Norwich City broke into the coveted Championship play-off places with a topsy-turvy 4-2 win over Watford at Carrow Road.
Goals from Ashley Barnes and Josh Sargent gave them a comfortable lead early on before Mileta Rajovic and Yaser Asprilla pegged them back for 2-2.
Late goals from Gabriel Sara and Christian Fassnacht earned the Canaries a huge victory in their push for promotion, however, on a rollercoaster evening for their supporters.
Kenny McLean got the offensive ball rolling on a misty night in NR1, taking aim in the second minute but firing well over from distance. He tried again with a tricky volley in the seventh, a Watford block likely saving him the humiliation of a visiting throw-in.
Those remained the only shots of the tepid opening exchanges, but before long the hosts clicked into gear and found Barnes the first real chance of the game. His three prior league goals this term hint at his wastefulness in front of goal, and so it proved when the ball bounced inexplicably off his standing foot.
Barnes turned provider in the 11th minute when he found Dimitris Giannoulis in space in the box, watching the Greek take a poor first touch before conceding a Watford goal kick.
Former Norwich transfer target Ismael Kone then had the Hornets’ first shot when a free-kick routine found him half-volleying on the turn, but he fired well over and wide of Angus Gunn’s goal.
The opening goal felt like it was coming, and by the 20th minute it had. Barnes was the one atoning for his error, meeting Onel Hernandez’ cross with a firm header after good work from the Cuban to beat City academy graduate Jamal Lewis.
The yellow and green faithful were made to wait momentarily for confirmation that it had crossed the line, but Stuart Atwell’s watch pointing soon led to Barnes’ usual scornful celebration.
Things got even better for David Wagner’s men when they were awarded a penalty shortly thereafter, Wesley Hoedt kicking through the back of McLean to give Sargent the chance to double the lead. The American saw the resulting spot-kick saved, but had a simple header to make it 2-0 on the rebound.
The hosts were warned against complacency when Ben Gibson’s late intervention was needed to deny a fierce Watford counter-attack, but they still allowed the Hertfordshire side back into the game when Ken Sema squared for Rajovic to make it 2-1.
Gibson bailed them out again on the brink of half time when Barnes gifted Kone the ball in the Norwich half, Matheus Martins’ effort blocked by the centre-back after he rounded off the attack.
City went into the break with little of the confidence they had just 10 minutes earlier, and it was evident upon the resumption. Rajovic looked likely to equalise when the ball bounced up for him inside the area, but McLean’s late intervention retained his side’s lead.
Sema then had a guilt-edged chance to make it 2-2 when he found space 15 yards out, but he somehow scuffed well wide.
Bubbling tensions turned to outright toxicity when Wagner made his first changes of the afternoon, replacing Hernandez and Sargent with Fassnacht and Marcelino Nunez. The American tried his best to quiet the angry Barclay, but he couldn’t stop loud chants that his head coach didn’t know what he was doing.
Disastrous substitutions in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Queens Park Rangers was the subtext, after Sargent’s withdrawal was followed by a late Hoops equaliser in West London.
It felt like a losing battle therein, with Borja Sainz’s looping pass back to Gunn as worrying as it was dangerous.
Eventually the inevitable goal did come, substitute Asprilla’s vicious strike bouncing in off the post from distance. Everything was against Norwich as the game entered its final stages, but somehow they managed to strike next.
Barnes started the decisive move after nearly an hour of frustration, playing Sara through on goal to fire past Ben Hamer.
Five minutes later the three points were sealed, and it was one of Wagner’s much-maligned substitutes with the sixth goal of the evening. Sydney van Hooijodnk, the man Norwich fans had been crying out for, fed the ball wide to Jack Stacey, whose cross was diverted in by Fassnacht with the help of a Ryan Porteous deflection.
City saw out what was a vital result containing its fair share of ups and downs, reigniting top-six hope amongst fans and vindicating their head coach after four days in which his decisions have been closely scrutinised.
NORWICH CITY:
Substitutes:
12. Long (GK)
8. Gibbs (on for Sainz, 80)
14. van Hooijdonk (on for Barnes, 80)
15. McCallum
16. Fassnacht (on for Hernandez, 55)
21. Batth (on for Sara, 90+6)
26. Nunez (on for Sargent, 55)
35. Fisher
Head Coach: David Wagner
Bookings: Barnes (17), Sargent (30), Gibbs (88)
Goals: Barnes (20), Sargent (28), Sara (77), Fassnacht (82)
WATFORD:
Substitutes:
1. Bachmann (GK)
3. Sierralta
7. Ince (on for Livermore, 83)
15. Pollock
18. Asprilla (on for Sema, 60)
25. Dennis (on for Martins, 60)
39. Kayembe (on for Chakvetadze, 72)
42. Morris
45. Andrews (on for Dele-Bashiru, 83)
Manager: Valerien Ismael
Bookings: Martins (45+1), Porteus (79)
Goals: Rajovic (42), Asprilla (71)
KEY MOMENTS
8 - Giannoulis squares for Barnes in the box, but the ball bounces off his standing foot and makes for a simple Hamer save.
20 - GOAL NORWICH (Barnes): Hernandez beats Lewis well and chips across for Barnes, whose header is confirmed to have crossed the line after a short wait.
28 - GOAL NORWICH (Sargent): Hoedt kicks through the back of McLean to gift Sargent a penalty he originally sees saved but heads in on the rebound.
42 - GOAL WATFORD (Rajovic): Lewis slips the ball through for Sema, whose cross-shot is tapped home by Rajovic.
43 - Stacey lays off for Sara on the edge of the box and he comes close to a screamer with his right foot.
45 - Barnes gifts the ball to Kone in the Norwich half and he lays off for Martins, who should score but sees his shot blocked by Gibson.
Half time: Norwich City 2-1 Watford
53 - Martins finds Sema in space in the box and he appears destined to score before he scuffs well wide.
71 - GOAL WATFORD (Asprilla): Asprilla's given time to drift inside and fire goalward from range, smashing in off the post for 2-2.
77 - GOAL NORWICH (Sara): The ball bounces up for Barnes to play Sara in, and he takes two tocuhes before firing in.
82 - GOAL NORWICH (Fassnacht): van Hooijdonk works the ball wide for Stacey to cross, and Fassnacht's shot deflects off Porteous and in.
PLAYER RATINGS
Gunn 5, Stacey 8, Sorensen 6, Gibson 8, Giannoulis 6, McLean 6, Sara 5, Hernandez 8, Barnes 7, Sainz 6, Sargent 7. Subs: Fassnacht 7, Nunez 6, van Hooijdonk 5, Gibbs 5.
MATCH STATISTICS
Possession: 44%-56%
Shots: 14-11
On target: 6-3
Corners: 4-4
Fouls: 12-11
Added time: 3 mins/6 mins
REFEREE: Stuart Atwell
ATTENDANCE: 25,325 (966 Watford)
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