Norwich City 3-1 Stoke City: Aaron Ramsey nets twice as Canaries beat Alex Neil's Potters
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Norwich's Aaron Ramsey took 17 games to break his duck for his old Aston Villa boss Dean Smith
Aaron Ramsey opened his account for Norwich with a well-taken brace to ruin Stoke City boss Alex Neil's return to Carrow Road.
On-loan Aston Villa youngster Ramsey broke the deadlock from close range on 38 minutes after Teemu Pukki's shot had only been parried - and he then doubled Norwich's lead on 71 minutes, when he slotted home from nine yards after linking up in a clever one-two with Pukki.
Gabriel Sara put Norwich three up 13 minutes from time when he netted from close range after Marcelino Nunez's left-foot effort had been saved.
Stoke substitute Nick Powell got one back in injury time when he scored his first goal of the season - only the injury-hit front man's second in 13 months - but the Potters were well beaten.
After looking below par for long periods, Dean Smith's Canaries stuck to their task with an improved second-half performance to secure their first win in seven Championship games - and lift them two places up to fifth, still within seven points of leaders Burnley.
Norwich went ahead from their first clear-cut chance of the afternoon when Liam Gibbs burst through a congested midfield to find Pukki, who cut inside to unleash a powerful right-foot shot which was well saved by Joe Bursik - but the rebound fell kindly for Ramsey to slide into the net.
Jacob Brown missed with a close-range header for Stoke just before the break, then later fired into the side-netting and substitute Powell disappointingly ballooned a free far-post header over.
The Potters were immediately made to pay when with Ramsey cleverly worked an opening inside a packed penalty area and took Pukki's superb backheeled return pass before beating Bursik for a second time.
Bursik was then beaten for a third by substitute Sara before Powell rounded off the scoring when the ball fell kindly for him on a late break - and he slammed in from 12 yards.
Who's next?
Norwich have another big home game on Wednesday night when they host fellow high riders QPR.
Stoke, who have dropped to 19th, just two points above the Championship danger zone, are on the road at Wigan on the same night.
Norwich City head coach Dean Smith:
"The result was all important. I am delighted to win but it was all a bit laboured in the first half, I'll admit that, even though I made changes to freshen things up after a tough week.
"We struggled to create anything. The fluidity I wanted wasn't there. We got our goal but, even for the first 15 minutes of the second half we were second best. Then we got a good second, that lifted a weight off our shoulders and we played some good stuff.
"Results dictate the mood around the place. Fans want to see their side winning and that hasn't been happening recently. But we have got a run of three home games in four before the World Cup and we're aiming to make the most of that."
"I obviously know Aaron well from my time at Villa. He is a really talented kid who will only get better. He makes great runs, has got good balance and knows what is going on around him. He is a young man with an old head on his shoulders."
Stoke City boss Alex Neil:
"It's very frustrating. In terms of the game in general we were the better side but Norwich were more clinical than us - and that's why they took the three points.
"We were good until we reached the final third and then we were very wasteful. We got into some good positions but time after time we made bad decisions or missed good chances.
"The defining minute of the game came in the second half. We should have made it 1-1 from a free header at the back post but straight away they went up the other end and got their second.
"There is no way we should have lost, but the fact that we were the better side isn't the story. It's the fact that we were beaten 3-1."