Abdoullah Ba's first goal in English football halted Sunderland's losing streak as it earned the Black Cats a priceless 1-0 win at play-off rivals Norwich City. Sunderland had arrived in Norfolk on the back of three successive defeats - and with just one point from their last four matches - which had seen them sink towards midtable.
But Ba's goal on the quarter-hour at Carrow Road, allied to a superb defensive display, saw the Wearsiders get back on course against a Canaries side that had come into this game in excellent form, having won three on the spin. Tony Mowbray's side moved up to tenth in the table and cut the gap between themselves and the play-off places to five points.
Mowbray made three changes to the side that started last weekend's defeat against Stoke City, all three of which were forced upon him through injury. Amad missed out with a muscle problem picked up in training and he was replaced by Abdoullah Ba, while Luke O'Nien came in for left-back Aji Alese who suffered a thigh injury against the Potters which will keep him out for the rest of the season.
READ MORE: Norwich City 0-1 Sunderland: Highlights and reactionas Ba's goal gives Black Cats crucial victory
The third change saw Edouard Michut come into midfield in place of former Norwich City man Alex Pritchard, who was also absent through injury. Norwich boss David Wagner made one change, in his case to the side that won at Millwall last weekend, as Marcelino Nunez replaced Jacob Sorensen in the starting line-up.
There were chances at both ends in the early stages, with the first falling to Sunderland when Ba created an opportunity for Joe Gelhardt, but Norwich keeper Angus Gunn made a comfortable save. At the other end, Teemu Pukki fired high over the crossbar from range.
And then Jack Clarke turned inside Max Aarons on the left flank and tried to catch out Gunn at his near post, but the keeper parried and then grabbed the ball at the second attempt. Next it was Anthony Patterson's turn to make a save, when Gabriel Sara's raking crossfield pass found Aarons inside the box on the right and he had time to bring it under control before hitting a shot which the Sunderland keeper turned round the post.
Pukki then glanced a header over the bar from an inswinging Sari free-kick, and a couple of minutes later Pukki cut the ball back from inside the area on the right for Nunez but his low shot was weak and Patterson made the save. Sunderland took the lead in the 15th minute when Patrick Roberts picked up the ball on the right flanks and played it inside for Gelhardt, he helped it on to Ba 25 yards from goal and he turned away from ex-Newcastle defender Grant Hanley before firing a low shot beyond Gunn into the bottom right-hand corner.
Two minutes later, Gelhardt spurned a huge chance to make it 2-0. Dan Neil headed the ball into the path of the unmarked striker as he broke into the box through the centre but he hit his shot straight at Gunn, who simply stood tall with the effort hitting him and deflecting to safety, when anywhere else it would have ended up in the back of the net.
And a minute later Danny Batth headed wide from a Clarke cross as Sunderland continued to put pressure on a nervy Norwich defence. Gelhardt sent a shot across the face of goal and wide of the right-hand post, while at the other end Kenny McLean tried a shot from 25 yards which took a slight deflection but which presented no problem for Patterson.
In the second half, Ba sent a shot over the crossbar after good work in the build-up from Gelhardt. And Clarke saw a shot deflected behind off Hanley for a corner, and frome the set-piece Clarke then saw an effort parried by Gunn and Gelhardt could not turn home the rebound.
But Norwich turned up the heat in the second half and began to create a series of chances. Hanley headed tamely at Patterson from a free-kick, and just after the hour Pukki volleyed straight at Patterson from a Dimitris Giannoulis cross.
More chances came and went for Norwich, but Sunderland's back line remained resolute, putting bodies on the line when necessary, to preserve the clean sheet and the points.
How they lined up
Norwich City: Gunn, Aarons (Sorensen 56), Hanley, Gibson, Giannoulis, McLean, Hernandez (Marquinhos 56), Nunez (Tzolis 74), Sara, Idah (Sargent 46), Pukki. Subs not used: Krul, Omobamidele, Gibbs
Booked: Pukki, Roberts
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth, O'Nien, Neil, Michut (Ekwah 67), Roberts, Ba (Gooch 67), Clarke, Gelhardt (Lihadji 78). Subs not used: Bass, Bennette, Anderson, Taylor
Booked: Neil, Hume, Batth, Gooch, Ekwah
Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex)
Attendance: 26,728
READ NEXT:
- Dennis Cirkin's lingering concussion is a worry, admits Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray
- Tony Mowbray sets out what Pierre Ekwah needs to do before he is ready for Sunderland's starting XI
Tony Mowbray rules out fast-tracking hot-shot teenager into Sunderland's first-team
- Lynden Gooch returns to Sunderland squad as Tony Mowbray gives injury update ahead of Norwich trip
- Sunderland hit with Aji Alese worst case scenario as defender's season over
