NORWICH City recorded their first win of the season in some style at Carrow Road, comfortably beating last year's play-off contenders Preston North End.
The Canaries produced some wonderful passing football at times, and the only surprise was that it took until the second half for them to open their account.
Even then it came from the boot of a Preston defender, with Sean St Ledger putting through his own net from a Huckerby cross.
City continued to turn the screw, with Etuhu and Croft in particular in outstanding form.
And as the game entered the final 10 minutes Robert Earnshaw made amends for his Elland Road blank, volleying a second from substitute Paul McVeigh's cross.
Things got worse for Preston in stoppage time, with skipper Graham Alexander dismissed for a horrible tackle on Adam Drury.
It was a fine way to wrap up the first home game of the season, with Luton the next team on the horizon at Carrow Road on Saturday.
City boss Nigel Worthington named an unchanged line-up for the visit of Preston North End to Carrow Road.
The Canaries looked set to play an adventurous 4-3-3 formation for the match, with all the players who performed so admirably in the 1-0 defeat to Leeds at the weekend keeping their places.
For the visitors there was a return to Carrow Road for Jason Jarrett, with the midfielder leaving the Canaries in the summer for an undisclosed fee.
Matt Hill passed a fitness test and started, with England U21 star David Nugent sure to pose a threat for the home side in attack.
City started brightly, picking up from where they left off at Elland Road by passing the ball around well.
A nice spell of possession on four minutes ended with Earnshaw being hacked to the ground by Paul McKenna, a tackle which earned the Preston man a stern lecture from referee Phil Joslin.
And on six minutes Earnshaw had his first half sight of goal.
Simon Whaley was forced into drastic action away on the left, diverting the ball behind for a corner as Huckerby threatened to break into the area.
It was Hucks who delivered a terrific whipped cross, and Earnshaw was on hand to hit a side-footed effort a few yards wide of Carlo Nash's right post.
City's passing and moving was becoming extremely easy on the eye in the opening 10 minutes, prompting a chorus from the Barclay of "it's just like watching Brazil".
However, crucially, they had yet to create a clear-cut chance to score the opening goal.
But City continued to press, forcing the visitors back inside their own half.
On 19 minutes it took some excellent defending on the far post by Danny Pugh to deny Croft a debut goal.
The ball found its way to the feet of Huckerby in the area, and he dinked a great ball to the far post.
Croft looked set for a simple finish, but up rose Pugh to head away under extreme pressure.
Straight up the other end and Preston almost opened their account thanks to what would have been an embarrassing own goal by Gary Doherty.
Whaley's driven cross from the right across the six yard box had the defence at sixes and sevens, and in slid last season's player of the year to slice the ball just wide of the far post.
The game was beginning to come to life chance wise, and on 22 minutes a sublime piece of skill by Huckerby almost created an opening.
With two defenders bearing down on him, he dropped a shoulder and left both of them on the floor, with a prone Sean St Ledger stabbing his clearance inches away from the supporting Earnshaw.
On 29 minutes a rare foray from Preston saw Whaley find space just inside the box after a slip from Drury.
But his fierce angled drive was palmed away at the near post by Gallacher.
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Yousseff Safri challenges in the centre of the field |
Norwich were continuing to boss the ball for long periods, but were still struggling to find a way through the middle of a packed Preston defence.
But on 35 minutes City created the best chance of the game by far, and should really have taken advantage of it.
Croft was the architect, beating his man on the right before delivering an excellent cross from the by-line which Nash could only palm back into the dangerzone.
The bouncing ball landed at the feet of Huckerby some 12 yards out, but he couldonly drag his right-footed shot wide of the near post.
It was a great opening, with some fans in the Jarrold Stand already on their feet celebrating what they thought was Norwich's opener.
And on 43 minutes an even better chance came City's way courtesy of some brilliant individual skill by Carl Robinson.
