Norwich City v Sunderland: Five memorable previous encounters

A five-goal masterclass, a goal of the decade nominee, a relegation great escape and an unlikely cup final – Sunderland and Norwich have had some incredible meetings.
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As the Black Cats prepare to visit Carrow Road for a Championship play-off six pointer on Sunday, here are five of their best-ever encounters with the Canaries.

Sunderland 3-0 Norwich – April 16, 2016 – Premier League

Sam Allardyce saw his Black Cats give their chances of Premier League survival a major boost and dent bitter rivals Newcastle’s own survival hopes, and got a bit shirty himself, in beating relegation rivals Norwich.

Tony Mowbray.Tony Mowbray.
Tony Mowbray.
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Sunderland took the lead just before half-time with a coolly taken penalty from fan favourite Fabio Borini as he continued his immaculate record for the club from 12 yards.

Borini then set up Jermain Defoe for his 16th goal of the season early in the second half, before Seb Larsson sent young Duncan Watmore clear in injury-time to slot home and secure all three points.

Allardyce himself got involved, wrestling with Norwich striker Cameron Jerome on the touchline after seeing his right-back DeAndre Yedlin shoved into the pitchside advertising hoardings.

Crucially, the win took Sunderland to within a point of fourth-bottom Norwich in the table, and kept them two points ahead of 19th-placed Newcastle.

Sunderland 7-1 Norwich – March 20, 1963 – Football League Division Two

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One of the greatest-ever individual performances seen at Roker Park saw Sunderland maintain their promotion charge as the season neared its end.

Incredibly, of Nick Sharkey’s seven league goals in the 1962-63 season, five came in this game alone, as the Black Cats hammered a team which had started the day only five points below them in the table.

Sharkey hit a nine-minute hat-trick just before half-time to send Sunderland into the interval 3-0 up.

After Stan Anderson added to the lead in the 57th minute to make the game completely safe, Sharkey added his fourth on the hour mark, and Johnny Crossan quickly made it 6-0.

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Future TV commentator Jimmy Hill grabbed a consolation goal for the Canaries, but Sharkey went straight up the other end and rounded things off by making it 7-1.

This incredible victory kept the Black Cats in second position behind Chelsea only on goal difference.

Sadly, they would go on to miss out on promotion to the Blues by goal difference, with Stoke City beating them both to the Division Two title by a point.

Sunderland 0-1 Norwich – March 24, 1985 – League Cup final

The most significant – if not happiest – meeting Sunderland have had with Norwich came in 1985 and one of Wembley’s unlikeliest cup finals.

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Both sides were struggling in the top division, but their fans filled the 100,000 capacity of the old national stadium.

Sunderland – captained by 20-year-old Barry Venison – were hoping for a first major trophy since the 1973 FA Cup, but luck went against them early in the second half, when a shot by Asa Hartford was deflected past his own goalkeeper by defender Gordon Chisholm.

The Black Cats had the chance to almost instantly reply when a handball by Dennis Van Wijk gave them a penalty. However, Clive Walker fired wide from the spot kick, and Norwich took home the trophy.

While it was Norwich’s second League Cup victory and remains their most recent major honour, their luck ran out at the end of the season, as other teams’ results saw them relegated with a record total of 49 points.

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Sadly, defeat for Sunderland at Wembley was followed by a disastrous run of one win in their final 11 league games of the season which saw them also make the drop to the old Division Two.

Sunderland 3-0 Norwich – February 01, 2012 – Premier League

A goal of the decade contender from Frazier Campbell sparked a comfortable victory which lifted Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland to eighth in the Premier League.

Just 21 minutes into his first Premier League start since August 2010, Campbell produced a stunning 25-yard volley to beat goalkeeper John Ruddy.

Campbell then turned provider, crossing for Stephane Sessegnon to double Sunderland’s lead just before the half-hour mark.

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The game was made safe early in the second half when a cross by Phil Bardsley deflected in off Norwich’s Spanish defender Daniel Ayala’s knee.

Despite a late-season slump which saw the Black Cats go winless in their last eight league games, they still finished in mid-table.

Campbell’s volley was so good that it was nominated for Sunderland’s Goal of the Decade.

Norwich 1-3 Sunderland – August 13, 2017 – Championship

Lewis Grabban’s bizarre version of a hat-trick in Sunderland’s first Championship away game following relegation from the Premier League earned a victory which suggested they had a shot at bouncing back into the top flight.

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Having scored in the 1-1 draw against Derby at the Stadium of Light on the season’s opening day, on-loan Grabban put the Black Cats ahead at Carrow Road in the 27th minute after being set up by James Vaughan.

Aiden McGeady produced a superb strike from distance to double Sunderland’s lead on the hour mark, before crossing for Grabban to head home a third.

Grabban then poked the ball into his own net 12 minutes from time amid a goalmouth scramble to set up a slightly nervy finale, but Simon Grayson’s men held out.

Sadly, things quickly went sour for both Grayson and Sunderland that season, with him sacked at the end of October, and his successor Chris Coleman going the same way after failing to prevent a second successive relegation.