EPL: Norwich vs Bolton

(Anthony Pilkington celebrates for Norwich--GETTY IMAGES)

I'll tell you one thing about my Premier League viewing habits. I catch Norwich every chance I get. They just get better and better every time I watch them. I really don't have a doubt in my mind that they and Swansea will stay up. Last weekend Bolton was the next team to be caught in the Canaries' web. Coming into the match Bolton had been playing a lot better and had come off the bottom of the table, but Norwich really was the better side in this encounter.

Norwich especially dominated the first half. They created chance after chance as Bolton's defense looked to be still in the locker room. Early chances were supplied by Zak Whitbread, who had a header sail just wide, and Grant Holt, who forced Bogdan into a save. Still they didn't get an especially troubling chance until the 24th minute when Andrew Surman collected a ball from Holt at about 4 yards out. Somehow, Surman clanged his shot off of the crossbar and it stayed 0-0.

It wasn't all roses in the first half for the Canaries though. They lost both of their starting center backs, including American Zak Whitbread to hamstring injuries. Bolton looked primed to take advantage. Martin Petrov hit a drive that was deflected just wide, and that was their best chance. The first half ended 0-0.

Poor finishing plagued Norwich again in the early minutes off the second half. This time it was Grant Holt who had the issues. He took a ball from Adam Drury and found himself unmarked in the box, but frustratingly watched his header go wide.

Norwich finally took the lead late. It was Andrew Surman who atoned for his terrible first half miss. In the 70th minute he got off a close range shot that was blocked by Bolton defender David Wheater. However, he stuck with it, got to the rebound, and smacked the ball into the back of the net to give the Canaries a much deserved 1-0 lead.

Bolton would get a couple of chances in the closing stages of the match, but couldn't convert. In the 79th minute Petrov came close again, but saw his volley saved. That was about all they could manage. Norwich sealed the 3 points in the 85th minute as Anthony Pilkington got a hold of another rebound, this one from a shot off of Russel Martin, and put it home to give Norwich the 2-0 win.

The 3 points are big for the Canaries after getting thumped against Sunderland last week, and moves them that much closer to safety. The loss came at a really bad time for Bolton, as it sees them not only fail to put any distance between them and the bottom of the pack, but drops them into the bottom three.