A LATE barrage from Norwich City denied Ely a share of the spoils on Saturday.

Reduced to seven men after a flurry of yellow cards, Ely resorted to all-out defence in the dying minutes in a bid to hang on to a point but a determined Norwich side struck late to steal the win.

The loss brings an end to Ely’s five game unbeaten run and leaves them in ninth place in Division 2N.

Ely were forced into a hasty reorganisation for their trip to Norwich due to holiday commitments but started the game well and pressurised the home defence. It was, however, Norwich that opened up a healthy lead as their first three short corners were finished with ease past the visiting Ely defence.

Ely recovered well to level the score before half-time with two open plays goals from Grant Gilmour and Matt Holden together with a well worked short corner allowing Tim Reynolds to finish with ease at the far post.

The second half, however, was a different affair as every decision by the Norfolk appointed umpires appeared to go against the visiting Ely team. Tempers frayed as Ely continued to battle uphill against Norwich. A flurry of yellow card suspensions for Ely resulted in four players being sidelined for the final 10 minutes of the contest and whilst the remaining seven Ely players packed the defence against the advancing 12 players of Norwich, the pressure told with minutes remaining in the match Norwich squeezed the ball past Tony Tooth in the Ely goal.