Norwich City Under-23s kicked off 2020 with three points in Premier League 2 after digging deep to beat Middlesbrough 3-4 on Monday night.
Jordan Thomas gave City the advantage in the 13th minute, when the right-back cut inside the box and took a driven shot past four Boro shirts, including the ‘keeper. A first goal of the season for the young defender, and a first goal of the game.
Middlesbrough weren’t quite awake early on and conceded once more when Aidan Fitzpatrick's cross took a flick off Nicholas Hood and ended up nestling in the bottom corner.
The Canaries continued their dominance in the first-half and made it three on the half-hour mark. Shae Hutchinson intercepted a sloppy pass, before beating a Boro centre-half and slotting it past the ‘keeper
Ben Liddle made sure to remind the Canaries that Boro were still in the game, when he buried a direct free-kick past Archie Mair, just moment minutes after Hutchinson scored.
Boro reduced the deficit to just one shortly after the restart when Rumarn Burrell got the better of a scramble in the area to fire the ball home.
City continued to press for another though and some neat interplay between Fitzpatrick and Dan Adshead ended with the former crossing low across the six-yard box for Josh Martin to tap home and make it 4-2.
Liddle got his second for Boro on 74 minutes to ensure a nervy ending for the Canaries but they dug deep and saw out their lead to the final whistle.
It's now three wins in four for the Under-23s and they're next back in action on Friday when Aston Villa visit the Lotus Training Centre (2.30pm KO).
Norwich City U23s: Mair, Odusina (Scully, 78), Thomas, Nizet, Tomkinson, Adshead, Fitzpatrick, Hondermarck (Omotoye, 66), Hutchinson, Thorvaldsson (c), Martin
Subs not used: McAlear, Blair
Goals: Thomas (13), Hood (OG, 20), Hutchinson (27), Martin (67)
Bookings: Hutchinson (90+1)
Middlesbrough U23s: Brynn, Hood, Liddle, Dale, O’Neill, Malley, Wearne (Folarin, 65), Dodds, Jones, Reading, Burrell
Subs not used: Robinson, Metcalfe, Reed
Goals: Liddle (32, 74), Burrell (57)
Bookings: N/A
Referee: Andrew Miller
Kick-off time: 7pm
Venue: Heritage Park
HT: 1-3