IT was yet more misery for Norwich City on the road this afternoon, this time going down 3-0 to Plymouth at Home Park.
City were already a goal down at the break through Lee Martin's overhead kick before a suicidal opening to the second spell ended any hope of the Canaries getting anything from the match.
First Martin turned creator to allow defender Paul Connolly to finish with a close-range header.
And while City were still re-grouping the home side scored again, with David Norris thrashing a volley past David Marshall in the Norwich goal from the edge of the area.
Darel Russell came closest for City on an afternoon when chances for the visitors were few and far between, with the midfielder striking the crossbar with the score already 3-0. Cureton too struck a post as the game entered the final minute.
But boss Glenn Roeder will surely be hoping he can add fresh faces to his squad on loan during what will now be a painful international break for Norwich fans.
Roeder rang the changes for the trip to Home Park. With John Hartson's loan spell ended, Chris Martin was given a chance to impress in attack alongside Jamie Cureton.
With Luke Chadwick failing to make the trip with a hamstring injury, Lee Croft was given a start on the right side of midfield. Michael Spillane and Darel Russell were the central partnership, with Ian Murray on the left.
This meant Simon Lappin continued at left back, joined in defence by the towering Martin Taylor, captain Jason Shackell and Jon Otsemobor.
It was a chilly day down on the south west coast, but still several hundred City fans made the long journey, some setting off as early as 5.30am from Carrow Road.
Despite the Canaries enjoying more of the ball in the opening stages, it was the home side who had the first two chances of the game.
Ebanks-Blake won a corner on the left off Shackell, and Martin Taylor delivered a ball to the far post where Taylor managed block an on-target header by Timar away for a corner.
That spell of pressure ended when Taylor sent in a low shot from the edge of the area which Shackell did well to block bravely.
On five minutes Timar was the first name in the notebook of referee Darren Dysdale for a late lunge on Cureton 40 yards from goal.
From the resulting free-kick Otsemobor tried his luck, but his rasping right-footer flew a yard over the angle of Romain Larrieu's goal.
City had yet to register a shot on target as the game approached the 15 minute mark, but Plymouth 'keeper Larrieu almost gave them a helping hand when his clearance came straight off the back of Cureton as he narrowed the angle. Unfortunately the rebound finished out of play for a goal kick, rather than nestling in the net.
A minute later and Plymouth had the best chance of the match. Lee Martin's shot from the edge of the area was only parried by Marshall, but Hayles could only turn the rebound wide of goal from eight yards out under pressure from Shackell.
While Norwich were enjoying more possession, Plymouth were asking more questions in the final third, winning their seventh corner of the game on 17 minutes.
And after City dealt with the initial danger, the ball found its way to Martin on the right. His cross was perfect for Ebanks-Blake, who had risen between Shackell and Taylor, but his header was a good couple of yards over the bar when he might have done better.
City's goal was beginning to live a charmed life, and on 21 minutes Marshall had to produce an instinctive stop with his feet at the base of his left post after Ebanks-Blake flicked a low cross towards goal.
But a minute later and the City goalkeeper was almost embarrassed when his heavy touch from Taylor's back-pass almost took the ball into the path of Ebanks-Blake, with Marshall having to scramble clear for a corner.
And the goal that had been threatening to come arrived on 26 minutes.
A long throw by Connelly from the right was flicked on by Shackell, and with no Norwich player nearby, Lee Martin produced an overhead kick with the ball going to Marshall's right and into the net.
It was arguably no more than Plymouth deserved for a bright opening to the game, with City again having to produce a comeback if they were to get anything from the match.
On the half hour mark Russell was given a yellow card for a late tackle on Lilian Nalis just outside the centre circle.
And on 34 minutes there was more bad news for Norwich when Taylor was forced out of the game prematurely after appearing to strain his groin while challenging for a ball in his own area.
He was replaced by Brellier, with Spillane dropping back into central defence.
But on 37 minutes Norwich were given a real let-off when Plymouth missed an open goal.
Lappin played a blind back-pass intended for Marshall, but instead he only succeeded in giving Hayles a clear run on goal. He rounded the big 'keeper and seemed to have a gaping goal to aim at, but instead rolled the ball wide of the near post much to City's relief.
City's assistant boss Lee Clark was clearly less than pleased about Lappin's lack of concentration, and certainly let him know about it on the touchline as the left-back trotted back into position.
City's first shot on goal finally arrived on 43 minutes. A cross-field ball by Lappin went over the top of the Plymouth defence and found Croft wide right. He cut inside his man and hit a low left-foot shot which Larrieu collected comfortably at his near post.
Unfortunately it had proved to be an all too familiar story for Norwich in the first half, although they had at least made it to the break only one goal adrift.
Half time: Plymouth 1-0 Norwich City
The Canaries returned to the pitch with one change, Chris Brown replacing Martin in attack to give a little more physical presence to the attack.
But within two minutes of the second half City were two goals down.
Again Lee Martin was the creator, this time lifting a perfect cross into the area for Paul Connolly to meet with a firm downward header from no more than six yards out.
It had been a dreadful start to the second 45 minutes for Norwich, whose task was now even tougher.
And on 50 minutes it was 3-0. A long ball over the top caught the Canaries defence napping, with Ebanks-Blake holding the ball up by the by-line.
He patiently waited for support, and midfielder David Norris arrived on the edge of the area to power a volley past the exposed Marshall.
The home side were now flying, and you feared for the Canaries as they continued to struggle to get a foothold in the game.
Strangely, the third goal did spark City into life, with Russell rattling the crossbar of Larrieu on 52 minutes with a half-volley from 25 yards out. But, typical of their luck recently, the ball simply bounced back into play and was cleared to safety.
Straight up the other end and it should have been four. Spillane and Otsemobor got themselves in a mix-up away on the right, allowing Hayles a free run.
He looked up and saw Ebanks-Blake completely unmarked six yards out, but with the goal at his mercy the striker fired over Marshall's bar to give City a real let-off and spare them more misery.
City had another sniff of goal on 57 minutes when Otsemobor's cross found Brown climbing above his man on the far post, but his header flashed just wide of the near post.
The first few minutes of the second half had done for Norwich, and while they were beginning to put some better moves together, you couldn't help but feel Plymouth had taken their foot off the gas somewhat.
On 74 minutes Lee Martin had appeals for a penalty waved away after he went down under the challenge of Shackell on the corner of the box as Plymouth pushed for a fourth.
On 79 minutes the assistant's flag stopped Norwich from conceding a fourth, with Timar's tap-in deemed offside.
With the game entering the final 10 minutes, Strihavka was brought on to replace the hard-working Croft.
As the game entered the final minute Cureton struck the base of a post from 10 yards out, with Russell seeing his rebound blocked.
But, in truth, City's chances had been ended within five minutes of the second half.
Full time: Plymouth 3-0 Norwich City
Plymouth: Larrieu, Connolly, Nalis (Abdou 83), Timar, Norris, Ebanks-Blake, Hayles (c) (Easter 67), Halmosi, Hodges (Gosling 87), Seip, L.Martin. Subs not used: Kouo-Doumbe, Fallon.
Norwich City: Marshall, Otsemobor, Shackell (c), Taylor (Brellier 34), Croft (Strihavka 79), Cureton, Murray, Lappin, Russell, Spillane, C.Martin (Brown 46). Subs not used: Gilks, Smith.
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