Canaries close
THE champagne remains on ice for Daniel Farke and Norwich – but crowning glory surely awaits.
This stylish display against
QPR, with goals from Xavi Quintilla, Max Aarons and Emi Buendia, ensured the Canaries need just two more points to claim the Championship title for a second time in three years.
The promoted Canaries are now five points ahead of secondplaced Watford with just the two games left after putting two straight defeats behind them – and they would have won this at a canter if Teemu Pukki had his scoring boots on.
German boss Farke said: “I’m really happy with this win.
“You could not blame the players for the last two games, but it’s always difficult when you have lost the momentum.
“We responded in style against an in-form side. They were great goals and we should have scored even more.
“Having 93 points from 44 games is outstanding. We are in a fantastic position but we need to stay disciplined. The main job is done but the lads deserve to lift silverware.”
This was an exciting game from the start, with the pressure off mid-table QPR and to some extent Norwich.
R’s defender Osman Kakay went close within the opening seconds after robbing Todd Cantwell, while Buendia came close to punishing a poor Jordy De Wijs header.
Pukki may have 25 goals this season but he could have bagged a hat-trick as he missed two golden chances with tame shots.
But Norwich took the lead in freak circumstances as Seny
Dieng – sporting a mask to protect a broken nose – fumbled in Quintilla’s weak 32nd-minute shot.
It was quite the way for the Spaniard to score his first career goal. And it could have been more before the break as Dieng redeemed himself to foil Kieran Dowell.
QPR should have been level 10 minutes into the second half though as Grant Hanley was adjudged to have fouled Chris Willock. But Lyndon Dykes’ penalty down the middle was saved by Tim Krul.
Norwich punished Rangers by going down the other end to score with Aarons volleying home in style from Kenny Mclean’s cross.
Then Pukki missed a one-on-one after another flowing move. Dykes eventually got one back on 71 minutes with his sixth goal in six games from Charlie Austin’s flick-on.
They could have equalised as Austin headed over fellow sub Albert Adomah’s cross.
Norwich wrapped it up when Cantwell found Mclean who crossed for Buendia to finish.
R’s boss Mark Warburton said: “Norwich will be champions. But we showed them too much respect in the first half and needed to manage the game better in the second half.”