GARY Hooper felt Norwich City’s thumping 5-0 victory over 10-man Huddersfield Town at Carrow Road was richly deserved.

The hosts were made to wait for the breakthrough following Murray Wallace’s early dismissal, but three goals in the space of six minutes at the start of the second period took the game away from the Terriers.

City added two more to record an emphatic win – striking five times in a single half during a league match for the first time in over 50 years in the process – and after the game Hooper told Norwich City TV: “We were due a clean sheet and a lot of goals.

“On our day, we can beat anyone, and it shows with the players coming off the bench and scoring. It was an all-round good performance.

“The first half was a lot tougher than the second half, but after the first goal we played very well. It was a definite red card, and we deserved the win.”

Having been kept out by Huddersfield for the opening 45 minutes after Wallace was sent off for bringing down Cameron Jerome, manager Neil Adams opted to make a positive half-time change by replacing Gary O’Neil with Nathan Redmond.

The winger’s introduction proved a catalyst for a spree of goal-scoring action immediately after the restart, and Hooper said: “I thought the first half was a lot tougher than the second half but after the first goal we played very well.

“We were quite tight in the first half and kept a clean sheet. We tried to break them down, but then Nathan came on to give us some width and it opened up after the first goal.

“I thought Bradley Johnson took his goal well, and Nathan played very well when he came on. The clean sheet was a big thing, and now it’s onto Derby.”

Hooper has started each of City’s last three games alongside Jerome in attack, with the former selflessly nodding across goal for his strike-partner to convert the fourth with 20 minutes remaining.

Despite not getting on the score-sheet himself, the forward is satisfied to sacrifice personal acclaim in favour of results, commenting: “If a goal or assist comes then it’s happy days, but the main thing is getting three points.

“I should have scored in the first half but had a bad touch; it was a good ball from Johnno [Johnson] and it got caught under my feet, but other than that I’m happy with my performance. I’ve got two assists with one for Johnno and a good header for Cameron so we link up well.

“I’m here to win games and get promoted. There’s no point playing if you don’t want that.”

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