Canary goalkeeping legend Bryan Gunn this afternoon wrote another remarkable chapter into the long and rich story of his Norwich City career as City romped home to a 4-0 win over Barnsley in his first game in charge.
It took a while for the Big Man to get the hang of this managerial game – about 55 minutes before Wes Hoolahan kicked off the increasingly joyous proceedings with a neat finish from a Darel Russell through ball.
Inevitably the recalled Jamie Cureton would get in on the act against his former employers; the man that Glenn Roeder was content to let stew at Oakwell lobbed in the second as Sammy Clingan swept in an 87th minute spot-kick to kill off the Tykes once and for all.
Russell's fourth on the 90 minute mark just completed an extraordinary afternoon for the 45-year-old former City Sheriff. The next question was inevitable: Did he fancy the gig full-time?
“It's the first – and I'll leave it there,” said Gunn, after an extraordinary afternoon at Carrow Road.
His day started in fairly remarkable fashion – a phone call from Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and a spot of advice for the young man who used to be his teenage babysitter some 25-odd years ago.
“I got a nice little phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson this morning,” he revealed, as he asked the footballing knight for a spot of advice.
“I asked him what should I say and he just said: 'Togetherness – and play as a team… And that was it. It was a simple message. And I just mentioned it to the players – that that was the message that I'd had from the best manager in the world.”
And one, certainly come the second 45 minutes, that they put into practice.
“It's been a great experience – I must admit,” added Gunn, quizzed further about his next intentions – he was due to speak to the chief executive and the board this evening.
“Where it goes from here? I know it will be a sought-after job. It's a fantastic place to work at. I've been here for 22 years in different capacities and I've been back in the football department for the last couple of years.
“And it's a great club. And what this club needs now is stability; to build on this result today and use the 18 games remaining to get back up the table.”
But had it whetted his attitude? “It was an amazing experience. I think I'll just have a little think about things.
“I've got a 50th birthday party to go to in North Norfolk tonight and I'm going to make sure that I enjoy myself!”
First half and the danger was to wonder what had changed. In fairness to Gunn, with Adam Drury out with a knee injury his ability to change anything much was always going to be limited.
Jamie Cureton's return was always a gimmee; the big one was asking Russell to give his stand-in striker role a whirl again.
He stabbed a couple of decent shots goalward; both demanded big blocks. Cureton would loop a difficult header high and wide; Clingan would whip a 37th minute free-kick just wide. And that was largely it.
Hoolahan twisted and turned; ducked and dived. But bar one, snap shot straight at Heinz Muller just failed to deliver an end product.
Not that Barnsley over-troubled Norwich; David Marshall barely had a save to make. You just, however, always feared that the Canaries would have one mistake in them.
Fortunately it was the Tykes who left the back-door banging wide open Norwich-style; Hoolahan was the man to steal through and onto Russell's stab forward. After that, it was case of Hoolahan keeping his feet and keeping his cool as he rounded Muller and tucked home his first-ever City goal with some aplomb.
'Typical!' would, no doubt, be the reaction in the Roeder household.
His face would have been a picture when Cureton stole in between the dithering Darren Moore and Muller to lift the killer second over a stranded Tykes keeper. Defensively, Barnsley were Norwich all over as boss Simon Davey watched on in mounting fury.
'Are you watching, Glenn Roeder,' sang a gleeful Snake Pit, as their hero returned with a befitting bang and hammered another small nail into Roeder's managerial coffin.
A third would follow three minutes from the end as Clingan comfortably tucked a spot-kick home after Marciano van Homoet clearly blocked substitute Matty Pattison. The fourth arrived in the last seconds of normal time as Russell thumped home a David Bell cross with a firm, 12-yard header.
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