Clinical Canaries put four past Cardiff City

Norwich City scored four at home for the second time this week, defeating Cardiff City 4-1 in the Sky Bet Championship.

Norwich City scored four at home for the second time this week, defeating Cardiff City 4-1 in the Sky Bet Championship.

Josh Sargent added two to his tally while Gabriel Sara and Christian Fassnacht were on the scoresheet again, as they had been in midweek.

Cardiff City had taken the lead in the first half, but the Canaries had turned that around before the break and continued in formidable fashion in the second half.

There were a number of changes to the Norwich City starting team from the one that had beaten Watford 4-2 in midweek.

Illness for Ben Gibson would require a reshuffle of the back four with Kenny McLean going to left centre-back while Sam McCallum and Grant Hanley were also included.

Marcelino Núñez joined Sara in midfield, with a place on the bench for Academy striker Ken Aboh.

The Canaries really should have been ahead inside three minutes when Ashley Barnes broke the offside trap and fed Sargent but the USA international's effort was cleared off the line by Nat Phillips.

Borja Sainz forced a save from Ethan Horvath 11 minutes in when Jack Stacey's cross was headed out to the Spaniard. A corner-kick immediately after saw Barnes head over from close range, as the ball hung in the air for just too long.

The first sight of goal for the visitors came from a deflected Mahlon Romeo effort that Angus Gunn was able to divert away with his feet.

However, he was powerless to stop Jamilu Collins from opening the scoring just a minute later.

As Norwich went in search of an immediate equaliser, Sara curled a wonderful shot on to the post.

When the goal did arrive, Horvath failed to deal with a cross from McCallum and Sargent was quickest to the loose ball to level.

It was almost two in a minute for City as well, another dangerous delivery from the left was poked home by Barnes but he was deemed to be offside.

City fans weren't forced to wait long for the second to arrive however, Sara curling a stunning free-kick past Horvath in the 44th minute.

Inside the first 10 minutes of the second half, Sargent had his second and City's third.

Stacey picked him out with a low cross and, after Horvath had palmed the initial effort on to the post, Sargent reacted fastest yet again.

Fassnacht came on to score, as he did in midweek, making it four after a clever exchange of passes with Sydney van Hooijdonk.

It would bring Norwich's tally to eight goals at Carrow Road in the space of five days.

The next outing will be a trip away to Blackburn Rovers on February 24.

Norwich City: Gunn; Stacey (Fisher 81), Hanley (C), McLean, McCallum (Giannoulis 61); Núñez, Sara; Hernández (Fassnacht 61), Barnes (Sørensen 70), Sainz; Sargent (van Hooijdonk 70).

Unused subs: Long, Gibbs, Batth, Aboh.

Goals: Sargent (39, 54), Sara (44), Fassnacht (78)

Cardiff City: Horvath; Romeo, Goutas, Phillips, Collins; Grant (Tanner 78), R Colwill (Turnbull 78), Siopis, Ralls (C) (Wintle 59), Wilson-Esbrand (Bowler h-t); Diedhiou (Etete 59).

Unused subs: Turner, Sawyers, J Colwill, Ashford.

Goals: Collins (19)

Bookings: R Colwill (47), Phillips (69)

HT: 2-1

FT: 4-1

Referee: Darren Bond

Venue: Carrow Road

Attendance: 25,902 (371 Away)