Norwich City moved to the top of the Sky Bet Championship table after registering their fifth consecutive victory cruising past Coventry City at Carrow Road.
Front pair Teemu Pukki and Josh Sargent were both on target in the first half, as Dean Smith’s side cruised to a comfortable half time ascendancy.
And despite a somewhat disjointed second period, substitute Kieran Dowell put the game to bed with a clever finish after more good work from the in-form Sargent.
Dean Smith made two changes to the starting 11 that took to the field against Birmingham City earlier in the week.
Dowell and Danel Sinani made way for Todd Cantwell and Teemu Pukki who started on the bench on Tuesday evening.
In the opening stages, Norwich looked lively down the right-hand side, with Josh Sargent and Max Aarons combining well. On nine minutes the USA international played a neat give-and-go with Cantwell, who then found Marcelino Núñez, who fired wide from the edge of the area.
Norwich’s early pressure led to the opening goal on 14 minutes. Núñez robbed the ball from a Coventry midfielder before playing a precise slide-rule ball into Pukki. The Finn took a couple of touches to steady himself before finishing coolly beyond Ben Wilson in the Coventry goal.
Norwich continued to control the game for large periods, but Coventry did threaten on occasions.
A neat move from the visitors culminated in Gustavo Hamer finding Tyler Walker in the right channel who flashed an effort across the face of Tim Krul’s goal.
On the half-hour mark, Norwich once again threatened down the right. Following Aarons‘ pass, Aaron Ramsey picked out Sargent with a clever flick. Sargent then shot marginally wide beyond the far post.
Coventry did have the ball in the net on 33 minutes, when Kyle McFadzean spectacularly volleyed home a loose ball from a corner kick. However, the away side’s celebrations were cut short by an offside flag, with Walker obstructing the view of Krul.
In first-half stoppage time, Norwich doubled their lead. Ramsey started and provided the final pass across the face of the Coventry goal for Sargent to convert his fifth of the season.
In the start of the second half Krul was forced into an important save, racing off his line to block the shot of Coventry sub Viktor Gyokeres.
As the half wore on, the game became somewhat disjointed. The visitors continued to look tidy on the ball but never really carved Norwich open.
Smith responded on 71 minutes with a triple substitution introducing, Dowell, Gabriel Sara and Onel Hernández.
And it was one of the substitutes who ultimately put the game to bed.
Cantwell split the Coventry defence and set Sargent in the clear. He shrugged off the attentions of a couple of defenders before squaring for the onrushing Dowell who converted through the legs of the Coventry goalkeeper.
The victory was Norwich’s fifth consecutive league win and moved them to the summit of the Sky Bet Championship table.
Norwich City Starting XI: Krul, Aarons, Byram (Hernández 71), Omobamidele, Hanley (C), Cantwell (Sinani 82), Ramsey (Sara 71), Pukki (Dowell 71), McLean, Sargent (Hugill 81), Núñez
Subs not used: Gunn, Gibson
Goals: Pukki (14), Sargent (45+1), Dowell (81)
Bookings: Byram (45)
Coventry City Starting XI: Wilson, Doyle (Panzo 82), Rose (Godden 68), McFadzean (C), Allen, Sheaf, Walker (Tavares 68), Dabo, Bidwell, Hamer, Palmer (Gyokeres 46)
Subs not used: Moore, Waghorn, Eccles
Goals: None
Bookings: None
HT: 2-0
Venue: Carrow Road
Referee: Gavin Ward
Attendance: 26,487
Today’s official Golden Goal times are as follows.
1st Goal: 13.20
2nd Goal: 45.00
3rd Goal: 80.13
Our Lucky Number is 3500. The winner will be able to watch first team training with a club ambassador.