Norwich City 1-0 Sunderland: Match report, player ratings

Josh Sargent scored the decisive goal on a bitingly cold afternoon at Carrow Road, breaking the deadlock after 81 minutes to cut the gap to the top six down to one point.

Sargent had the best chance of a first half severely lacking in quality, driving goalward but seeing his effort deflected over the bar by Jenson Seelt.

City went into the break needing an improvement and they emerged from it with one. They dominated the second period and created chances that Ashley Barnes, Gabriel Sara and Borja Sainz missed.

They were still lucky to be level after 77 minutes, however, when Abdoullah Ba's shot was tipped onto the bar by Angus Gunn.

But David Wagner's side still found a way, Sargent fighting off two visiting defenders to create an opening on the half-volley, before emphatically smashing past Anthony Patterson to open the scoring.

NORWICH CITY:

Substitutes:

12. Long (GK)

8. Gibbs (on for Fassnacht, 74)

14. van Hooijdonk (on for Barnes, 61)

15. McCallum (on for Sainz, 89)

19. Sorensen (on for Sargent, 89)

21. Batth

35. Fisher

43. Welch

44. Aboh

Head Coach: David Wagner

Bookings: Giannoulis (76), Sorensen (90)

Goals: Sargent (81)

SUNDERLAND:

Substitutes:

30. Bishop (GK)

6. Pembele

11. Burstow (on for Bellingham, 86)

15. Rusyn (on for Semedo, 66)

17. Ba (on for Mundle, 66)

22. Aouchiche

31. Rigg (on for Styles, 74)

48. Kelly

49. Lavery

Interim Head Coach: Mike Dodds

Bookings: Hume (44), Ekwah (58), Seelt (90+5)

Goals:

KEY MOMENTS

13 - Ekwah fires a shot at goal from distance, but Gunn collects.

15 - A loose ball breaks to Sargent to shoot, but Seelt turns his driven effort over the bar.

16 - The resulting corner is cleared and breaks to Giannoulis, whose volley drops just wide of the far post.

22 - Ekwah sends his free-kick well over the bar.

25 - Sara's corner breaks to Sainz to half-volley, but Patterson tips his fierce strike over.

40 - Mundle's shot flies well wide.

Half time: Norwich City 0-0 Sunderland 

47 - Stacey's cross finds Barnes at the near post, but the angle is too tight for him to trouble Patterson.

49 - The ball breaks for Barnes in the box and he's foiled by the onrushing Patterson.

54 - Sara works some room in the box and fires at the near post, but Patterson dives to turn it behind.

67 - Giannoulis' ball in finds Fassnacht, but he scuffs well wide.

67 - The ball breaks to Sara with the goal at his mercy, but he somehow lifts over.

70 - Sara breaks into the box and sets up Stacey, who can't keep his left-footed drive under control.

71 - Sargent's tackled and the ball breaks to Sainz, but his low shot is straight at Patterson.

72 - Hume crosses for Rusyn in the box, but the Sunderland attacker gets his feet tangled.

77 - Ba beats van Hooijdonk and fires towards the near post, seeing his shot bounce off the bar and away after Gunn's intervention.

79 - Rusyn finds a yard to drag his shot well wide from just inside the box.

81 - GOAL NORWICH (Sargent): Sargent controls with his head and eases the ball away from two defenders, before firing past Patterson on the half-volley.

86 - Sainz threads the ball through for Stacey, who fires into the side netting under pressure and off balance.

88 - The ball loops up for Rusyn to head, but it's straight at Gunn, who catches.

Full time: Norwich City 1-0 Sunderland

PLAYER RATINGS

Gunn 7, Stacey 7, Hanley 5, Gibson 8, Giannoulis 6, McLean 5, Sara 6, Fassnacht 5, Barnes 6, Sainz 6, Sargent 6. Subs: van Hooijdonk 5, Gibbs 6, McCallum 5, Sorensen 5.

MATCH STATISTICS

Possession: 53%-47%

Shots: 17-8

On target: 5-2

Corners: 4-2

Fouls: 12-11

Added time: 1 min/5 mins

ATTENDANCE: 26,668 (1,673 Sunderland)

REFEREE: Thomas Kirk