throw from Marc Tierney was flicked on by Platt and Lisbie double his tally with a simple header.

As the half-time whistle the Carrow Road faithful made their feelings clear, as the good work of pre-season and first day optimism was washed away to be replaced by anger and disbelief.

Changes were expected at half-time, but City boss Bryan Gunn clearly decided that the players who got themselves into the mess should get themselves out of it, but it wasn't until the 71st minute when the deficit was reduced - substitute Cody McDonald lashing home Grant Holt's knock down.

But if anyone thought a miracle comeback was on the cards - or even if the players were about to show some fight and pride in the shirt - they were soon to be shot down in flames, as David Perkins scored from outside the box just five minutes later.

And just to complete the perfect day, Scott Vernon made it 7 in the last minute after a simple training ground move.

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