City Women were victorious in the first home game of the Division One South East, thanks to a brace from forward Natasha Snelling.
A blustery first half saw few chances for either side but for long-range efforts from Issy Moore and Ellie Smith, with Shannon Shaw inches away from heading Norwich in front inside two minutes.
The breakthrough for Norwich came in the 21st minute via Snelling. Freya Symonds chopped on to her right foot from the left side and played a perfectly weighted pass to the edge of the area for the prolific centre-forward to fire home with a first-time finish into the bottom corner.
A late flurry of chances for the visitors saw Sarah Quantrill called into action at her near post with a good save. In the third minute of additional time, a goal-line clearance by Ella Powell following a Cambridge corner would ensure City took a 1-0 lead into the break.
City looked to reinforce their lead right out of the gate in the second half, but it would take until the hour mark for a fruitful attack to manifest.
Moore beat her opponent with a lovely flick of the ball before firing the ball into Snelling to double her and City’s tally.
The Canaries’ fresh legs off the bench all made impressive impacts respectively, with a highlight moment coming from Holly Kennard and Olivia Cook. Just two minutes after coming on, Kennard raced away from her marker with an impressive turn of pace, but Cook couldn’t keep the effort below the crossbar.
A late free-kick from Snelling in an attempt to secure the hat-trick would round off a second half that saw City ‘keeper Quantrill with little to do between the Norwich City sticks.
The Canaries next play on Thursday, August 29, when they host Ipswich Town at Carrow Road in the FAWNL Cup determining round.
Norwich City: Quantrill; Medd-Gill (Knights 80), Flye, Strauss, Moore; Morran (Hailes 88), Powell, Smith (Daviss 80), Symonds (Kennard 70), Shaw (Cook 70), Snelling
Goals: Snelling (21, 65)
Bookings: Smith (58), Quantrill (83)
Cambridge United: Webb; Wallis (Smith 71), Rouse, Jackson, Cheal-Ferris, Wodhams, Stojko-Down, Hubbard, Coupar, Gillies, Simmons
Unused subs: Otten, Marden, Rodriguez, Edgar
Bookings: Wodhams (43), Wallis (90+3)
HT: 1-0
FT: 2-0
Venue: The Nest
Attendance: 339