Hull City 1-2 Norwich City: Canaries close on play-off places with away victory
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Jonathan Rowe's goal was his 12th of the season for Norwich City
Norwich City closed to within two points of the Championship play-off places as Jonathan Rowe's brilliant goal helped them to a Friday night victory at Hull City.
His solo effort was the high point of a largely mediocre opening half at MKM Stadium in which the home side lost their own top scorer, Aaron Connolly, after only 15 minutes because of injury.
The Tigers failed to produce a single effort on target before the break, but Ozan Tufan hit the post as they looked for an equaliser following the restart.
Angus Gunn produced a flying save as Regan Slater's 25-yard effort seemed to be heading for the top corner but Christian Fassnacht forced home Norwich's second goal late on before Tyler Morton grabbed what proved to be a consolation for the Tigers in stoppage time.
The win moved Norwich up five places to eighth in the table, a single point behind Hull in seventh, who suffered their fourth defeat in five games.
Hull gave a debut to Fabio Carvalho, signed on loan from Liverpool, while David Wagner recalled six players rested for Norwich's FA Cup draw with Bristol Rovers, including Gabriel Sara, who had created a Championship-best 74 chances this season, prior to this game.
Carvalho - a promotion winner with Fulham in the 2021-22 season - soon received the ball in a dangerous position on the left of the box, with space for a curler towards the top corner, but appeared to be caught in two minds and his tentative effort was blocked.
Connolly needed treatment for a foot injury following a mistimed challenge by Shane Duffy and a heavy collision with Gunn six minutes later left him with concussion and brought his evening to a premature end.
With both sides looking to press high up the pitch, Norwich had a good chance when Josh Sargent played in Borja Sainz, who miscued his chance high over the bar, but a series of fouls meant neither could offer a cohesive attacking threat.
Dimi Giannoulis - wearing a Zorro-like protective mask - was perhaps fortunate to escape with a yellow card when his swinging arm caught Hull full-back Lewie Coyle but the Canaries were celebrating moments later when Rowe won the ball just beyond the centre circle, evaded three defenders, and steered the ball past Ryan Allsop with the outside of his foot.
Marcelino Nunez and Rowe were booked for poor tackles on Carvalho, who was coming in for some rough treatment on his return to the second tier, while Connolly's replacement, Billy Sharp, was largely anonymous as Hull failed to produce a single on-target effort in the first half.
Hull's Fabio Carvalho was on loan at RB Leipzig in the first half of the season
The second half did not start well for Hull with Tufan and Slater both shown yellow cards for simulation - but the former redeemed himself by striking the upright with Hull's best effort so far, only seconds after Sargent had stung Allsop's palms at the other end.
The lively Carvalho, who had been switched from the left to the right, had created Tufan's opportunity with a well-judged chip and he then had a chance of his own, dragging his shot across the face of goal.
Norwich were forced back into 'what we have, we hold' mode as the match entered the final quarter of an hour and Gunn twice denied Sharp as well as Slater before Fassnacht used his knee to convert Onel Hernandez's cross from the left.
In a frantic finish, Morton fired home to reduce the deficit before Adam Idah had a goalbound effort blocked at the other end as Norwich completed a seasonal double over Hull for the first time since the 1971-72 season.
The Tigers are next in action away to Birmingham City in an FA Cup third-round replay on Tuesday, with Norwich's rematch against Bristol Rovers taking place the following evening.
Hull boss Liam Rosenior told BBC Radio Humberside:
"The outcome was the same as it has been in a lot of games we've played - dominate, dominate, don't score, one moment [from them], they score.
"We have to take the dominance and turn it into goals and results, but in terms of the players' engagement, commitment to the shirt, their pressing and energy - they [Norwich] couldn't get out of their half in the second half.
"There are lots of positives, but we need to start taking advantage of these games. It's really hard to put my finger on it because 80%, 90% of our play is so good.
"We've got 19 games left, we're a point outside the play-offs, we're still in a good position but we have to find a way to be more ruthless."
Norwich head coach David Wagner told BBC Radio Norfolk:
"It was a top performance in terms of the work ethic, the togetherness, the fighting spirit.
"We created not a lot, but four or five top opportunities, on a difficult pitch and that we have made the double against Hull is just great.
"If we want to compete for the play-offs, we had to dramatically improve our goals conceded because there were far too many and we had to give them a clear picture and a clear idea of what they had to change and do better.
"Ashley Barnes up front fought like a warrior, for every inch, but this is exactly what you have to do on a pitch like this and in a game like this."