A Monday morning summons to the manager’s office looks set to await City striker Lewis Grabban after his 26th minute dismissal found the Canaries squandering a gilt-edged chance to force their way back into the automatic promotion reckoning.
With Middlesbrough losing 4-3 in an equally extraordinary encounter away at Fulham, an away victory at the New York Stadium could have kept the promotion pot boiling right up until the final Saturday of the season.
Particularly if Gary Hooper’s spectacular second-half strike had yielded the most unlikely of away wins given City’s straitened circumstances numbers-wise.
Rotherham’s late leveller against Norwich’s ten men now opens the door for Bournemouth to claim the second automatic spot tonight when they host Bolton in front of the Sky cameras.
But in the immediate aftermath of that draw, much of the focus fell on Grabban’s early exit – and the automatic three-match ban that will follow his straight red.
That will rule him out of the Fulham home clash and both of the play-off semi-finals.
Should the video replays confirm that he had, indeed, thrown a sneaky punch in the midst of a tangle with Craig Morgan, he would be well advised to stick a cushion down his trousers on Monday morning as Neil prepares to deal with matters ‘interally’.
The words ‘high’ and ‘jump’ sprang to mind as the 33-year-old Scot pondered the effect of that early dismissal.
The player’s own lack of protest as the red card was delivered suggests he knew he had crossed a line – even before his manager reaches for the videos.
“Obviously Lewis [Grabban] getting sent off gave us a mountain to climb,” said Neil, whose mood cannot have been helped by the fact that 26 minutes earlier he had preferred Grabban to his top-scorer Cameron Jerome for that lone strike role.
Out went that plan; as did Wes Hoolahan seven minutes later – the sacrificial tactical lamb to accommodate Hooper’s arrival.
“If Lewis is deemed to be guilty then obviously that’s something that we will deal with,” said the Canary chief.
“And I will be extremely disappointed if that is the case.”
If a punch is seen to be involved then the manager’s amusement will be even less.
“No – I won’t be happy. At all,” he confirmed. “It’ll be an internal matter for the club to deal with. I will be speaking to Lewis and dealing with it.”
It was an afternoon of so many twists and turns – be it at Vicarage Road where the promotion party was on hold for 20 minutes or at Craven Cottage where Middlesbrough now find themselves similarly in the hands of Bolton Wanderers on Monday night.
The Cherries might choke. It is a huge night in the history of the small South Coast club. They could yet still leave a door open for ‘Showdown Sunday’.
The shame was that Hooper’s wonder strike didn’t take the headlines it deserved. It was a goal worthy of winning any game. To have won this one would have been the stuff of Canary legend for the 2,300 supporters there to witness it.
“The fact that we were leading the game with five minutes to go, I would have fully expected us to see the game out,” Neil told BBC Radio Norfolk.
The manager still enjoys an unbeaten record away from home since his arrival at Carrow Road in January – a remarkable achievement notwithstanding events of late. He has also won away at both Watford and Bournemouth.
It is the home defeats to the Wigans of this world that will hurt ever more.
Yesterday they were just ten-odd minutes short of another heroic away success until Jordan Bowery’s header cut City’s celebrations short and set Watford’s in motion.
“In the main we were looking relatively comfortable,” he added. “I think Rotherham had one clear chance. So, considering we had ten men for the vast majority of the game, I thought defensively we did well.
“But for the last goal they had a fortunate break of the ball and they’ve managed to score. So extremely disappointing from our point of view – particularly given the fact that we managed to take the lead against all the odds.”
Odds that had suddenly been stacked against City once the red mist descended. Coming on the back of the Alexander Tettey own goal that gave Middlesbrough the edge the other Friday at Carrow Road and the footballing fates have not been overly kind on the former Hamilton Accies boss.
“It’s particularly difficult to win games with ten men – especially away from home,” said Neil.
“But I thought we overcame that really well. But to concede that type of goal right at the end was extremely disappointing.”
Lets stay positive since AN took over: P21 W14 D4 L3 that’s a 67% win ratio its an unbelievable effort in early January the play offs looked miles away we are the form team that no one wants to play. Fantastic effort lads, lets get behind them big time!
An interesting selection decision awaits Alex Neil, given the almost certain three game ban that awaits Lewis Grabban.
He could go with Cameron Jerome, who is probably overdue a goal, as a lone striker, or, go with Hooper behind Jerome, at the expense of Wes, or, two up front?
I’m getting obsessive about this, but we need to shake off all the recriminations, regrets and what-ifs – right now. We need an unfettered positive focus going into the play-offs, or we’re destined for disappointment.
Colin (1) is absolutely right about our efforts and results since January. Let’s leave the recriminations to the fans of Derby, Ipswich and Boro, all of whom have spent far longer in the top two than we have.
OTBC.
Is it Saturday or Sunday next weekend ? Thought it was Saturday myself…
Lewis Grabban is not the only player whose indiscipline has let us down. Tetley’s apparent deliberate booking to get a two match band and Johnson’s stupid booking vs Sheffield wednesday have taken their toll on results and morale.
Lets put the Fulham bogey to bed on Saturday and move into the playoffs in positive mood.
Stuart (4)
The Fulham game is on Saturday, 12.15 kick-off.
Did Grabban get himself sent off in order to help his old pals at Bournemouth?
Stewart(6) – or quarter past ‘high noon’ when hopefully our goalslingers will shoot straight and defeat our sworn enemy..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZil728hUy0
Cosmo (8) – perfect! If our play-off semi is against Ipswich, the league has indicated both legs will be 12.15 Saturday kick-offs.
I’ve been waiting all season to do my ‘final showdown-high noon-Gary Hooper-goalslinger’ pun..not sure it was worth it.
Stewart – let’s see if it works on that pesky mob from the wild west (of London) first.
Nick(7) – he did turn out for Rotherham too (before Bournemouth) and so conspiracy theories are rife.
Cosmo (10): ‘High noon/Gary Hooper’ is brilliant – if I’d thought of it, I’d milk it for all it’s worth. Two more weeks, I reckon.
Nick (7): No.
Ref from Yorkshire obviously thought it was within the rules for the Rotherham player to have Grabban in a headlock.