Unlike Carlisle we don't have to go back too far to find Norwich's best ever run in the FA Cup, that being the 1991-92 campaign that saw the Canaries make it as far as the semi-final of this famous old competition. City that year eventually losing out to Sunderland in a tight game at Hillsborough by the odd goal in, well one actually. John Byrne getting the solitary strike in front of 40,102 spectators to send the Black Cats through to a final they would eventually lose 2-0 at Wembley against Liverpool. The Norwich side in that last four tie against Sunderland was one we would become familiar with in the early 90s as the Canaries enjoyed their finest years since they were formed in 1902. The City starting eleven at Hillsborough being Mark Walton, Ian Culverhouse, Colin Woodthorpe, Ian Butterworth, John Polston, Jeremy Goss, Ruel Fox, Robert Fleck, Rob Newman, Chris Sutton and Mark Bowen, while Daryl Sutch came off the bench to replace Sutton. That 1991-92 season the Canaries had made it through to the semi-finals thanks to a nice run of three home ties to start with from round three onwards. City first defeating a Barnsley side, that contained former Blues Owen Archdeacon and David Currie, 1-0 thanks to second-half Fleck penalty. Millwall then being the next Norwich victims as Bowen and Fleck got the goals that just managed to get the upper hand on Paul Kerr's single effort for the visiting Lions. Into round five and it was Notts County who were the visitors to Carrow Road, the Magpies losing out in a clash of the birds as they went down 3-0, Sutton with a brace and David Phillips getting the City goals. Norwich finally being drawn away in the quarter-finals when, following a 0-0 draw at the Dell, they needed their own turf again to defeat Southampton 2-1 after extra-time in the replay. Sutton scoring the all important goal after Newman had cancelled out Neil Ruddock's goal for the Saints inside 90 minutes. But that of course was game up for City after that when they lost out to lowly second division Sunderland at Hillsborough. The FA Cup campaign a respite from the league for both sides in disappointing seasons in which they each finished 18th in their respective divisions. Norwich though at least having the solace that they were a Barclays League Division One side in the final campaign of the old Football League structure, Leeds United the last Division One winners before we entered the Premiership and then Premier League era. And that time was when things really kicked off for the Canaries as they finished a surprise third in the inaugural FA Premier League. City actually topping the table in Christmas with a negative goal difference, their defensive problems highlighted in 4-1 and 7-1 defeats at Liverpool and Blackburn respectively. That festive period the real killer for City as they only claimed two points from a possible fifteen as they slipped away from a title challenge under pressure from Manchester United and Aston Villa. Their eventual third-placed finished though, under new manager Mike Walker, meant that Norwich qualified for European football for the first time in their history. And now it's time for my grumpy old man moment as I look down the list of 1993-94 UEFA Cup results. Ah, a straight knockout competition from the start to the final with no seedings and a team called Austria Salzburg in the final, instead of the gruesome modern day version that is Red Bull Salzburg. City though began their campaign easily when they defeated Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem 3-0 on aggregate, all the goals coming in the first leg at Carrow Road as Efan Ekoku, Goss and Polston all hit the Yellow-Blacks net. The big round was the next one though as the Canaries won 2-1 in the first leg at Bayern Munich's Olympic Stadium, all the action in the opening period as Goss and Bowen put City 2-0 up before Christian Nerlinger pulled one back for Die Roten. The second game at Carrow Road proved to be just as exciting as after the interval Goss cancelled out Adolfo Valencia's first-half strike for the German giants to send Norwich through to the third round and Inter Milan. That was the end of the road for the Norfolk club though as a goal in either leg from Dennis Bergkamp condemned them to a 2-0 aggregate defeat. Whether United or City can make into a European qualification spot through the FA Cup this season though is, well, let's just say open to question. But both sides will be certainly going all out this evening to get as far as they can in the competition, especially with it being the big potential third round payday coming up next. |