Josh Sargent fires Norwich City into a 2-1 lead over Stoke City
Josh Sargent's second-half double helped Norwich back onto the Championship promotion play-off trail as the Canaries ended Stoke's recent resurgence.
The United States international made it seven goals in his past six games with an opportunist effort and then a wonderful 20-yard strike to take the game beyond the Potters, who had equalised late in the first half.
On-loan Aston Villa striker Lewis Dobbin had coolly given Johannes Hoff Thorup's side a deserved lead but Lewis Baker equalised in added time to send the sides in level at the break.
Sargent's brace won the game but a Junior Tchamadeu own goal set the seal on a comfortable win for the home side before Baker scored his second from the penalty spot in added time.
The Canaries have been steadily sliding out of top six contention due to their defensive frailties but four wins in seven games, and the returns of Sargent and the influential Marcelino Nunez, have revived hopes that they could still have the firepower.
The win leaves them four points behind sixth-placed Blackburn, who they face at Ewood Park next Saturday.
Stoke arrived in Norfolk having eased their relegation worries since the appointment of Mark Robins by winning two of their previous three games, but they were under pressure from the first whistle, even though Baker headed wide when presented with the game's first chance.
Dobbin headed into the side netting before giving the Canaries a 32nd-minute lead, running the channel and being picked out by Nunez, before calmly cutting back onto his right foot and tucking the ball into the far corner.
Borja Sainz, still the Championship's top scorer despite not finding the net since 30 November, tested Stoke keeper Viktor Johansson as Norwich sought to press home their dominance, but the Potters struck to level as the game moved into first-half added time.
Shane Duffy gave the ball away on halfway, injuring himself in the process. When Ben Pearson instantly released Andrew Moran down the Stoke right, his cross found Baker exploiting the space left by the prostrate Duffy, and he controlled and expertly finished to level it up at the break.
Parity did not last long as Sainz disrupted the Stoke defence with some marauding running and fed Ante Crnac. He was caught in the penalty area after executing a lovely turn with the ball glued to his foot, but before the penalty shouts could begin Sargent span to fire the loose ball home and restore the lead in the 48th minute.
The American added a stunning second to make it 11 goals and five assists in his past 17 league starts.
Substitute Jacob Wright began the move by feeding Sainz and when he tripped he still managed to feed Sargent.
The striker wrong-footed the entire defence by swaying to his right before turning back onto his weaker left foot and sweeping a superb shot into the top corner.
Norwich added a fourth when Kellen Fisher carved in from the right flank, ran across the face of the 18-yard box and fed his opposite full-back Lucien Mahovo.
The 19-year-old, who had already seen one vicious cross deflect inches past the far post, again drove the ball in and this time it struck the unfortunate Tchamadeu and looped above Johansson to find the far corner.
Johansson denied Sargent his hat-trick with a point-blank save and Oscar Schwartau somehow shinned the ball over the bar from a yard out with the goal open before Duffy's foul on Million Manhoef allowed Stoke to add some respectability to the scoreline via Baker's penalty.
'We could have scored more' - reaction
Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk:
"We have some offensive stuff going on then that really gives us good opportunities and puts us in so many good situations. We could have scored more, that's the positive thing.
"I'm not that satisfied with our defensive performance because we should never concede two goals in a game like this.
One clean sheet at home: "That's a problem for us going forwards. Scoring four goals is more than OK but we conceded two, and was it an even game? No, 100% no.
"Our first 45 minutes was outstanding in many ways, we completely controlled the game, with full dominance and everything, and created chances, and it only takes one mistake to concede a goal. We were about to do it after our second goal as well."
Stoke City manager Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:
"All defeats are tough but this one was avoidable. We didn't get things right in the press to start with because we ended up being too deep, but you have to realise that comes from being brave and the back line has to be high.
"We grew into it a little bit but the composure wasn't there when we won the ball back because of the weight of pressure.
"We had gone in 1-1 and then we're talking about imposing our game on them by adopting an aggressive mind-set. Then you have a really good chance in the game because they (Norwich) will give you chances, but we lost our focus, our concentration and our discipline."
