The Canaries were looking to continue their stellar start to the season against a formidable Rs side, who boasted three wins from five

to start the campaign.

The hosts started the game well, causing problems on the counterattack from the off, squandering a one-on-one chance inside two minutes.

Minutes later, QPR caused another scare, heading inches wide of the left post after a well-delivered corner from the right side.

Chances aside, it was Norwich who enjoyed larger spells of possession in the opening ten minutes but struggled to break down the

well-drilled QPR defence.

In the 15th minute, QPR broke away again and this time delivered the first blow as Grace Stanley rolled the ball past Sarah Quantrill

for the opening goal of the game.

Norwich responded well, continuing to dominate possession and territory as the occasional long ball caused the QPR defence

problems.

Short after the half-hour mark it was a long through ball that was ultimately the undoing of the hosts.

Ellie Smith pounced onto a pass and looked to round R’s goalkeeper, Mya Francis-Pownall, who had no choice but to trip the tricky

midfielder, seeing red for the denial of a goal-scoring opportunity.

It took just six minutes for Norwich to capitalise on the numerical advantage.

Rachel Lawrence had a cross-turned-shot clawed away for a corner by stand-in keeper, Jo Blodgett and Megan Todd rose highest from

the subsequent corner to head home the equaliser in the 41st minute.

Norwich could have doubled their lead on the stroke of half time if not for the heroics of Bridgett, who made a fantastic save to push

an Alice Parker effort onto the crossbar.

The hosts were undoubtedly the more relieved side to hear the sound of the referee’s whistle for the break and were able to regroup

coming out for the second half, playing much deeper to protect their point.

It took Norwich just under 20 minutes of composed and controlled football to force a breakthrough in the second half.

Smith pinched the ball off the toe of Freya Symonds, played a lovely one-two with Natasha Snelling and poked the ball home to give

Norwich the lead in the 64th minute.

The remainder of the game saw a nothing-to-lose QPR side throw bodies forward with haste during the few possessional changes late

on, with Norwich comfortable for larger spells.

The Canaries would hold on through nearly ten minutes of additional time to claim all three points in West London.

Martin Herdman’s side are away once again in the next clash, as they travel to London Seaward for FA Cup third round action on

Sunday, October 22.

QPR Women: Francis-Pownall, Curr (Shepherd 57), Searle, Hill, Blodgett, Lewin, Petit (Nygaard-Parsons 65), Hennessy, Stanley

(Webster 83), Akerman (Harris 57), McCrea (Owen 83)

Goals: Stanley (15)

Red card: Francis-Pownall (35)

Norwich City Women: Quantrill, Parker, Todd, Smith (Stanley 78), Snelling (Cook 78), Larkins (Croft 90+), Knights, Morran,

Tomlinson (Daviss 75), Lawrence (Symonds 60), Strauss

Goals: Todd (41), Smith (64)

Bookings: Quantrill (90+)

Venue: Loftus Road

Attendance: 1917

HT: 1-1

FT: 1-2