After Saturday's shambolic defeat to Colchester, City gave boss Bryan Gunn the response he was looking for as they booked their place in round two of the Carling Cup with a 4-0 win at Yeovil Town.
The Canaries never do things by halves and after the weekend drubbing, they were a different outfit tonight, dominating for most of the evening against their League One rivals.
In truth, they could have scored more, with the recalled Cody McDonald unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. But it was Grant Holt who was the hat-trick hero and his third especially was a real peach.
After a goalless first-half, City really turned the screw in the second 45 and after Wes Hoolahan's penalty ? given for a trip on Adam Drury ? the floodgates opened.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but Gunn's changes were on the money with Ben Alnwick, Jens Berthel Askou, Michael Spillane, Tom Adeyemi and McDonald coming in for Messrs Theoklitos, Nelson, Otsemobor, Tudur Jones and Martin.
But it was Holt who proved the difference with his second-half trio and Gunn and Co will be hoping that this result will go some way to erasing the painful memory of August 8th. City are up and running.
“The season starts now. We've got four days to prepare for Exeter and we're all delighted,” Gunn told BBC Radio Norfolk straight after the game.
“We asked for a reaction from Saturday. It could have gone two ways, we could have come down and not applied ourselves but tonight the eleven that started and the three subs that came on all applied themselves.
“We asked for togetherness and unity, we got the response and we're all delighted in the dressing room.”
It seems that Sunday's video nasty did the trick and credit must go to the management staff for making the changes that made all the difference tonight.
But the acid test will come on Saturday at Exeter; can they really push on from their Somerset triumph?
“Everyone knows we came in on Sunday to watch the video, we trained well on Monday and we named the team this lunchtime.
“We wanted to give people time to think about it, obviously we made a few changes but the character the players showed tonight, in light of what happened on Saturday, was excellent.”
Though it was a good team performance, one name stood out at the end and after a header, a poacher's rebound and long range effort, Holt can claim to have scored the 'perfect hat-trick'.
Many believe, me included, that the summer's marquee signing is the real deal at this level. And by taking home the match ball tonight, his confidence will have received a real shot in the arm.
“I was just asking him what his best position was; right wing? Left-back? He was turning up in all sorts of positions,” the Canary chief continued. “He showed his true character tonight.
“He didn't have the service on Saturday but tonight we put the ball into the right areas and Cody [McDonald] caused problems with his pace as well.”
Hat-trick heroes apart, the performances of Tom Adeyemi and Michael Spillane will have also given Gunn great heart. The emergence of an Academy starlet or two is going to be vital if City are to do anything in 09/10.
With funds tight, the Canaries are going to need a few to step up to the plate. And in Adeyemi, the Norfolk club look to have unearthed a real gem.
“Tom came onto the pitch on Saturday in very difficult circumstances but he showed that he's got the composure to play at this level.
“He looked like he'd been playing for many a season tonight and he has really taken his opportunity.
“Mickey Spillane has taken the opportunity we offered him and Ben Alnwick came in and kept a clean sheet as well.
“We looked very solid with Ben, Gary Doc and Jens [Berthel Askou] and there were only a couple of times where Yeovil caused us any danger so we're happy.”
Three days is, it seems, a very, very long time in football…
Tom Haylett
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