Lambert’s Norwich on the rise

PAUL Lambert’s Norwich City moved into the top half of the English Premier League last night as goals from Leon Barnett and Steve Morison sealed an impressive win over Sunderland.

Both sides were unchanged, with Lambert keeping faith with the starting XI that beat Bolton last week, while Steve Bruce named the same Sunderland team that had eased to a 4-0 win over Stoke.

There was nothing easy about last night’s game for the visitors and they were a goal behind on 31 minutes. Norwich’s David Fox fed Elliot Bennett into the right side of the Sunderland area with a neat one-two. The former Brighton winger dashed to the goal-line before cutting the ball back through the six-yard box, which was missed by Wes Brown and centre-back Barnett tapped in at the near post.

The hosts added a second after the break as Marc Tierney clipped the ball across goal and Wales striker Morison got above Brown to power a header into the net from six yards. Lambert had a nervous last five minutes after Kieran Richardson scored with a long-range effort but his team held on.

Norwich City: Ruddy, Naughton, Russell Martin, Barnett, Tierney, Bennett, Bradley Johnson, Fox, Pilkington, Hoolahan, Morison. Subs: Rudd, Crofts, Vaughan, Holt, Surman, Chris Martin, De Laet.

Sunderland: Mignolet, O’Shea, Brown, Bramble, Richardson, Elmohamady, Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, Bendtner, Sessegnon. Subs: Westwood, Turner, Cattermole, Wickham, Colback, Ji, McClean.

Referee: C Foy. Attendance: 26,107.