Smith expects more as Norwich flex muscles

DEAN SMITH insists there is even more to come from his Norwich side after they beat Blackpool for a seventh win in eight games.

Teemu Pukki’s clinical first-half finish was enough for the visitors to secure victory at Bloomfield Road. Smith’s side have started superbly in their bid for a third successive Championship promotion but the boss believes they can still improve.

‘It keeps our unbeaten run going, it’s another clean sheet and the momentum and the belief is still there,’ he said. ‘We’re facing a big challenge in the Championship this season, but I think we are seeing the players standing up to it.’

Stuttering Blackpool slid to a worrying fourth defeat in five matches, and manager Michael Appleton said: ‘It’s frustrating. We’ve got to continue to compete.’ MARK ROBINS heaped praise on his matchwinner Viktor Gyokeres after the Swedish striker earned Coventry’s first win of the season.

‘I think that’s as good a performance as he’s put in,’ said boss Robins.

Chris Wilder was left scratching his head as his Boro dropped into the bottom three. ‘It’s small details,’ he said. JON DAHL TOMASSON was delighted with his Blackburn side’s bravery as they survived a late Millwall onslaught.

‘It was a big fight and we controlled the fight,’ he said.

‘Dealing with those challenges, they are very good in the duels.’

After a first half lacking quality, Blackburn burst into a deserved two-goal lead through Tyrhys Dolan and Ben Brereton.

Millwall scored with their only shot, thanks to Jake Cooper.

LEAM RICHARDSON praised his Wigan team for rising to the challenges at managerless Rotherham.

Will Keane and Tom Naylor scored, and boss Richardson said: ‘The credit goes to the players — it was a good week.’

It was a poor first outing for caretakers Richard Wood and Lee Peltier, with Wood saying: ‘We did not start well. We were like rabbits in headlights.’

Rotherham hope Exeter boss Matt Taylor will become their new manager this week.

MARK HUDSON’S first game as interim manager of Cardiff ended in a draw, as Callum Robinson’s late header denied Burnley victory.

‘I really enjoyed it,’ Hudson said. ‘You saw fight and togetherness against the best team in the league. To a man, subs coming on, everyone was together.’

Nathan Tella had given Vincent Kompany’s side the lead and the manager said: ‘If you reflect honestly, we have had better performances this season.

‘We’ve made it difficult for ourselves, it was always going to be a game with an unpredictable narrative. It was a challenge.’

READING manager Paul Ince praised the effect of former England striker Andy Carroll on his ‘Second Coming’ at the club.

Carroll started his first game since re-signing last month and played a leading role in the comfortable win. Reading led 2-0 at the break, through a Tom McIntyre header and a Lee Nicholls own goal, and extended their lead with a Yakou Meite tap-in.

Defender Tom Lees nodded home in the fourth minute of stoppage time but it was a mere consolation for Huddersfield.

‘It was Andy’s first proper game back for us and it’s good to get him back on the pitch,’ said Ince. ‘It typifies what he’s like. He just wants to be on the park, he just wants to play football. He’s a great pro.’

Mark Fotheringham, Huddersfield’s new head coach, suffered defeat in his first game in charge. ‘It was a tough welcome to the Championship,’ he said. ‘And it was a typical Championship game.’

RANGERS boss Mick Beale praised his goalkeeper Seny Dieng for a vital early save from Zak Vyner’s header after his side ran out narrow winners.

‘It was a very big save because Bristol City started the game on fire, with great intensity,’ Beale said.

Stefan Johansen fired the visitors in front before Tyler Roberts netted with a volley.

Nahki Wells’s strike against his former club was not enough to earn City a point.

RYAN LOWE was frustrated that his Preston side could not break down Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. ‘I said to the group we need to keep believing, keep doing the right things,’ said the manager.

‘Pleased with the performance, nearly the perfect away performance if we’d got three points.’

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray said: ‘We will find a way to score goals, we will find a way to win games. Every team goes through a spell, that’s one game.’