Norwich City manager Dean Smith praises Sunderland fans and delivers Luke O'Nien penalty verdict

With head coach Alex Neil absent, assistant Martin Canning took charge of the team for the Championship fixture. Sunderland had multiple chances to open the scoring and hit the bar twice after half-time.

Norwich striker Josh Sargent then scored the winner with 14 minutes remaining to hand the victory to Smith’s side.

“There were a lot of incidents and it was a very, very hard-fought victory," said Smith. "What pleased me the most was the resilience. We got some really good blocks, we put our bodies on the line to keep the ball out of our net.

"Sometimes you have to do that. Yes, we had to withstand some pressure at times. I expected it. I thought their fans did really well to get the team up.

"They pressed and harried us well in that first half. But when we passed it well and took less touches we created some good opportunities."

Smith was able to call on Aaron Ramsey, on loan from Aston Villa, alongside the Premier League experienced Tod Cantwell and Teemu Pukki in the second half as Sunderland looked to be tiring.

"The quality of the subs we have got to go on changed the game,” Smith added. "For one [example], the build-up play when Teemu puts in AJ [Ramsey] and he puts in an unbelievable ball and Sarge [Sargent] is in a good position to score."

On the substitution itself, he added: "It wasn't so much the midfield alone. I just felt when we countered we didn't get up the pitch quickly enough. We work on distances from back to front being five cuts of grass.

"Yesterday it felt it was nine or ten cuts. At any level, you can't do that. But when they broke at us we had to defend well and I thought our two centre-halves did that."

Norwich felt they should have had a penalty in the first half when substitute Sam Byram went to ground inside the Sunderland area with Luke O'Nien on the scene.

However, referee Tim Robinson didn’t award it and the game continued. Smith, though, felt it was a clear foul and that his side should have been awarded a spot-kick.

He said: "He [Byram] should have had a penalty, by the way, without a shadow of a doubt. Those ones when they pull the shirt should be picked up."

The Black Cats will be looking for a new head coach, with Alex Neil set to join Stoke City following talks with the Potters.

Neil was in the stands at Ewood Park as Stoke won 1-0 at Blackburn, with his Sunderland assistant Martin Canning expected to join the Scot at the bet365 Stadium.

It been has stated that Chelsea coach Anthony Barry, MK Dons boss Liam Manning and Tony Mowbray are all under consideration to replace Neil. Indeed, Mowbray was spotted at the Stadium of Light for the game against Coventry City and has worked with head of recruitment Stuart Harvey previously.