Norwich City Women found their first win under new boss Andy Cook as they beat Northampton Town 2-0 in a pre-season friendly.
All five of the club’s summer signings started, as well as fan favourite Megan Todd, making her second appearance of the summer after recovering from long-term injury.
The game was played behind closed doors at the University of Northampton’s Waterside campus, a week on from the Canaries’ 2-1 defeat to third-division Oxford United.
They’ll face Wroxham Billericay and Royston before starting their WPL Division One campaign with a trip to Dulwich Hamlet on Sunday, August 18.
City’s pre-season was completed with two home games at the Ricoh against overseas opposition. Replacing a cancelled date with Juventus, Spanish outfit Espanyol took over the slot and went home a 1-1 draw whilst Italian team Udinese went one better and beat the Sky Blues by two clear goals.
The rest of the pre-season deteriorated. In February Iain Dowie was sacked after a poor run of results and Chris Coleman arrived to take over the managerial reins. After a very lack-lustre season the Sky Blues only just survived to play again in the Championship finishing 21st out of the 24 teams competing. After spinelessly capitulating 4-1 at Charlton Athletic in the last match of the season it looked like we were down but, in a last gasp escape, Leicester City‘s failure to score in their last game (though they hit the woodwork) condemned them rather than us!
Things quickly got even better for City in the second half as Julian Gray (our free transfer signing from Birmingham City) scored twice in five minutes after fifty minutes of the game had elapsed. Just after the hour ‘Dele Adebola, on as a sub, opened his account and City’s sixth (via a deflection) was netted by young striker Robbie Simpson (both are now Association members). Iain Dowie must therefore have continued his pleasure at his team’s performances over the Irish sea!
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