As things tend to go in these parts, it has not been a bad 36 hours in the life of Norwich City Football Club.
First, of course, came that stirring derby win over the neighbours; today and Reading duly confirmed that Leroy Lita would, indeed, be allowed at stay at Carrow Road for a third month.
Norwich will continue to keep him in the shop window until the start of January when the Royals are expected to be in a mood to listen to offers for the 24-year-old – out-of-contract in the summer, Steve Coppell, Nicky Hammond and Co will not want to see him walk out of the Madejski on a free.
And then there is Matty Pattison whose derby strike made it three goals in four games for the shaven-headed South-African-cum-Geordie.
Given where he was earlier this year – all over the front page of a national tabloid newspaper with just his pants for company – the Canary midfielder can afford a smile or two now. He, like Lee Croft, wrote a little line for himself in derby folklore as David Bell's 82nd minute free-kick picked out his run to the far post. Albeit off the back of Jon Stead's head.
“It's been going well – hopefully it keeps going,” said Pattison, with just the hint of understatement. For after doing everything but score in his first 12 months at the club – with the odd, 'Party' headline in between – now he can't stop scoring.
“It's just dropped to me perfectly,” said the 22-year-old, as he looked back at the latest one for the family album.
“And I've just lashed it and hoped for the best.”
A couple more yards out and it could have sailed into the top tier of the Barclay. Instead, Pattison could enjoy the full, dramatic effect of the ball slamming in off the underside of the crossbar and ending, in an instant, any hope of a late Town rally. It was good night and game over.
The fact that Lita had helped City's cause by pointing the referee in the direction of Gareth McAuley's bloodied face ensured that the newly re-signed Reading star would also earn a little foot-note in derby history.
“Those are the rules of the game, isn't it? The referee wouldn't let me on until I'd done my laces up,” said Pattison, on hand to make that brief, one-man advantage count.
“We needed that second goal just to kill the game off really,” he said. “I'd try to run across a few times, but the ball was going deep so I thought I'd try and gamble and go round the back this time – and obviously it paid off. And I just showed how happy I was there with the way that I celebrated. Really happy.”
Like Croft before him, Pattison knows that his strike has to mean more than just a lot of smiling faces in Norfolk today. This has to kick City's season into life – starting away at fellow strugglers Watford on Wednesday night.
“We've showed that we can compete against the best – now we've got to find some consistency and just keep it going into the next game against Watford and get a good result there as well,” he said.
He will, at least, head into that Hornets clash with his tail firmly up; his range-finder finally zeroed in on the target.
“I've always been confident that I could score if I got a chance and the gaffer has given a licence to get forward these days because of that system we play where Wes [Hoolahan] plays off Leroy and that gives me a chance to be the third man running.
“And it's just paid off. I've always been confident that I could score goals but it just didn't happen. Now it is happening and if I get more chances then I'm confident that I can put them away,” added Pattison, enjoying his best goal-scoring run in senior, professional football.
He is also keeping two Canary skippers out of the side in the shape of Messrs Fotheringham and Russell; right now, it is the one-time Newcastle trainee that is dove-tailing best with Sammy Clingan. It appears to work – particularly for as long as Hoolahan works the link between that rebuilt midfield and the lonesome Lita.
Certainly Reading's director of football was more than happy with the way that Lita's loan spell was panning out having clearly caught yesterday's game on TV.
“He was excellent in their victory against Ipswich,” said Hammond, well aware that by farming Lita out this autumn Reading are also ripping points off their likely play-off and promotion rivals – Wolves being the obvious example; Ipswich the latest.
“It's in everybody's interest to have Leroy fit, up to speed and playing regularly so that if we ever need him he is ready to go straight back in – which is great news,” said Hammond, with Lita being ineligible for this weekend's trip down the M4.
The Royals continue to enjoy that 24-hour recall on their striker; something that has clearly helped in easing today's decision. Whether that was the 'ace up his sleeve' that Roeder referred to straight after the Town clash will be the next point of interest.
One suspects not.
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