Norwich 1 Aston Villa 0: Nelson Oliveira nets to ease pressure on Canaries’ boss Alex Neil
Second defeat in three games for Steve Bruce's Villa after Oliveira's superb curled second half winner
STEVE BRUCE tore into his Villa flops as they put up the white flag at Norwich.
They offered nothing and got just as much in a cagey match settled by Nelson Oliveira’s clever second-half strike.
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That eased the pressure on Norwich boss Alex Neil but left Bruce seething and promising changes for the Sunday’s trip to QPR.
He fumed: “We were desperately disappointing. You have to do the basics.
“We didn’t have a cross, we didn’t have a shot and with the so-called talent we have that’s not good enough.
“I accept we will get beat but what I won’t accept is when you put your boots on and not turn up.
“There have been people waiting for a chance and after that they are going to get it. We deserved nothing.”
Neil had warned in his programme notes that he and his players faced some “big questions” in this clash following a run of six defeats in seven.
An abject first half where Martin Olsson’s 30-yard effort which Villa’s Pierluigi Gollini spilled was the best the hosts could muster suggested they did not have the answers.
But after Robbie Brady spurned a golden opportunity on the hour, Oliveira took centre stage to ensure his side passed this test.
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There was a real unity and togetherness among the Norwich players tonightThe Spaniard picked the ball up 25 yards out, dribbled forward before catching Gollini cold with an early, left-footed shot that flew in.
Oliveira and Jacob Murphy fluffed chances to double the lead, while Villa perhaps should have a penalty at the death when sub Ross McCormack went down under Ivo Pinto’s challenge.
Neil said: “We deserved to win. We were the better side.
“Nelson showed his quality again. We stood up, we were men tonight. It’s a step in the right direction — but that’s all it is.”