He collected a loose clearance 25 yards from goal and darted into the area, beating two men and leaving him one-on-one with Nash.
Unfortunately, all that was lacking was the finish as Nash charged out to spread himself and block the shot.
As the half drew to the close, City were starting to create the openings their fine approach play deserved.
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Jurgen Colin attacks for City |
As the assistant referee awarded two minutes of stoppage time Jarrett became the first name in the notebook for cynically dragging down Huckerby as he looked to skip past him in the centre circle.
Half time: Norwich City 0-0 Preston
City kicked off the second half attacking the Norwich and Peterborough Stand, hoping for more luck in front of goal than the first period.
And Norwich signalled their intentions as early as the 48th minute, the Preston rearguard forced into instant defensive action to cut-out a slide-rule pass aimed at Earnshaw by the hugely impressive Etuhu.
Two minutes later and Safri tried his luck with a quick free kick from 30 yards. It seemed to catch Nash off-guard as it arrowed towards the corner of the net, but the former Stockport goalkeeper got down well to smoother.
But on 55 minutes City finally had the breakthrough they deserved - although they needed a Preston defender to give them a hand.
A cross from the right overshot the entire defence and found its way to Huckerby on the opposite flank. He sent in a drilled cross, and Sean St Ledger was far from at the races, shanking the ball over the head of Nash and into his own net.
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Huckerby celebrates City's first goal with Croft |
It may have been an own goal, but it was no more than Norwich deserved for what had been a hugely entertaining match so far.
The goal had certainly given City even more of a lift, with the Canaries putting Preston under almost constant pressure.
City were flying, playing some delightful free-flowing football, and on 65 minutes a slick move almost led to a deserved second.
Croft hit a fizzed cross from the right, and in came Huckerby to send a bullet header towards goal.
Unfortunately, the ball struck Etuhu on the back and was cleared to safety. Seconds later Etuhu earned the first yellow card of the game for a late lunge.
On 68 minutes Nugent followed Etuhu into the book for a late tackle on Drury down in the corner as the City captain cleared the ball.
On 69 minutes Worthington made his first change of the match, replacing the impressive but tiring Croft with McVeigh.
And the Northern Irishman wasted little time in making his mark, sending a bending left foot shot towards goal which Nash grasped down by his near post.
It was still Norwich applying the pressure, but with only a goal in it you still feared a mistake or a moment of brilliance could undo all of the Canaries' good work.
That danger was underlined in the 78th minute when McKenna had Gallacher scrambling across his goal to cover a long range effort which skidded just wide.
As the game entered the final 10 minutes Norwich began to concede an alarming amount of ground to the visitors, but were still holding firm.
But on 82 minutes City were given some breathing space when Robert Earnshaw did what he does best.
The move was started by Etuhu, who sprayed the ball out to the right to McVeigh.
He in turn produced an inch-perfect cross for Earnshaw, who swivelled on the spot and volleyed a deserved second for the Canaries.
It was a great finish from Earnshaw, in what was perhaps his first real chance of the evening.
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Robert Earnshaw celebrates his goal in style |
Even as the clock ticked down City continued to look for goals, with Huckerby jinking into the box before seeing his low cross hacked clear.
And as the game entered injury time Preston were reduced to 10 men, with Graham Alexander dismissed for a horrible hack on Drury as he tried to shield the ball in the corner.
Norwich City: Gallacher, Drury (c), Shackell, Huckerby, Croft (McVeigh 69), Earnshaw (McKenzie 87), Safri, Etuhu, Colin, Doherty, Robinson. Subs: Lewis, Fleming, Thorne.
Preston: Nash, Alexander (c), Pugh (Agyemang 77), Jarrett, Nugent, St Ledger, Chilvers, Whaley, McKenna, Hill, Stock (Sedgwick 65). Subs: Lonergan, Agyemang, McCormack, Wilson.
The Golden Goal times v Preston
55:09
81:13
