Football: Slick Norwich turn Walker's return into rout: First win for Deehan as City manager

Norwich City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Everton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

MIKE WALKER'S return to Carrow Road inspired Norwich City to recapture the brand of stylish and scintillating football he had patented with them and helped his replacement, John Deehan, to record his first victory at the 11th time of asking.

It was Norwich's biggest win at home in the Premiership this season, but then there had only been three before and none since 13 December. For those City fans who had no sympathy with Walker's decision to resign 10 weeks ago, there was the added bonus that this heavy defeat may reawaken the relegation fears of his new team.

If Walker was expecting a rough ride from supporters it was not forthcoming. There was a ripple of applause amid the routine but inoffensive booing at the start. Instead the backlash came from the players he had organised into one of the most effective units in the country and led through an impressive European campaign.

'I suppose the fact that I had a vested interest in their team makes it easier for me to take,' the Everton manager said afterwards. 'That team was the one I built and I was instrumental in getting them to play that way. That is the legacy I left and my conscience is clear.'

In the end he was lucky to escape with a three-goal defeat. It would have been a rout had Neville Southall not been on top of his game and kept the home side waiting for their breakthrough until the 40th minute.

As four good attempts were all denied in turn, Mark Bowen finding Matthew Jackson on the line when he had shot beneath Southall, it began to resemble a Carrow Road scenario familiar to Walker before he left: strong pressure but nothing to show for it.

When the goal came, relief quickly became surprise because Ian Culverhouse had never before found the net in a League fixture in his nine seasons at the club and had been rated at 100-1 to open the scoring.

His strike developed from Darren Eadie's break on the left; the pace of the 18-year-old ensured that Efan Ekoku, who had scored four at Goodison in the corresponding fixture but is now away with Nigeria for the African Nations Cup, would not be missed.

After half-time the Everton defence fell apart. In the 50th minute Chris Sutton was allowed to roam alone into space and, spotted by Gary Megson, claimed his 25th goal of the season off Southall's body.

The best was saved for last when Ian Crook delivered a delicate pass over the advancing Everton rearguard. Bowen had read his team-mate's thoughts to a T and sprinted into the space and finished with ease. Still there could have been more, as Sutton came close and Southall produced another excellent stop from the tireless Jeremy Goss.

The Premier League inquiry has yet to rule on whether Everton were guilty of making an illegal approach to entice Walker to walk away from his contract with Norwich. On this evidence they could reasonably question him about his sanity.

Norwich City (4-4-2): Gunn; Culverhouse, Polston, Butterworth, Bowen; Adams, Crook, Megson (Smith, 80), Goss; Sutton, Eadie. Substitutes not used: Woodthorpe, Howie (gk).

Everton (4-4-2): Southall; Jackson, Snodin, Watson, Hinchcliffe; Stuart, Ebbrell, Radosavljevic (Angell, 73), Beagrie; Cottee, Rideout. Substitutes not used: Horne, Kearton (gk).

Referee: K Burge (Tonypandy).