Adams rues first-half display

Norwich City manager Neil Adams rued his team’s lacklustre first-half display in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Liverpool.

Adams’ side mounted a spirited fightback after going in at the break 2-0 down, having suffered a typically devastating opening spell from the Premier League leaders at Carrow Road.

Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez put Liverpool in complete control with just 11 minutes on the clock, but Gary Hooper deservedly pulled one back shortly after the break to give Norwich hope.

That appeared to have been extinguished when Sterling bagged his second of the game just after the hour mark, but Norwich continued to battle and set up a tense finish when Robert Snodgrass nodded home 12 minutes from time.

Despite their courageous efforts in the second half, Norwich fell to a fourth straight Premier League defeat that keeps them just two points above the drop zone.

However, Adams feels his team’s “outstanding” second-half performance offers evidence that they can avoid relegation – even though their last three games of the season are against Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

“I thought we deserved something from the game for our second-half performance,” he told Sky Sports.

(The first half) was not good enough. We were playing a top-class team and if you give them an inch they will punish you.

“But second half, I couldn’t ask any more. We started dominating the ball but it’s always like this against the top teams.

“(I am) very confident we can survive, but we must do better than that first half.”