Josh Sargent double gives City win over Millwall

A Josh Sargent brace earned Norwich City their second win of the Sky Bet Championship season after a dominant display against Millwall.

A Josh Sargent brace earned Norwich City their second win of the Sky Bet Championship season after a dominant display against Millwall.

After a slow start to the game, City managed to break down the defences of the visitors and keep a clean sheet to claim the win.

Kieran Dowell took the first shot of the evening inside seven minutes, after Danel Sinani set up a shot for him in the box, but his effort went wide of the right post.

City struggled to break down the Millwall defences for a period of play, until Sinani tapped a ball to Liam Gibbs in the midfield at the 15 minute mark, who's encouraging shot was deflected on contact and collected by Bartosz Bialkowski in goal for Millwall.

Playmaker Sinani then set up Josh Sargent on the edge of the area after 19 minutes, who was fouled before he could take a shot and won a free kick for City. Marcelino Núñez placed into the area but hit the wall.

The same play was then repeated a minute later, as Sargent was fouled again and Núñez's cross was able to beat the wall, but could not find a City shirt on the end of it.

George Honeyman for Millwall gave the visitors their first opportunity in the box, after Tyler Burley whipped a cross in, but the former's header could only find the lower Barclay stand.

Onel Hernández managed to beat his man in an attack down the left wing after 25 minutes, but his resulting cross was collected into the hands of Bialkowski.

Just before the half an hour mark, Benik Afobe put City under pressure when his header in the box from a Murray Wallace cross was flicked just high of the bar.

After a positive spell from City, Núñez was able to shoot from the edge of the area, but unable to hit the target.

The final promising effort of the first half was curled into the area from Sinani but went high and wide.

It took all of five minutes for the Canaries to put themselves in front in the second half, as the Sinani and Sargent duo worked together around the box to allow the American to smash a shot into the back of the net.

After a foul on Sargent on the edge of the area, Núñez tried his luck with the free kick but went just wide of the target.

Just three minutes later, the man on target closed down Millwall's stopper in the box and nearly claimed his second with his block, but the ball rolled just wide of the post.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, Sargent doubled his score tally and City's lead after Kieran Dowell laid a lovely pass to him on the edge of the area and he fired his shot into the bottom score.

An effort from distance fired onto the bar from substitute Voglsammer with ten minutes to go, as Tim Krul was only able to get his finger tips to the shot.

Teemu Pukki made his return to the pitch with five minutes of normal time remaining, replacing goal scorer Josh Sargent.

City took their second win of the week following a win against Huddersfield on Tuesday, August 16.

Norwich City Starting XI: Krul, Aarons, Omobamidele, Hanley (C), McLean, Gibbs, Núñez, Dowell (Cantwell 79), Sinani, Hernández (Ramsey 79), Sargent (Pukki 86)

Subs not used: Gunn, Gibson, Rashica, Cantwell, Sara

Goals: Sargent (50), (75)

Bookings: Gibbs (86), Krul (90+2)

Millwall Starting XI: Bialkowski, McNamara (Cooper 86), Wallace, Hutchinson (C), Afobe, Mitchell (Shakleton 69), Malone, Burey (Voglsammer 69), Leonard, Saville, Honeyman (Flemming 69)

Subs not used: Long, Bradshaw, Cresswell

Bookings: Saville (19), Honeyman (66)

HT: 0-0

Venue: Carrow Road

Referee: Robert Jones

Attendance: 26,213

Today’s official Golden Goal times are as follows.

1st Goal: 49.31

2nd Goal: 74.15

Today’s lucky number was 4455 - the winning lucky number will receive a meal for two in Delia's Restaurant and Bar.