Norwich City boss Dean Smith felt the scoreline did not tell the full story after Newcastle cruised to a 3-0 win at Carrow Road. It was the Magpies first win at the Canaries ground since 1994 and a brace from Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes gave the Toon a vital three points in their quest for a top-half finish.
Eddie Howe's side moved up to ninth as a result and made Norwich pay for their defensive frailties. Guimaraes' goal and Newcastle's third epitomised Norwich's season to date.
Former Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul tried to play out from the back but the Brazilian playmaker robbed a Norwich defender and dinked the ball over the Netherlands stopper, a real moment of quality. Nonetheless, Smith felt his side had the "better moments" in the tie.
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“The scoreline, I don’t think it was a 3-0,” said Smith told Norfolk Live. “I thought there was nothing in the game until they scored that first goal.
We probably had the better moments and didn’t take them and then we didn’t defend well enough for their goals and if you don’t defend well enough and make mistakes at this level you get punished. The league table doesn’t lie. We have been punished too many times for our mistakes and unfortunately we keep making similar mistakes that have cost us in the end.
“Tim [Krul] will hold his hands up. He knows he has made a boo-boo. None of them mean to make it. Dimi [Giannoulis] got done for the first goal. Pace hurt us.
“As I say I didn’t think there was anything in the game and then they score a goal where [Jacob] Murphy gets in behind Dimi and pulls its back. Very marginal whether it was onside or offside, we’ve had plenty of them that have gone against us this season.
“Unfortunately, we have conceded quick goals in succession that took us out of the game totally.”
