Striker Libor Kozak came off the bench to score the winning goal for Aston Villa in a well-contested match which also saw goalkeeper Brad Guzan save a penalty to keep Norwich scoreless. The first-half was full of end-to-end action, with both sides rueing missed opportunities. The visitors started brightest, and should have broken the deadlock, but Villa forward Andreas Weimann struck the post with his shot after being put through on goal. Against the run of play, the Canaries were then awarded a penalty. Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark was adjudged to have handled the ball in area, but replays suggested the decision was harsh on the visitors. With Robert Snodgrass missing the resulting spot-kick, the Villans may have felt a sense of justice. Norwich striker Ricky Van Wolfswinkel also spurned a great chance to score after he chested the ball over the bar from inside the area. The Midlands outfit were then fearing the worst after Christian Benteke went off injured before half an hour, but substitute Libor Kozak scored minutes after coming off the bench to put Villa 1-0 up. After the break, Norwich grew more and more frustrated as the clock ticked away, with Snodgrass and Van Wolfswinkel guilty of missing scoring opportunities for the hosts. Aston Villa have 'keeper Brad Guzan to thank for the clean sheet after a stunning performance over the 90 minutes. His penalty save just one of many highlights which kept the Canaries at bay. Makeshift right-back Leandro Bacuna and defender Ciaran Clark also put in performances of note for the visitors, while Norwich City winger Robert Snodgrass was the biggest threat for the Canaries throughout.
Crippy Cooke, 23, is a freelance Football Writer contributing to What Culture. He's had work featured on Zoo, MSN, London 24, The Telegraph, The Huffington Post, and was recently named Writer of the Year on FTBpro - while also a nominee for Best Male Blog in the Football Blogging Awards.
