March 28, 2024, 03:03:24 PM

Author Topic: On-fire striker Norville scores again  (Read 1147 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Tallman

  • Administrator
  • Hero Warrior
  • *****
  • Posts: 25253
    • View Profile
On-fire striker Norville scores again
« on: April 12, 2005, 03:09:03 PM »
Watford FC

WATFORD RES 1-3 ARSENAL RES

WATFORD went down to an Arsenal side brimming with experience, both domestically and in European football, but the Golden Boys can be pleased with their evening's work, never looking out of the game at any stage.

Arsenal's performance was largely down to the stand-out display of Robin van Persie, the Dutch striker who found space time and again to thread inch-perfect passes through to his team-mates. Indeed, he was directly responsible for both goals scored by Jeremie Aladiere in the first half before bagging one of his own via a sublime free-kick with 15 minutes left.

Nigel Gibbs' side matched their more illustrious opponents for effort and determination, and had they managed to keep up their early performance, franked by a goal for the in-form Jason Norville inside the opening five minutes, the match may well have turned out differently.

An encouraging subtext to the game for Hornets fans will have been the performance of skipper Sean Dyche, who completed the entire 90 minutes as he looks to make a first-team return before the end of the season.

After a closely-fought opening five minutes, Watford took the lead through on-fire striker Norville. Receiving the ball on the penalty area's left edge, he teed up a fierce low drive which beat Taylor and nestled into the far corner of the net.

On 13 minutes Aliadiere laid off to van Persie 25 yards from goal and the young Dutchman shimmied away from Dyche to whip a cross to the back post for Aliadiere. The French striker though couldn't make contact with the ball before it went out of play.

Arsenal got the ball down and demonstrated their slick passng ability on more than one occasion over the next ten minutes but too often got caught offside, ruining promising chances for an equaliser.

Aliadiere bagged an equalier for the Gunners right on 25 minutes. van Persie drew the attentions of both Dyche and Paul Mayo and left Aliadiere in loads of space - the former Feyenoord player found his strike partner and Aliadiere finished with a clinical low strike.

A second nearly came for Arsenal minutes later - Emmanuel Eboue embarked on a rampaging run from the right-back position and ended up supplying Aliadiere for a 15-yard strike but the ball flew wide into the Rookery stand.

The match settled down into a more even affair, with both sides sharing possession without creating too many chances. On the occassions when strikers Norville and Omari Coleman did threaten, they found the central defensive partnership of Pascal Cygan and Sol Campbell in imperious form, winning the ball and distributing quickly and cleanly.

With five minutes to go to half-time it was a second for Arsenal via the impressive van Persie-Aliadiere partnership. van Persie recieved the ball 25 yards away from goal and in an instant, flicked a pass between three Watford players and into the path of Aliadiere, who anticipated his teammate's move excellently and slotted under the advancing Alec Chamberlain from close in.

The second half began as the first ended, with Arsenal looking dangerous. Justin Hoyte went on a long run from the back before being halted by Junior Osborne, and a minute later Coleman gave Campbell the slip and crossed for Norville, but Cygan positioned himself well and intercepted the low cross.

It took until the 63rd minute for the Gunners to threaten again but it was van Persie once more, playing the off-the-striker role made popular by teammate and countryman Dennis Bergkamp, who received the ball in between the Watford defence and midfield, then took a touch before curling a shot just around Reece Kirk's right post - the Academy keeper introduced at the break for Chamberlain.

van Persie capped a fine performance with a free-kick of real quality on 74 minutes, the 20-yard left-footer searing into the bottom corner beyond the outstretched palms of Kirk - a goal too long in coming for the youngster who has looked a class apart tonight.

Jack Smith, now operating in central midfield after a raft of substitutions, almost grabbed a second when he somehow ran 30 yards without a serious challenge and forced a fine reaction save out of Taylor. The parried ball fell onto the head of Norville who saw his effort thwarted by another superb reaction stop from the grounded Gunners keeper and hacked away by Campbell.

Smith forced the very best out of Taylor with a few minutes remaining - powering a header downwards from ten yards the Arsenal keeper got down quickly to smother the ball.

Watford: Chamberlain (Kirk HT), Osborne, Darlington, Bangura, Mayo, Dyche (c), Smith, Coleman, Norville, Diagouraga (Gilligan 50), Ferrell (Grant 72). Subs not used: Diafutua, Mariappa.

Arsenal: Taylor, Eboue, Hoyte (Gilbert 66), Cregg (Lupoli 75), Cygan, Campbell (c), Larsson, Skulason (Birchall 66), Aliadiere, van Persie, Smith. Subs not used: Howard, Bendtner.

Attendance: 399
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Trini _2026

  • Hero Warrior
  • *****
  • Posts: 13557
    • View Profile
Re: On-fire striker Norville scores again
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2005, 05:39:09 PM »
this youth deserve a  look at he on fire now even though is reserves  but jones was on fire fuh southhampton too. he was suppose to move to rotherham got injued and the coach got sacked, a move to colchester was denied .wait till next season tallman

you will hear men on here
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4</a>

 

1]; } ?>