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Norwich 2 - Sunderland 0: Sunderland bow to Tettey super-goal
IT WAS Armed Forces Day at Carrow Road – and Norwich performed like heroes to secure what was easily their most crucial win of the season.
This relegation six-pointer was supposed to be a tense, tight affair with little quarter asked or given.
But Chris Hughton’s Canaries scored two first-half goals for the first time this season as Sunderland rolled over in abject surrender.
Their sorry display was summed up when manager Gus Poyet substituted two of his under-performing players six minutes before the break, in a frank admission that he had got his team selection all wrong.
By then Norwich had virtually bagged the points, buoyed by a superb 20th-minute opener from Scotland winger Robert Snodgrass and a goal of the season contender from Norwegian midfi elder Alex Tettey 12 minutes later.
Hughton had again shuffled his pack, making five changes to his line-up for the second match in succession as he desperately sought to find a winning formula for his under-achieving side.
And he was rewarded with a high tempo opening onslaught capped by the Snodgrass opener as the Canaries cruised to what was only their third win in 16 games, all at home.
Sunderland’s disastrous day ended in despair with Spanish left-back Marcos Alonso sent off in stoppage time after collecting two yellow cards.
Norwich manager Chris Hughton said: “It’s certainly one of our best performances this season and I thought we were excellent from start to finish.”
MATCH FACTS
MAN OF MATCH: JONNY HOWSON – a dynamic display from an intelligent player who is surely Norwich’s next captain.
NORWICH: Ruddy; Martin, Yobo, Bassong, Olsson; Snodgrass, Tettey, Howson, Hoolahan (Redmond 89), van Wolfswinkel (Hooper 71), Elmander (Johnson 87).
S’LAND: Mannone; Bardsley, O’Shea,Brown, Alonso; Johnson (Scocco (71), Bridcutt, Ki (Cattermole (39), Colback (Larsson (39); Borini, Altidore.
Att: 26,654
Ref: P Dowd