How appropriate that outstanding Martin had the final word

Four points against the top two sides in two home games in two weeks and that must make any Norwich fan happier.
And the source of those four points, the man who scored in both games to defeat QPR and take a nice couple of points away from Cardiff was super Russell Martin.
Is there a more improved player in the City side this season? Martin is certainly one of the best right backs in the division, possibly the best. He’s come up with some vital goals this season and I am proud that I have the shirt he wore against Reading when he scored that fabulous goal in November hanging in my wardrobe.
Perhaps I’m a little biased as Martin spends half his Saturday afternoon’s at Carrow Road running up and down the flank right in front of me. When he comes out he claps towards me and when he goes off he claps towards me. Between that, like today, he is often immense.
Today was no exception. The big story today was the return of Craig Bellamy for his first competitive game back at Carrow Road since deciding he wanted Coventry to pay his wages over a decade ago.
To say Martin had Bellamy in his pocket is an understatement. He nullified, stifled and frustrated Cardiff’s number 39. And that was just the first half.
Bellamy had some good touches early on but midway through the first half came the first big test. A ball was flicked down the left and we got the first chance to see that jet-heeled Bellamy pace for the first time.
As Bellamy went through the gears, Martin turned on the afterburners too. Not only outpacing the Welshman, but nicking the ball off him and stopping another Bluebirds’ attack.
Martin had tonnes of space in the first half and was the source of most of Norwich’s good moments. It was so lopsided that we had three at the back for a lot of the half and Martin pushed right up on the right hand side. Bellamy did nothing in the first half and even less in the second apart from picking up a silly booking and nearly getting sent off.
Apart from Martin’s late equaliser, how was the game?
Well Cardiff started well with Jon Parkin up against Leon Barnett. A great matchup and Barnett did pretty well, apart from when Parkin put Cardiff into an early lead with a great finish. Michael Chopra and Parkin were pretty quiet as were Chris Martin and Grant Holt. All four front men on each side failed to shine, I thought Holt in particular had a real stinker today.
City were their usual pretty self in the first half, knocking the ball around in midfield. Andrew Crofts and Henri Lansbury were solid, but I thought David Fox had a great first 45.
City knocked on the door for most of the opening period but Cardiff went in level at half time. In the second half it was City doing most of the pressing. I though the introductions of Aaron Wilbraham and Simon Lappin were key.
I haven’t been that impressed by Wilbraham so far but thought he made a real difference today and the same for Lappin. A great crosser and I’m pleased he’s sticking around for a few more years, considering how he was treated by Glenn Roeder.
Cardiff had five at the back for much of the last quarter, Chris Burke looked a good player when he came on but without Chopra, Bellamy and to some extent Parkin firing on all cylinders I thought a draw was a fair result.
Parkin is, literally, a beast of a man. I’d love to see him in the Premier League taking on the likes of Nemanja Vidic and John Terry.
But the last word on Russell Martin. What a great signing he’s turned out to be. Great going forward (just think about Jon Otsemobor for a minute and what a nightmare he was), an eye for goal and he seems like a genuinely nice bloke with a really humble demeanour.
Well done Russell. Ok so the man of the match lazily went to Wes Hoolahan, but us who sit in the Jarrold Stand know a good player when we see one and you are it.