John Smith's PNE Fans' Panel verdict: A performance to raise the eyebrows!

When The Canaries of Norwich were singing after breaching our defence in their first attack of Saturday's game, I certainly feared the worse for ourteam.

But just like hardworking miners chiselling away in the pit they dug deep and, although blackened and bruised, when they resurfaced after finishing their shift had the well earned bonus of threepoints.

This remarkable result against a side fresh down from the Premier League, who had also just gone nine games without a loss, would have raised many people’s eyebrows around the country.

But mine reached to those of Roger Mooreproportions in the car onthe way home when Ilearnt that we had achieved this despite the fact that six or seven players weresuffering with a sickness bug.

The post-match celebrations were a joy to watch.

And it was great to see our fans rewarded for their 530-mile round trip with smiles all round from the team as well as the customary fist pump from boss Ryan Lowe.

It was all good stuff and something I certainly did not expect when I had risen with the lark in darkest Lancashire eleven hours earlier.

As Jimmy Greaves used to say though, football is a funny old game and this one was definitely a nail biting rollercoaster ride forme.

After a shaky opening ten minutes we grew inconfidence and by the interval had deservedly drawn level.

I also thought that we were unlucky not to have been playing against ten men when skipper Alan Browne was felled by a robust challenge which, for me, had a likeness to one of the infamous 70's Italian defender Claudio Gentille.

Last week I mentioned the need for striker Emil Riis to turn into last season's "Emil Goals" if we were to make any inroads into the top half of the Championship table.

And the Danish striker has duly obliged at Carrow Road!

After his match-winning midweek strike againstWest Bromwich Albion, we were treated to a dessert of a double helping of ^Riis Pudding" at Norwich with his sweetly struck second goal giving us an early second-half lead.

Although the home side drew level, substitute Troy Parrott had my blood pressure raised again when I saw his deflected shot nestling in the back of the net minutes later.

This five-goal thriller had everything, including an injury-time disallowed goal for the home side.

And it was so pulsating that it took me most of the five-hour journey home, aided by the calming tunes of Smooth Radio, for my raised blood pressure to return back to normal levels.

It was certainly a day to remember for the North End followers.